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U.S. Imperialism

Chapter 27

U.S. Foreign Policy

•  Monroe Doctrine •  Many Spanish colonies revolting •  U.S. warning Europe to stay out •  Encouraged revolting countries to adopt

American democratic model •  Isolationism toward Europe

But, toward everyone else..

•  Very involved: –  Indian affairs – Spanish colonies – Mexico – Manifest Destiny expanding toward into the

Pacific and Latin America

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Social Darwinist Thinking

The White Man’s Burden The Hierarchy

of Race

Commodore Matthew Perry Opens Up Japan: 1853

• Trade will also expand to China and Korea.

• U.S. will send expeditions to Caribbean

“Seward’s Folly”: 1867

$7.2 million

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5 P’s of Expansion

1.  Profit –  Industrialization meant need for more

resources and markets –  Must expand to compete with Europe –  Large amounts of raw materials in

Caribbean, Pacific, Latin America –  Depression of 1893 meant less domestic

consumption--need foreign markets

Commercial/Business Interests (Profit)

U. S. Foreign Investments: 1869-1908

American Foreign Trade: 1870-1914

Commercial/Business Interests (Profit)

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5 P’s of Expansion

2.  Patriotism –  Expansion to

assert American power

–  Continue Manifest Destiny

5 P’s of Expansion

•  3. Protection –  Add to economic and

political empire you become powerful.

–  Less likely to be attacked.

–  Military strategy –  Alfred Thayer Mahan

Alfred Thayer Mahan

•  Wrote “ The Influence of Seapower Upon History”

•  Strong navy key to world dominance and control of sea

•  Influential work that saw U.S. build up its navy

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4. Piety

American Missionaries

in China, 1905

5 P’s of Expansion

5. Politics –  Politicians must listen to businesses

•  Businesses want to expand •  Businesses giving millions to campaigns

–  Expansion allows U.S. to escape divisive (and boring) domestic issues

–  Foreign involvement influenced by yellow journalists

Opponents to Expansion

•  Argued expansion violated U.S. idea of self-determination

•  “Brown-skinned” were inferior and could not be assimilated

•  Avoid foreign entanglements –  Washington’s Farewell Address

•  Would require increased spending to build up and maintain strong navy

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“Big Sister” Policy •  Advocated by former Sec.

of State James Blaine •  U.S. should lead and

protect Latin American nations

•  Would open up markets for American industry

•  1889: first Pan-American Conference

•  Near war with Germany over Samoan Islands

•  Near war with Chile, Italy

Panama Canal

•  Rutherford B. Hayes began negotiations for building of canal in

•  Would benefit shipping and navy

•  Help US and Latin America economically and militarily

U.S.-Britain Confrontation (1895)

•  Britain and Venezuela arguing over boundary between Venezuela and British Guiana

•  Sec. of State Richard Olney invokes Monroe Doctrine

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Olney Note •  Olney states Britain

must accept U.S. arbitration

•  Britain ignores, U.S. threatens war

•  Congress drew boundary and Britain ended up accepting arbitration to focus on other threats in Europe

•  “The Great Rapprochement”

U. S. View of Hawaiians

Hawaii becomes a U. S. Protectorate in 1849 by virtue of economic treaties.

U.S.-Hawaii Relations

•  Agreements in 1870s and 1880s in areas of sugar trade, use of ports, naval bases

•  U.S. controlled Pearl Harbor by 1887 •  Increased push to annex in 1890 (same year

as McKinley Tariff) •  Native Hawaiians resented U.S.

–  U.S. viewed Hawaiian opponents with disdain and racism

–  U.S. had imported Asian workers to work sugar fields (U.S dominating this industry by 1880s)

–  Opposed annexation

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Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani

Hawaii for the Hawaiians! Tore up trade agreements sugar planters had with U.S.

U. S. Business Interests In Hawaii " Jan. 1893 – American

businessmen and sugar planters backed an uprising against Queen Liliuokalani.

" Coup worked and Queen removed.

" Grover Cleveland removed troops upon taking office in March, ‘93,believing coup to be illegal and attempted to restore Queen.

" Senate, however, exonerated military in coup and Queen not put in place

" Fearing continued interference from Cleveland, pro-expansionists write constitution for Hawaii

"   Sanford Ballard Dole proclaims the Republic of Hawaii in 1894.

To The Victor Belongs the Spoils

Hawaiian Annexation Ceremony, 1898

• Hawaiians given U.S. citizenship in 1898

• Hawaii full territorial status in 1900

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Spanish-American War

•  Cuba revolts against Spain in 1895 •  U.S. had profitable sugar trade with Cuba =

$100 million/yr. •  Sugar planters wanted to be annexed by U.S.

(would also allow them to get around Tariff of 1894)

•  Sugar planters burn crops to get U.S. attention and protest Spain

•  U.S. also believed control of Cuba = control of Gulf of Mexico

•  Spain sends in troops to stop revolt

U.S. Reaction •  Spain send Valeriano “The Butcher” Weyler to Cuba in 1896

•  Spain captures Cuban revolters and sends them to “reconcentration” camps

•  Yellow journalists stir up U.S. sentiment of protectorate of the weak

“Yellow Journalism”

Joseph Pulitzer

William Randolph Hearst

Hearst:You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war!

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Spanish Misrule in Cuba

De Lôme Letter " Dupuy de Lôme, Spanish

Ambassador to the U.S.

" Criticized President McKinley as weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd, besides being a would-be politician who tries to leave a door open behind himself while keeping on good terms with the jingoes of his party.

Remember the Maine and to Hell with Spain!

Funeral for Maine victims in Havana

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Theodore Roosevelt " Assistant Secretary of

the Navy in the McKinley administration.

" Imperialist and American nationalist.

" Criticized President McKinley as having the backbone of a chocolate éclair!

" Later, resigns his position to fight in Cuba.

War Declared in 1898 •  Yellow journalists

continue to add fuel •  President McKinley

demands Spain give Cuba independence

•  Congress declares war •  Teller Amendment: U.S.

promised not to annex Cuba, just overthrow the unjust Spanish

The Spanish-American War (1898): “That Splendid Little War”

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The “Rough Riders”

• 385 men killed by Spain

• 5000 by disease

• Increases U.S. imperialist tendencies under McKinley and T. Roosevelt

Dewey Captures Manila (8/1898)

The Treaty of Paris: 1898

" Cuba was freed from Spanish rule.

" Spain gave up Puerto Rico and the island of Guam.

" The U. S. paid Spain $20 mil. for the Philippines.

" The U. S. becomes an imperial power!

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Puerto Rico: 1898 " 1900 - Foraker Act.

§  PR became an “unincorporated territory.” § Controlled by U.S., but not part of US

§  Citizens of PR, not of the US.

§  Import duties placed on goods from PR " 1901-1903 à the Insular Cases.

§  Constitutional rights were not automatically extended to territorial possessions.

§  Congress had the power to decide to grant rights.

§  Import duties laid down by the Foraker Act were legal (per Congress)

Puerto Rico: 1898 " 1917 – Jones Act.

§  Gave American citizenship to citizens of PR

§  Removed tariff duties on PR goods coming into the US.

§  PRs elected their own legislators & governor to enforce local laws.

§  PRs could NOT vote in US presidential elections.

§  A Resident Commissioner was sent to Washington to represent PR in the House of Representatives

Teller Amendment (1898) Platt Amendment (1901) 1.  Cuba was not to enter into any agreements with foreign

powers that would endanger its independence.

2.  The U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs if necessary to maintain an efficient, independent govt.

3.  Cuba must lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for naval and coaling station.

4.  Cuba must not build up an excessive public debt.

5.  US followed this until 1934

Cuban Independence? Senator Orville Platt

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The American Anti-Imperialist League

" Founded in 1899.

" Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, William James, and William Jennings Bryan among the leaders.

" Campaigned against the annexation of the Philippines and other acts of imperialism.

The Imperialist Tailor

Is He To Be a Despot?

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Filipino-American War (1899) •  Filipinos upset they were not

treated the same way as Cubans

•  U.S. felt it was protecting Philippines from anarchy, foreign take-over, etc.

•  War to stop Emilio Aguinaldo and revolutionaries

•  Philippines remains U.S. property until 1946

William H. Taft, 1st Gov.-General of the Philippines

Great administrator.

U.S. Seeks Market in China

•  China, because of past treatment, was suspicious of U.S.

•  U.S. needs market for new territories of Hawaii, Philippines and Samoa

•  Other nations (Russia, Japan, etc.) also covet China

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The Open Door Policy

" Secretary John Hay.

" Give all nations equal access to trade in China.

" Guaranteed that China would NOT be taken over by any one foreign power.

The Boxer Rebellion: 1900

" Traditionalists want U.S. out

" Killed thousands of Chinese Christians

" Boxers defeated by Chinese, Philippine, and American army

Some Results of Expansion

•  U.S. acquired a number of territories •  U.S. grows as an industrial and

worldwide military power •  Rallied most Americans to support

government •  Increased power of federal government