Q.O.D
- Explain what Imperialism is and
the impact it had on our
country.
- Presidents 12-26
Map
Roots of Imperialism
Chapter 18.1
Vocabulary
-Imperialism: political, military, and economic domination of strong nations
over weaker territories.
-Extractive Economy: Economy in a colony where the colonizing country
removed raw materials and shipped them back home to benefit its own
economy.
-Social Darwinism: The belief that life consists of competitive struggles in
which only the fittest survive.
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Important People
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Alfred T. Mahan: "The most important strategist of the nineteenth
century" transformed America into a naval power
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Matthew Perry: A commodore in the mid 1800’s who opened up
trade with Japan.
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Frederick J. Turner: A historian who wrote a book and noted that the
frontier was being closed by gradual settlement.
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Queen Liliuokalani: a Hawaiian nationalist resented the increasing
power of the white planters who owned much of the Hawaiian land.
Why it matters
- In the late 1800s, the US began to change from
isolationism to emerge as a new power on the global
stage by acquiring influence and territories outside of
its continental borders.
*Isolationism: the policy of isolating one's country from the affairs of other
nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments,
international agreements, etc.
Cause of Imperialism
● Age of Imperialism: mid 1800s-early 1900s
● During the Age of Exploration, European nations
established colonies. Later, (AOI) they added new
colonies in Africa and Asia.
● Japan and the US noted how successful this had been
for European nations so they began to consider the
benefits of extending their political, military, and
economic control over weaker territories (Imperialism.)
Imperialist seek economic benefits
● Some benefits for imperial countries where raw materials and natural
resources like tea, rubber, petroleum, iron.
● In these extractive economies, countries extracted / removed raw
materials from the colonies and shipped them to their home colonies for
their industries. This gave them an edge in the global resource
competition.
● Benefits for countries like the US with booming economies, included
new overseas markets where their surplus of goods could be sold.
Imperialists Stress and Military Strength
● In Alfred Mahan’s book, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History,
he asserts that since ancient times great nations owed their
greatness to the natives.
● America would need to acquire foreign bases so ships could refuel
and gather supplies. He also suggested building a canal across
Central America so ships could move quickly between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans. Because of Mahan the Panama Canal was
built.
● By 1900, the United States had the third largest navy in the world.
Imperialists Believe in National Superiority
● Imperialists world wide used racial, national, and cultural
superiorities to justify imperialism
● Many Americans thought that America wouldn’t survive if
Europe took the rest of the world
● Americans also believed in Manifest Destiny and that
God had granted them the right to expand to the Pacific
Ocean
Imperialists Believe in National Superiority
- Our Country a book by Josiah Strong kept with the
theme of expansion
The Significance of the Frontier in American History by
Frederick Jackson Turner said that the frontier was for
ambitious american settlers.
The settlers also helped with potential disconnect and
once we settled the frontier Turner thought we needed
more land.
Books
U.S. Power Grows in the Pacific
- In 1853, Matthew Perry sent a Fleet of warships to
Tokyo Bay, Japan.
- Perry opened up trade with Japan by showering them
with gifts and having the Japanese come to realization
that not trading with other countries they fell behind in
Military technology.
- After the treaty was made to open trade with Japan,
Americans wanted further expansion in the Pacific.
Seward Purchases Alaska
- Secretary of State, William Seward, purchased Alaska
from Russia for $7.2 million.
- Alaska was referred to as “Seward’s Icebox” and
“Seward’s Folly”
- People didn’t understand why they needed a vast tundra
of ice and snow until it was found to be rich in resources
such as, timber, oil, and others.
- Alaska doubled America’s size
- The purchase is thought of as a key milestone in
America’s road to power
U.S Influence In Latin America Grows.
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Businessmen saw Latin America as a natural place to expand their
trade and investments.
Secretary at State, James Blaine, Sponsored the First International
Pan-American Conference in 1889.
It established the International Union of American Republics, later
known as the Pan-American Union.
The conference also paved the way for the Pan-American Highway
system. This then linked the United States to Central and South
America.
In 1895, America and Great Britain got into a border disputes
between British Guiana and Venezuela, with America claiming that
Britain was violating the Monroe Doctrine.
American Planters Increase Power
In the 1890’s American planters in Hawaii face two crisis’s
1.The new tariff law imposed duties on previously duty free hawaiian sugar
●This made sugar more expensive than sugar in the United States
●Sugar growers in hawaii feared the would suffer decreasing profits
2.
King Kalakaua died leaving his sister, Queen Liliuokalani , as ruler
●She resented the White planters who were gaining power and owning much of the hawaiian
land
●She decided to abolish the constitution stating that the white minority had power
They overthrew the Queen and wealthy planter Stanford B. Dole lead the new government
asking president Benjamin Harrison to annex Hawaii
United States Annexes Hawaii
- President Harrison signed the treaty for annexation of
Hawaii but couldn’t get the senate to approve before
Grover Cleveland.
- Cleveland ordered a full investigation and found out
that many of the Hawaiians didn’t want the treaty.
- With the push of many Americans ,William McKinley,
and the outbreak of the Spanish American War Hawaii
became a U.S. Territory.
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMWOx2ZB3qU