Spanish American War and
American Expansionism
US Unit 2 Part 2
1.What conclusions
can be drawn
from the
newspaper cover?
2.What emotions
would this
produce in many
Americans at the
time?
Yellow Journalism
Sensational or exaggerated
story writing loosely based on
facts.
It is intended to motivate
people into a particular
action. Even if it requires
bending the truth.
Used both in terms of writing
and images.
William Randolph Hearst
owned many of the major
newspapers in the U.S. and
was famous for using this.
Nationalism
Pride in one’s country or
belief that your country is
the best.
As America prospered in
the late 1800s this feeling
began to rise with
Americans and Yellow
Journalists helped
promote it.
Imperialism A policy by which nations
attempt to create empires
by dominating weaker
nations economically,
politically, or militarily; also
called expansionism.
The U.S. wanted to do this
in order to be seen on the
same level of power as
European Nations.
The Monroe Doctrine
Policy of President Monroe that
the United States would
consider any European
interference in the nations of
Latin American as an unfriendly
act.
Under President Theodore
Roosevelt he extended the
ideas of the Monroe Doctrine
with “Roosevelt Corollary to the
Monroe Doctrine,” claiming the
legitimate use of military force
to achieve expansion and
trade.
Causes of the Spanish American War
 Cuban Rebels had been fighting
against their Spanish rulers for years
but it was not until yellow journalists
reported that Spain blew up the
U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor that
Americans took interest in fighting
Spain in Cuba.
 The conflict quickly expanded as
the U.S. used the sinking of the
Maine as an excuse for an all-out
war against Spain and pledged
support to all rebels including
Cuban rebels who were fighting
Spain.
Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
 Teddy Roosevelt was Assistant
Secretary of the Navy at the start of
the war.
 He was eager to seek glory in the war
and to do so he created a all
volunteer unit of the toughest fighters
he could find to go fight in Cuba.
 Roosevelt attracted all kinds of men
from the Southwest primarily and their
wild nature gave them the nickname
the Rough Riders.
 The Rough Riders came to represent
the American Military Spirit and
fought in all major battles in Cuba.
Key Battles of the War
El Caney and San Juan
Hill: Famous battle
where the rough rider
won even though
outnumbered.
Santiago: Decisive U.S.
land battle victory in
Cuba
Manila Bay: Major U.S.
naval victory in the
Philippines
Buffalo Soldiers: All Black regiments with white
officers who fought in every major battle.
Results and Effects of the War
Spain was humiliated
and lost all of its’
remaining colonies.
The U.S. gained Puerto
Rico, Guam, and the
Philippines as territories
and established a
protectorate over Cuba.
The U.S. is now
considered a global
power.
Yellow Journalism RAFT
Role – Reporter for a Hearst newspaper
Audience – newspaper readers in America
Format – a “yellow journalism” article
describing events of the Spanish-American
War
Topic + strong verb – Americans Defend
Vicious Attacks after the Sinking of the Maine:
The Real Story.
DO NOW
Would you consider the
United States today to be
an empire? Why or why
not? Provide evidence.
America at It’s Limits
According to the
census of 1890, the
American frontier was
“closed”. This led to a
desire for the United
States to go beyond
her physical borders.
What does this
mean?
Growth Factor #1
• As a result of the Civil
War and Reconstruction,
Southern land, crops,
animals, cities were
destroyed and/or ravaged
by the Civil War. Railroads
were demolished and
displaced people needed
places to relocate.
Growth Factor #2
Completion of the
transcontinental
railroad in 1869 made
movement of people
and transportation of
products easier, safer,
and faster across the
United States.
Growth Factor #3
Settlement of the
West was
attractive due to
cheap land,
mineral
discoveries, and
farming/ranching
lands
Growth Factor #4
Growth of factories
and cities profited from
an overabundance of
immigrant labor
arriving from Europe
and Asia and an
abundance of natural
resources.
Alfred Thayer Mahan
admiral and naval
historian whose
theories on the
relationship of sea
power and world
commerce
developed U.S.
imperialistic foreign
policy.
Henry Cabot Lodge
Massachusetts
Senator supported
American expansion
as a world power.
He worked for the
Panama Canal and
naval bases to
support world trade.
Sandford B. Dole
Born in Hawaii as a son of
missionaries, Dole became
President of the Republic of
Hawaii when Queen
Lili'uokalani was overthrown.
In 1900 he was appointed
Governor of the Territory of
Hawaii after its annexation as
a U.S. Territory following the
Spanish-American War.
He later became a federal
judge.
The Panama Canal
There was an increased
the need for a quicker
water route between the
industrial centers of the
eastern U.S. and markets
on the West Coast and
in Asia. This caused a
movement to build the
Panama Canal which
was completed in 1914.
The Panama Canal cont.
Physical effect - made travel
faster and shorter from Atlantic
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean) and
increased the possibility of trade
and movement.
Building the canal created a U.S.
presence in Panama (Panama
Canal Zone) until 1999.
Initial work led to engineering
discoveries and medical solutions
to problems of malaria and
yellow fever.