United States HistoryChapter 20: America and the World

Imperialism

Imperialism – the desire to colonize – gripped the United States in the late 1800s

It was justified by the need to stay economically viable and maintain military strength

As a result, the US and many other countries of the world colonized much of Africa, Asia Latin America and the Pacific

The United States also felt they had the duty to spread our way of government, life and religion to “uncivilized” peoples of the world

Hawai’i

The Hawaiian Islands were lucrative because of their tropical climate and they were a good resupply area on the way across the Pacific Ocean

Americans invested heavily in the sugar, eventually forcing King Kalakaua to let the US take over the islands for economic and military purposes

In 1891, the king died, opening the throne to his sister, Liliuokalani

She tried to rid the islands of US influence, but was overthrown in 1893

Samuel Dole became president, but the gov’t refused to annex Hawai’i until 1898, becoming a territory in 1900

China and Japan China had been fought over by several nations for years

Much of their land had been carved into spheres of influence, areas that were controlled by particular nations

In 1899, the United States called for an Open Door Policy with China

This would open trade with all nations and allow the Chinese to collect tariffs and benefit from trade

However, a group of Chinese against foreign intervention known as the Boxers, organized a rebellion in 1900, attempting to drive foreigners out

Eventually, the rebellion was quelled and trade resumed, but China had to pay millions to European nations for the damages of the Boxer Rebellion

In 1854, Matthew Perry sailed to Japan to open trade

Quickly, Japan became and industrial power

This led to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 in a squabble over Chinese lands

The war ended in 1905 after President Roosevelt intervened

Spanish-American War

Cuba and Puerto Rico, just south of the US, were Spanish colonies in revolt as of the late 1800s

The US had great economic interest in both areas

The Spanish rounded up thousands of Cubans into concentration camps, killing over 200,000

William Randolph Hearst reported the atrocities in American newspapers

Americans became sympathetic to the Cuban cause

He also reported a letter from Spain that called President McKinley weak, outraging Americans

Finally, after the USS Maine mysteriously blew up in Havana harbor, Hearst made headlines read that Spain had caused the explosion

On April 25, 1898, at the urging of McKinley, the US declared war on Spain

Spanish-American War The US recognized Cuban independence

Authorized force to uphold independence

Passed the Teller Amendment, vowing to leave Cuba to themselves after the war was over

The first battles were fought in Spanish controlled Philippines

Started May 1, 1898

Eliminated the Spanish navy quickly with overpowering firepower and the help of a Filipino rebel group

Fighting ended August 14, 1898

Fighting in Cuba was much more difficult

Fighting began on July 1, 1898

Theodore Roosevelt resigned his post in the gov’t to become leader of an army group known as the Rough Riders in their conquest of San Juan Hill

Over the course of a couple of weeks, the Spanish army suffered great losses and their navy was destroyed in Cuba and Puerto Rico

Spanish-American War

The war was very costly for Spain

Gave up Cuba and recognized independence

Ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the US

Gave the Philippines to the US for $20 million

The US lost 5,400 men in battle during the short war, but gained a great deal of new territory

The new territory expanded trade, allowed for military bases around the world and showed American might as a world power

The Philippines fought the Americans after the war for their own independence, with thousands dying by 1902 Slowly, the US granted government powers to the Filipino people,

but did not grant independence until July 4, 1946

Cuba and Puerto Rico

After the war, the United States set up military gov’ts in Cuba and Puerto Rico

Cuba was forced to agree to the Platt Amendment, a promise to not agree to treaties with other countries and allow the US to intervene at any time Today, Cuba is independent with no ties to the US after the

Communist takeover in 1959 by Fidel Castro

Puerto Rico was ruled as a territory, with people becoming US citizens in 1917 Today, Puerto Rico is self governing, but is US land, with

American benefits

In both places, the US took steps to rebuild, eliminate disease and protect from outside interventions

Panama To make trade easier, the French tried to build a canal across Panama in the

1880s, but failed

Panama was a part of Columbia at this point

In 1903, a treaty was organized to give the US access to build a canal, but Columbia refused to ratify

Roosevelt was furious and organized a Panamanian revolution

The US military stood on hand to assist Panama if needed, but did not participate in the revolution

The US very quickly recognized the newly independent Panama

Panama gave the US control of a 10 mile wide strip across the nation to build the canal Building began in 1904, but was hampered by yellow fever and malaria

After eliminating the diseases, work resumed and the canal was completed in 1914

The first ship to use the canal did so on August 15, 1914

Panama Canal

Latin America The Monroe Doctrine (1823) promised intervention if European powers

tried anything in Latin America

The Roosevelt Corollary was added in 1904 to ensure Latin American countries that the US would use force to protect them

This was also to protect American interests in those nations

Protests were common but the US continued to intevene

President Taft implemented a new policy of helping nations called dollar diplomacy

Instead of European banks loaning money, he encouraged American investment in Latin America

This allowed for American business to thrive and the military to intervene when they saw fit

President Wilson ended dollar diplomacy, but he encouraged democratic government, and used the military to enforce democratic government

Mexico Mexican president Porfirio Diaz used corruption to rule Mexico, but was

overthrown in the 1910 Mexican Revolution

However, fighting continued between the new democratic government and rebels such as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata

Eventually, the US intervened, landing troops at Veracruz to stop arms going to the rebels

The new president, Victoriano Huerta resigned and fled to Spain in 1914

At this point, Mexico was nearly lawless, but the new president, Venustiano Carranza, promised to protect Americans, so the US recognized the new government

Pancho Villa was outraged at this recognition

He crossed into New Mexico, killing 17 Americans as retaliation

President Wilson sent the army into Mexico to find Pancho Villa, but that only escalated a potential war with Mexico

Finally, in 1917, a new Mexican constitution went into effect, calming the nation