AMERICA IN THE AGE OF
IMPERIALISM
APUSH - Spiconardi
We are a great imperial Republic
destined to exercise a controlling
influence upon the actions of
mankind and to affect the future of
the world.
Henry Watterson, Editor of for the
Louisville Courier-Journal
IMPERIALISM
 Imperialism  extending a country’s power and influence
over the politics, economics, and culture of another
country or territory
“By Gum, I
Rather Like
Your Looks”
(Denver
Rocky
Mountain
News, 1900)
Long before the Age of New Imperialism,
territorial expansion had been a feature of
America since the settling of Virginia and New
England. What are some examples?
Mexican-American War
Acquisition of Alaska (Seward’s
Icebox/Seward’s Folly)
American-Indian Wars
CAUSES
 Economics
 Panic of 1893
 Overbuilding of the railroads, dropping agriculture prices,
economic issues in England and Argentina caused investors to
sell stocks and withdraw bank funds
 National unemployment hit 17% (35% in New York State)
CAUSES
 Historians’
Interpretations
 George Herring & Kristin
L. Hoganson
 Captain Alfred Thayer
Mahan’s The Influence of
Sea Power upon History
The Panama Canal
• In 1903, when Colombia refused
to cede land for the construction
of the Panama Canal, Pres.
Theodore Roosevelt engineered
Panama’s rebellion for
independence
• Panama Canal facilitated
• Movement of naval vessels
• Reduced the time it took for
commercial vessels to sail
between Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans
• Cut out 8,000 miles of
travel
Hawaii
• Hawaii had close ties to the
United States
• Naval base at Pearl Harbor
• American-owned sugar
plantations employed a
large workforce of Hawaiian,
Chinese, Japanese & Filipino
laborers
• In 1893, American planters
organized a successful rebellion
to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani
• President Harrison submitted a
plan for annexation, but his
successor, Pres. Cleveland
withdrew it
• Pres. McKinley ultimately
annexes Hawaii in 1898
REACTIONS TO IMPERIALISM
 Read the excerpts from the variety of sources pertaining
to imperialism. List and be able to explain the key
arguments in favor and against imperialism.
UNIFYING PATRIOTISM
 The practice of reciting the
Pledge of Allegiance and
standing for the playing of
“The Star-Spangled Banner”
became commonplace.
 Flag Day became more
commonly celebrated
The White Man’s
Burden
THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN
What is the
irony in this
political
cartoon?
The White Man’s Burden
According to this advertisement,
why should people buy Pears’
Soap?