U.S. IMPERIALISM
Unit VC
AP United States History
Fundamental Question

To what extent was the American public
supportive of increased foreign
involvement?
Historical U.S. Foreign Policy
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Washington’s Farewell Address
 Avoid permanent alliances
Jefferson’s Empire of Liberty
 Model of republicanism and democracy
Monroe Doctrine
 Prevention of European intervention in Western Hemisphere
Manifest Destiny
 Louisiana Purchase
 Oregon Territory
 Mexican-American War
Limited Involvement
 Domestic economic expansion
 Economic dependency on European powers
 Civil War
Protective tariffs
Immigration
U.S. Foreign Events Before 1880
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Monroe Doctrine
Japan
 Commodore Perry
 Convention of Kanagawa (1854)

William H. Seward
 Mexico (1866)
 Midway Island (1867)
 Alaska Purchase - “Seward’s Folly” (1867)
Hawaii
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Hawaii was an independent kingdom
Christian missionaries and sugar plantation farmers settle
since 1820s
Rise of Sugar Oligarchy and Fall of Kingdom
 Duty-free sugar led to sugar plantation owners become prosperous
and powerful
 Queen Liliuokalani resented American encroachment
 Sugar owners back by marines overthrew the Queen and
established Republic of Hawaii
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Annexation
 Grover Cleveland refused
 William McKinley argued manifest destiny
 Annexed in 1898 and territory by 1900
Why Hawaii?
Enforcing the Monroe Doctrine
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Pan-American Conference (1889)
 Permanent organization between U.S. and Latin
American nations for mutual political and
economical prosperity
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Venezuela and Great Britain
 U.S. threatened force against Britain
 Deal made favoring U.S. and G.B.
Spanish-American War
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Cuba
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Yellow journalism
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Inexperienced soldiers died from disease than Spanish
Rough Riders and San Juan Hill
Santiago Bay
Philippines Theater
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Spain’s refusal of American demands led to war
Teller Amendment promised Cuban independence once peace restored
Cuban Theater
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250 Americans lost in explosion in Havana Harbor
War declaration and Teller Amendment
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Spanish minister criticized McKinley
“Remember the Maine!” (Feb. 15, 1898)
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Sensational stories whipped up anti-Spanish sentiment
DeLome Letter (Feb. 9, 1898)
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Cuban revolt and Spanish retribution threatened American investments
Destruction of Spanish fleet in Manila Bay (May 1, 1898)
Americans capture Manila (August 13, 1898)
Treaty of Paris
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Cuban independence
Annexation of Puerto Rico, Guam; Philippines for $20 million
A Cry for War
Imperialists and Anti-Imperialists
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Mostly from Republican
Party
Theodore Roosevelt, John
Hay, James G. Blaine
Economic expansion,
political security,
international prestige,
humanitarian efforts
Insular Cases (1901-1903)
 Constitutional provisions and
guarantees granted only by
Congress to territories
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Anti-Imperialist League
 William Jennings Bryan,
Samuel Gompers, Mark
Twain, Ben Tillman,
Andrew Carnegie
 Mostly from Democratic
Party
 Undemocratic, violated
republicanism
Big Stick by Teddy
Policies of Diplomacy
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Big Stick Policy (Roosevelt 1901-1908)
 Aggressive and interventionist policies
 Roosevelt Corollary
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Right for American intervention if a nation proved incapable to protect
American investments and hemisphere stability
Dollar Diplomacy (Taft 1909-1912)
 Endorse American expansion through overseas investment and
infrastructure
 Lodge Corollary extended Monroe Doctrine to non-European
nations
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Moral Diplomacy (Wilson 1912-1921)
 Opposition to aggressive expansion
 Promote democratic and republican ideals especially in affected
nations/territories
Intervention in Latin America
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Cuba
 Platt Amendment
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Removal of U.S. troops on acceptance
 Became a U.S. protectorate
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Haiti (BSP)
Santo Domingo (BSP)
Panama (BSP)
 Revolution and Hay-Pauncefote Treaty
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After U.S.-supported rebellion, U.S. awarded rights to canal zone
connecting Atlantic and Pacific interests
 Panama Canal
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1904-1914
Eliminated American exemption in 1914 (MD)
Nicaragua (1911) (DD)
 Marines sent to protect investments
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Puerto Rico
 Limited sovereignty and citizenship in 1917 (MD)
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Mexico
 Tampico and Pancho Villa (1913-1917)
Panama Canal Zone
Caribbean Involvement
Intervention in Asia
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Philippines
 Annexed by Treaty of Paris (1899)
 Guerilla warfare led by Emilio Aguinaldo
 Jones Act of 1916 (MD)
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Guaranteed rights and independence given stability
China
 Open Door Policy
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Equal trading among nations with spheres of influence in order to protect American
investments in China
Preserve Chinese independence for mutual benefit
 Boxer Rebellion
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International force suppressed anti-foreigner rebels
Europeans further strangled Qing Dynasty
 Railroad investment in China (DD)
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Japan
 Treaty of Portsmouth
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Ended Russo-Japanese War
 “gentleman’s agreement”
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Japanese restrict emigration and U.S. repeal discrimination laws
 Great White Fleet (1907-1909) (BSP)
 Root-Takahira Agreement (1908)
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Japan supported Open Door Policy in China
Acknowledged each nation’s territories in Pacific