The SpanishAmerican War & The
Consequences
Turning Point
• The Spanish-American War marked the end of
Spain’s colonial empire.
• The United States had awakened to its potential as
and then emerged a true world power.
• The war let the U.S. demonstrate its naval strength
to the world.
• Raised critical issues for Americans:
• What should the United States do with the former
Spanish Colonies it was now occupying?
Imperialist Vs. Anti-Imperialist
Imperialism
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Saw occupation of former Spanish
colonies as a unique opportunity
Need for raw materials & markets
Strategic Reasons
Nationalism
Attitudes towards other People
Admiral Alfred Thayer Mayan was
the leading advocate for imperial
expansion. Buddies with T.R.
Argued that to achieve world power we
would need a strong navy.
Mahan believed it was essential for
Americans to seize control of Pacific
trade routes, to construct a canal
through Central America, and dominate
the Caribbean Region.
Anti-Imperialism
• On the other hand…
• The United States had once consisted
of 13 colonies, because of this many
Americans still felt uneasy about
forcing colonial rule on others
• Opponents: Mark Twain & Andrew
Carnegie
• Felt imperialism violated the basic
democratic principles of selfgovernment (which the U.S. was
founded)
• Formed American Anti-Imperialist
League in 1898 to oppose the
acquisition of colonies
Imperialist Vs. Anti-Imperialist
Imperialism
Anti-Imperialism
• Imperialist won the • Failed
• One U.S. Senator (and Antiargument
Imperialist League member)
mourned “the danger that
• Acquired colonial
we are to be transformed
empire
from a Republic, founded on
the Declaration of
Independence, into a vulgar,
common empire, founded
on force!”
A Two Front War : Caribbean & Pacific
• Caribbean:
• Cuba
• Puerto Rico
• Panama Canal
Reasons for Interest In the Caribbean
• Hemispheric Security : U.S. Sought to keep foreign
powers out of the Caribbean because they might pose a
threat to the U.S. Security (to close to home).
• Economic Interests : Caribbean Region was an important
supplier of agricultural products (sugar) and provided a
valuable market for American goods and investment.
• Need for a Canal : Spanish-American War demonstrated
that the U.S. needed easier access by water between the
Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. We needed to be able to
send ships back and forth quickly between the two oceans
instead of having 2 separate Naval Fleets.
Cuba
• Largest island in the Caribbean.
• T.R. raised a volunteer force (Rough Riders).
• Acting with other army regiments, they finally defeated the
Spanish forces at San Juan Hill
• http://youtu.be/pyuRSPbcC3A
• U.S. takes Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• Even though we said we would not annex Cuba became a
“protectorate” under American control.
• U.S. troops stay on the island and American businesses invest
more heavily in Cuba.
• Some troops are forced to leave due to Yellow Fever
• Platt Amendment: Cubans forced to agree. Gave U.S. the
right to intervene in Cuban affairs at anytime (repealed in the
late 1930s)
Puerto Rico
• Small Caribbean island (100 miles long by 35
miles wide)
• May 1900:
• U.S. government establishes a civil government
• Governor
• Upper House of Delegates - Picked by the
U.S. President and approved by Congress
• Lower House of Delegates – Elected by
Popular Vote
Why we needed it.
Panama Canal
Panama Canal
• The Isthmus of Panama, the narrowest point in Central
America, was the best place to build the canal
• Panama was part of Columbia. U.S. & Columbia enter
negotiations but could not agree on terms
• President T.R. struck a deal with the Panamanian rebels who
were trying to gain their independence from Columbia.
• T.R. sent warships to Panama to protect the rebels when they
took action.
• Immediately afterwards, TR recognized Panama as a new
country. In return, the new government gave the U.S.
complete control of a 10-mile strip of rainforest through the
center of Panama (known as the Panama Canal Zone)
Challenges of Building the Canal
• Construction of its 51-mile length took 10 years (1903 – 1914) to
complete
• Cost $400 Million
• Thousands died
• Engineers had to design a series of 6 giant locks
• Tropical Climate posed a different kind of special challenge: Intense
heat, Dense Rainforests, Heavy Rains caused mudslides
• Dr. Walter Reed just discovered Yellow Fever was spread by
mosquitos
• Dr. William Gorgas, of the U.S. Army, ordered all swamps
drained, vegetation cut down and all standing water sprayed with oil
to prevent further breeding of mosquito larvae.
• http://youtu.be/Pv0upmpPw3c
A Two Front War : Caribbean & Pacific
• Pacific:
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Philippines
Hawaii
Guam
Midway
Samoa
Philippines
• Shortly after the start of the Spanish-American
War, the U.S. Pacific Fleet sailed to the Philippines
to aid Filipino rebels already in revolt against Spain.
• Filipinos greatly disappointed () when the U.S.
Congress decided to annex the Philippines instead
of granting them their independence
• Filipino rebels fought against the NEW colonial
rulers until 1902 when they were finally defeated.
Hawaii
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Provided a refueling station for American ships
American settlers built Sugar & Pineapple plantations
Missionaries sent to convert natives to Christianity
1890s: Queen Liliuokalani (the native ruler) tried to take political
power back from American landowners. In response, American
landowners overthrew the Queen in 1893.
Sanford B. Dole, a lawyer, led the provisional government while
it worked out plans for the U.S. to annex the islands.
President Cleveland refused to annex Hawaii because of the
planters’ actions in seizing power.
Dole then served as Hawaii’s President.
After the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Congress then
voted to annex Hawaii in 1898.
Dole served as Governor of Hawaii (1900 – 1903)
Guam
• Important port-of-call for Spanish ships
crossing the Pacific from Mexico to the
Philippines
• Taken from Spain in 1898 by the U.S.
• Today it is an unincorporated territory of
the United States
Midway & Samoa
• Midway: Become an American possession in
1867, before the Spanish-American War.
• Samoa: In 1899 it was divided between
Germany and the United States.
• These Pacific islands provided valuable naval
bases and refueling stations for American
Ships traveling to Asia.
America &
East Asia
China And Japan
China : Policy
• European powers established an exclusive “sphere of
influence” (areas where they enjoyed special privileges) in
the 1850s
• U.S. did NOT have this, but carried on active trade with
China
• U.S. Secretary of State John Hay was worried (as were
other Americans) that the U.S. would eventually be blocked
from trading with China.
• He established the “Open Door” Policy which gave
equal trading rights to ALL foreign nations with China.
• Hay sent notes to other major powers and declared his
policy to be in effect
China : Boxers
• Boxers : a Chinese group opposing Western influence in
China
• Months after John Hay decided China was open to all, the
Boxer Rebellion erupted in China.
• International army sent to China to crush rebellion
• John Hay announced that the U.S. would oppose any
attempt by other nations to use the Boxer Rebellion as
an excuse to dismember China.
Japan
• Japan opens up to Western trade
and influence after Commodore
Matthew Perry landed ships in
1853.
• By 1890, Japan has adopted
Western ways.
• First Asian industrial power
• Adopted imperialist policies
• 1905: Japan shock the world and
defeats Russia in the RussoJapanese War.
• President Roosevelt brings Russian
and Japanese delegates together
and negotiated a peace settlement.
• Treaty of Portsmouth is signed
and earns T.R. a nice Nobel
Peace Prize.