IMPERIALISM
The United States
Becomes an
Empire
What is IMPERIALISM?
Uncle Sam Grows Into a World Power
IMPERIALISM
To Create an Empire. When stronger more
powerful nations take political, economic,
military and social control over weaker nations.
IMPERIALISM
• Describe the four factors that lead to
the United States becoming an EMPIRE
in the late nineteenth century.
AMERICAN SPREAD–EAGLISM
IMPERIALISM
• Factors favoring American expansion
overseas.
– Economics
• To acquire resources and raw materials for
American industries.
• Markets to sell American produced goods
IMPERIALISM
• Factors favoring
American expansion
overseas.
– Politics
• Spread American
democracy to other
nations
• Compete with other
imperial powers
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–
–
–
–
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Britain
Germany
Russia
France
Spain
Japan
IMPERIALISM
• Factors favoring American expansion
overseas.
– Military
• Overseas bases for military bases and coaling
stations.
IMPERIALISM
• Factors favoring
American
expansion
overseas.
– Social
• Spread American
culture
• Spread Christianity
SOCIAL DARWINISM
Voices of Imperialism
Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan
The Influence of Seapower on
History, 1660-1783
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Key to becoming a dominant empire
was control of the seas
United States needed to build up its
naval battleship fleet
U.S. needed to have a two ocean naval
presence
United States needed to acquire Hawaii
and other Pacific islands
United States should build a canal
across the isthmus of Central America
Voices of Imperialism
YELLOW PRESS
- Sensationalizing
the News. journalism
that downplays legitimate
news in favor of eye-catching
headlines that sell more
newspapers.
Newspaper men like
William Randolph
Hearst and Joseph
Pulitzer, the Yellow
Kid, used the media
to encourage
imperialism.
Voices of Imperialism
Political leaders who advocated an American
empire.
Senator Albert Beveridge, Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge, and future President Theodore Roosevelt
used their political offices to promote
imperialism.
Uncle Sam begins looking across the oceans
Uncle Sam planting
the American flag on
territories
abroad….The
“New Manifest
Destiny.”
The Imperialism “Stunt.”
• Where is Uncle Sam looking?
– What were the American
interests in those places?
• What military force is most
numerous in the cartoon?
– What role did it play in ‘The
Imperialism “Stunt.”’
– What is the role of the
soldier?
• Who is walking on a rope
over the ocean?
– Why is she carrying a sword?
• Who are the couple on the
United States coast?
– What is the significance of
how these two men are
depicted?
What is the message of this Thomas Nast political cartoon?
AMERICA CLAIMS AN
EMPIRE
The New ‘Manifest Destiny’
After the conquest and settlement of the
American West, Americans looked
toward overseas territories for
expansion
ALASKA
ALASKA – “Seward’s Folly”
• 1867, the United
States purchases
ALASKA from Russia.
• Secretary of State
William Seward
agrees to pay $7.2
millions dollars for
Alaska
• Critics derided the
purchase with
numerous derogatory
names such as
‘Seward’s Ice Box.’
Seward’s Polar Bear Garden
“Wal-Russia”
Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon
Alaska oil
MIDWAY ISLAND
• 1867, the United
States formally took
possession of
Midway Island.
HAWAII
Early American Interest in Hawaii
• In the late
1700s and
early 1800s,
American
missionaries
travel to Hawaii
to convert
Hawaiians to
Christianity.
American Interests in Hawaii
• Sanford Dole and other
American Businessmen
bought land and
established fruit and
Sugarcane plantations.
• American businessmen
forced Hawaii to grant
them the right to vote
and soon the American
business interests were
controlling Hawaiian
politics.
Naval base at Pearl Harbor
( Treaty of Reciprocity 1887 )
Queen Lilioukalani
• In 1891, Lilioukalani
succeeded her brother
(King Kalakaua) as the
monarch of Hawaii.
• She revoked the right
to vote from American
businessmen.
– Take power away from
non-Hawaiians
• “Hawaii for Hawaiians!”
– Hawaiian nationalism
Revolution in Hawaii
• American businessmen
incited rebellion and
overthrew Lilioukalani in
1893.
• Lilioukalani surrendered
and was imprisoned in her
palace.
• The Americans who lead
the revolution petitioned
for annexation by the
United States.
“The Hawaiian pear is
now fully ripe and this is
the golden hour for the
United States to pluck it.”
• United States
minister to Hawaii
urged the U.S.
government to
annex Hawaii.
Republic of Hawaii
• President Grover Cleveland
opposed annexation and ordered
an investigation.
• Cleveland determined that the
overthrow of Lilioukalani was
illegal and refused to annex
Hawaii.
• Hawaiian Republic declared on
July 4, 1894.
• Sanford Dole, the first President
of the Republic of Hawaii.
Hawaiian annexation
• President William McKinley, a proimperialist, submitted a treaty to
annex Hawaii in 1897
• However, in 1898, during the
Spanish-American War the United
States annexed Hawaii when it the
value of the Pearl Harbor naval base
became increasing evident.
"We need Hawaii just as much and a
good deal more than we did California.
It is Manifest Destiny." William McKinley
The Open Door Policy
Secretary of State John Hay
first articulated the concept of the
“Open Door” in China in a series
of notes in 1899-1900. These Open
Door Notes aimed to secure
international agreement to the U.S.
policy of promoting equal
opportunity for international
trade and commerce in
China, and respect for China’s
administrative and territorial integrity.
British and American policies toward
China had long operated under similar
principles, but once Hay put them into
writing, the “Open Door” became the
official U.S. policy towards the Far
East in the first half of the 20th
century.
Spanish American War, 1898
“A splendid little War” John
Hay
CUBA
• Tensions between the United States
and Spain arose over Cuba.
• Cuban revolts against in the 1870s &
1890s were source of conflict.
– Cuban Insurrectos (rebels) formed
JUNTAs.
– The first juntas were actually organized
in New York city.
• Spain intended to keep Cuba as part of
its empire.
Cuban poet & revolutionary
Jose Marti
– Cuba had been a part of Spain’s Empire
of the Americas since the 1490s.
• The United States presidents called for
Spain to grant Cuba autonomy.
• Americans supported Cuban rebels.
• The Yellow Press inflamed public Spanish General Valierno Weyler, “T
opinion against the Spaniards.
Butcher Weyler.” Weyler used a
RECONCENTRADO policy against th
insurrectos.
President McKinley Sends the Maine to Cuba
Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine
Destruction of the Maine lead a rise of
War Fever in the Country
The
YELLOW
PRESS
fanned
the
American
public’s
outrage
and
depicted
the cause
of the
explosion
was
Spanish
treachery.
Yellow Journalism
Joseph Pulitzer & William
Randolph Hearst, New York
journalists sensationalized
the news to sell news
papers. The Yellow Press
depicted the explosion of
the Maine as an attack by
Spain on the United States.
“REMEMBER THE MAINE!”
The United States Declares War on Spain
Battle of Manila Bay
Battle for Cuba
Battle of San Juan Hill
Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of Santiago Harbor
Spanish Surrender
Treaty of Paris, 1898
The United States becomes an EMPIRE
The Difficulties of Empire