American Imperialism
Political Reasons for Imperialism
 Believed that we needed to push the United
States’ boundaries further and create an
empire
 European countries had already done this,
so we should too!
 Believed we needed to control the seas
Economic Reasons for Imperialism
 Believed we needed to dominate commerce
(trade)
 Needed places to sell products
 1890s were a decade of crisis
 Too many people to feed because of
immigration
 Economic depression
Purchase of Alaska
 The U.S. purchased the
Alaskan territory from
Russia in 1867
 $7.2 million
 586,412 square miles
of new territory
 Approximately $12.27
per square mile
Called Seward’s
Folly (mistake)
http://youtu.be/OY9E2lo2jpQ
http://youtu.be/Gf09-4r2oNU
Why wasn’t it?
Objectives
 Content: Analyze evidence on the Maine
explosion and determine which newspaper
is more believable.
 Language: Explain the 4 causes of the
Spanish American War.
Causes of the Spanish American War
1. Protection of American business
interests in Cuba (mostly sugar cane)
2. America wanted to help Cuban rebels
gain independence from Spain
3. The sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in
Havana Harbor, Cuba
4. Yellow Journalism
The Spanish American War
 April 25, 1898 – December 10,1898
(8 months)
 The United States declared war on
Spain after the sinking of the battleship
U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba.
How do these headlines differ?
Search for
Missing Bride
Continues
Bride
Missing!
Groom’s
Family Blame
History of
Mental Illness
Yellow Journalism and War
 Newspapers resorted to
headlines that
exaggerated and
sensationalized events in
order to sell more
papers.
 This increased public
support for the war
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU5l4yQCpMM
&feature=related
Objectives
 Content:
 Predict
why the United States acquired Hawaii.
 Analyze a song about the consequences of
annexation for Hawaiians.
 Learning:
 List
the results of the Spanish American War.
Timeline of Events
 Cuba desires independence from Spain
 Sinking of USS Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba –
February 15, 1898.

Both sides disagree who was at fault.
 U.S. requests Cuban independence instead of war
with Spain
 War Declared on April 25, 1898.
 U.S. blockaded Cuba to prevent Spanish
reinforcements
Timeline of Events
 U.S. attacked Manila Harbor in Philippines.
 U.S. offered a peace treaty to Spain granting
independence to Cuba, giving the U.S. a port in
Philippines, and annexing Puerto Rico – REFUSED
 Battles fought in Cuba until July – Peace settlement
reached in August relating to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and
Guam.
 Spanish American struggle over the Philippines
continued until December when the Treaty of Paris
was signed, ending the war.
Results of the Spanish American War
 The United States emerged as a
world power
 As a result of the Treaty of Paris of
1898
Cuba
gained independence from Spain
but became dependent on the U.S.
The United States gained possession of
the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico
Annexation of Hawaii
 Hawaii – desirable because of resources and
location
 Order of events:
1. Missionaries tried to change the religion of
the native Hawaiians
2. Sugar – U.S. provided a good deal to purchase
sugar to start to influence the area but wanted
more than just trade
Annexation of Hawaii
3. White planters overthrew the native Hawaiian
government because they wanted less taxes on
sugar and feared losing U.S. influence
4. U.S. starts us use as a refueling station in
Spanish American War
5. Annexation of Hawaii because of strategic
importance

http://youtu.be/uOhv-VWpNpY
 Hawaii ‘78

http://youtu.be/VrbaN42tDFE
Objectives
 Content: Apply Big Stick Diplomacy to the
Panama Canal.
 Language: Explain the 3 parts of the Roosevelt
Corollary.
The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
 The Western Hemisphere was no longer open for
colonization
 The political system of the Americas was different
from Europe
 The United States would regard any interference in
Western hemispheric affairs as a threat to its security
 The United States would refrain from participation
in European wars and would not disturb existing
colonies in the Western Hemisphere
Teddy Roosevelt Policies
 Teddy Roosevelt’s most famous quote:
“Speak softly and carry a big stick”
Roosevelt Corollary
 Drafted a policy known as the Roosevelt Corollary
which expanded on the policies of the Monroe
Doctrine with regard to European involvement in
Central and South America
 Had 3 main components
1.
Asserted the United States’ right to
interfere in the economic ($) matters of
other nations in the Americas
#2
Claimed the
United
States’ right
to exercise
international
police power
#3
Advocated
“Big Stick”
diplomacy
Big Stick Diplomacy
 The Panama Canal
 The
U.S. helped
finance a group of
revolutionaries in
northern Colombia so
that a new country
(Panama) could sell
the U.S. the rights to
build a canal in
Central America.
Big Stick Diplomacy
 In 1903, The U.S. signed a treaty with Panama
for the rights to build a canal that would
connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
 Treaty included:
10 mile strip of land across Panama
U.S. would pay Panama 10 million dollars
for a 99 year lease
U.S. would also pay an annual rent of
$250,000
http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/videos/inside-the-panama-canal
Panama Canal
 Panama Canal was completed August 15th, 1914
 Cut 7,000 miles off the Sea voyage from New York
City to San Francisco
 United States could now quickly navigate between
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Objectives
 Content: Analyze a set of political cartoons about
American Imperialism and explain their meaning
to the class.
 Language: Read an excerpt of the “White Man’s
Burden” and explain what Kipling was trying to
say.
Philippine-American War
 Main fighting lasted from
1899-1902
 February 4, 1899 Filipino
forces led by Aguinaldo
rebelled against
American control of the
Philippines.
 The Filipino people
wanted independence.
Philippine-American War
 U.S.
wanted control of the
Philippines because:
Desire Asian business
opportunities
Concern that the Filipino people
could not rule without help
Concern that another country
would just take over as soon as the
U.S. left
Philippine-American War
 Aguinaldo
was captured and because
the U.S. started granting more rights,
there was less support for the war
against the U.S.
 Both sides occasionally attacked
civilians thought to be helping the
“enemy”
Violence, disease and food shortage
killed about 200,000 civilians
Philippine-American War
 4,200
American and over 20,000
Filipino combatants died in the conflict
 1916
- conflict was over because the U.S.
promised future independence (even
though it did not happen until 1946)