Imperialism Begins
P-10
I. Back ground History :Isolationism
-stay out of foreign
affairs
-Washington’s
advice
-had been policy of
government
II. Imperialism
A. 1. -Policy of taking
colonies for economic
interests (to make $)
-*other world powers were building
empires
2. -jingoism : Extreme
patriotism in form of
aggressive foreign policy
*-U.S. also needed new markets for our
products
3. -spheres of influence
National pride spurred
competition among nations
to establish a regional
domination

The International Darwinism movement was
enthusiastically promoted by Josiah Strong’s book,Our
Country: It’s Possible Future and Its Present
Crisis (1885). The book asserted that natural law
dictates that strong countries will dominate weaker
countries and that the Anglo-Saxon race is superior to
other races. Inspired by Strong’s book, many American
imperialists began calling for the spread of American
religion, culture, and values to what they considered
“backwards” third-world countries.

https://www.apstudynotes.org/ushistory/topics/mckinley-and-roosevelt/
II. Imperialism
B. 3 factors fueled the new
Am. Imperialism:
1. Desire for Military
Strength
2. Thirst for new markets
3. Belief in Cultural
Superiority
III. Building an Empire
A. -Alaska, 1867
Seward’s Folly
Purchased from Russia
William Seward’s “Mistake”
2cents an acre
B. -Hawaii, 1898
overthrew the Queen of
Hawaii- Queen LiliuokalaniSet up a Gov’t under Sanford
B Dole
III. Building an Empire
C. -Alfred Mahan
“Influence of Sea Power
upon History”
discussed need for strong
Navy= 1. Protect US
Business & Shipping 2.
Help us compete w/other
powerful nations
•Started building steel
hulled cruisers – including
the USS MAINE
•US 3rd largest Naval Power
April 14, 1908
U.S. Navy's Great White Fleet makes San Diego its first U.S. stop on a
worldwide tour, bringing more than 16,000 sailors into San Diego Harbor on
16 battleships, 7 destroyers and 4 auxiliary ships. Photo of Great White Fleet
off Coronado at night.
IV. Spanish-American
A. -Spanish rule of Cuba
-Spanish ruled harshly
*American Sympathies went
out to the Cuban Peoples …
B.-yellow journalism William
Randolph Hearst & Joseph
Pulitzer, began writing
exaggerated accounts for
Cuban Rebels & Spanish.
Soldiers in Cuba (*Poisoned
Wells, children being thrown to
sharks)
C.-Enrique De Lome letter:
called President Weak,
outraged Americans
http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_resources.html
V- SPAM War
A. -U.S. sends ship to observe
*Bring American Citizens in
danger home
-USS Maine explodes in
Havana killing 260, no one
knew who blew up the ship,
but with Yellow JournalismAM. Newspapers headlines
blamed Spain
-”Remember the Maine” Rally
Cry
April 20th 1898 US declared
War on Spain
Spanish-American
Spanish-American
-Spanish rule of Cuba
-Spanish ruled harshly
-yellow journalism
-De Lome letter
-U.S. sends ship to observe
-USS Maine explodes in
Havana
-”Remember the Maine”
B. Philippines
-U.S. attacks Spanish colony
when war starts
-George Dewey captures the
islands
-Why did we capture the
Philippines??? 1. Spanish
Colony 2. Imperialism
-Imperialistic Foreign Policy
-jingoism
-Josiah Strong Mandate from
God to Spread Christianity to
other areas
‘White Man’s burden”
-Anti-Imperialistic Feelings
-Anti-Imperialist League
financed
-Andrew Carnegie heavily
C Fighting in Cuba
-Cuba will be independent
-Rough Riders volunteer Calvary
Theodore Roosevelt
San Juan Hill famous battle
-”Splendid Little War”
Sec. of State John Hay
Cuba is free
Fighting in Cuba
Cuba is free in less than 3
months
4.-Treaty of Paris, 1898
Puerto Rico is part of U.S.
U.S. buys Philippines (sets up
controversy later on)