America Claims an Empire:
Chapter 10
Honors US History
Section 1:Targets
• By the end of this lesson,
I will be able to:
• 1. Explain the economic
and cultural factors that
fueled the growth of
American imperialism.
• 2. Describe how the
United States acquired
Alaska.
• 3. Summarize how the
United States took over
the Hawaiian Islands.
Imperialism and America:
• Throughout the 19th century
America expanded control of
the continent to the Pacific
Ocean
• By 1880, many American
leaders felt the U.S. should
join European nations and
establish colonies overseas
• Thus began America’s foray
into Imperialism – the
policy in which stronger
nations extend control over
weaker nations
• This was becoming the trend
around the world.
Question 1: 3 Reasons Americans supported Imperialism
• 1) Desire for Military
strength
• Defend peace time
shipping lanes
• Develop strategic bases
for re-fueling
• Alfred T. Mahan (US
Naval Admiral)
encouraged imperialism
for this reason!
Question 1: 3 Reasons Americans supported
Imperialism
• 2) Thirst for new
markets – to spur
economy & trade
• United States was
producing far more
than they needed.
(time to export)
Question 1: 3 Reasons Americans Supported
Imperialism
• 3) Belief in Cultural
Superiority – a belief that
Anglo-Saxons were
superior
• Many Americans believed
that the US had a
responsibility to spread
Christianity and
“civilization” to the
world’s “inferior peoples”
The US Acquires Alaska:
• In 1867, Secretary of State
William Seward arranged
for the United States to buy
Alaska from the Russians for
$7.2 million
• Some thought it was a silly
idea and called it “Seward’s
Icebox”
• Time has shown how smart it
was to buy Alaska for 2 cents
an acre
• Alaska is rich in timber,
minerals and OIL
Question 2:The US Takes
Hawaii:
• Hawaii had been
economically important
to Americans for
centuries (Sugar
Plantations owned by
Americans made up ¾ of
the island’s wealth)
• To avoid import taxes
(tariffs), sugar growers
pleaded for annexation
Hawaii: Part 2
• Queen Liluokalani wanted to change the
constitution so that non-landowners could vote
(Would have returned political power to Native
Hawaiians)
• January 16, 1893, USS Boston surrounded
Honolulu Harbor and imprisoned Queen in her
mansion
• Sanford Dole became “President”
• President McKinley officially annexed Hawaii on
August 12, 1898
Did We Meet Our Targets:
• Can You:
• 1. Explain the economic
and cultural factors that
fueled the growth of
American imperialism.
• 2. Describe how the
United States acquired
Alaska.
• 3. Summarize how the
United States took over
the Hawaiian Islands.
Anti-Imperialism
• *Some Americans felt that expanding into
foreign territory would threaten AngloSaxon superiority
• *Others felt it was morally wrong to
dominate weaker nations
Spanish-American War PREVIEW
• “No man’s life, no man’s property is safe (in Cuba).
American citizens are imprisoned or slain without cause.
American property is destroyed on all sides…Wounded
soldiers can be found begging in the streets of
Havana…Cuba will soon be a wilderness of blackened
ruins. The horrors of a barbarous struggle for the
extermination of the native population are witnessed in all
pars of the country. Blood on the roadsides, blood in the
fields, blood on the doorsteps, blood, blood, blood! The
old, the young, the weak, the crippled-all are butchered
without mercy…is there no nation wise enough, brave
enough to aid this blood-smitten land?”
Section 2: Targets
• By the end of this lesson,
I will be able to:
• 1. Contrast American
opinions regarding the
Cuban revolt against
Spain.
• 2. Identify events that
escalated the conflict
between the United States
and Spain.
• 3. Trace the course of the
Spanish-American War
and its results
The Spanish American War:
• America had long held
an interest in Cuba
• When Cubans
unsuccessfully rebelled
against Spanish rule in
the late 19th century,
American sympathy
went out to the Cuban
people
• After Spain abolished
slavery in Cuba in 1886,
Americans invested
millions in Cuban sugar
Cuba’s Second War for Independence:
• Anti-Spain sentiment in
Cuba soon erupted into
a second war for
independence (1st war
was from 1868-1878)
• Led by poet Jose Marti,
Cuba attempted a
revolution in 1895
• Marti deliberately
destroyed property,
including American
sugar plants, hoping to
provoke American
intervention
The Spanish Response
• 1896: The Spanish responded to the Cuban
Rebels by…GUERILLA WARFARE!
• Led byValeriano Weyler, (Spanish
General) surprise attacks devastated towns
and citizens were forced into concentration
camps
• 300,000 people died in these camps from
disease and hunger
War Fever Escalates:
• Newspaper publishers
William Randolph
Hearst (New York
Journal) and Joseph
Pulitzer (New York
World) exaggerated
Spanish atrocities and
brutality in “Headline
Wars”
• This was called Yellow
Journalism:
Recent Headlines (12/1/15)
• Did Man Feed
Son’s Body to
Pigs? (CNN)
• Corpse- Filled
Boats Hit Shore.
(CNN)
De Lome letter
• Many Americans sympathized with Cubans…and demanded President
McKinley do something!
• He tried to peacefully negotiate a solution…SO Enrique De Lome
(Spanish Minister in US) wrote an infamous letter calling McKinley
“weak” and “a bidder for admiration of the crowd!” (FIGHTING
WORDS!!)
• Teddy Roosevelt (his assistant secretary to the Navy) also claimed that
McKinley had “no more backbone than an éclair”
U.S.S. Maine Explodes!
•
•
•
•
Early in 1888, President
McKinley ordered the U.S.S.
Maine to Cuba in order to bring
home American citizens in
danger and protect US property
in Cuba (SOUND FAMILIAR?)
On February 15, 1898 the ship
blew up in the harbor of Havana
More than 260 men were killed
It was later determined to be an
internal problem…but damage
was done! War must be
declared!!
War Erupts With Spain:
• There was no holding
back those that wanted
war with Spain
• Newspapers blamed the
Spanish for bombing the
U.S.S. Maine
• Recent investigations
have shown it was a fire
inside the Maine
• “Remember the Maine!”
became a rallying cry for
U.S. intervention in
Cuba
The War in the Caribbean:
• A naval blockade of
Cuba was followed by a
land invasion
highlighted by
Roosevelt’s Rough Rider
victory at San Juan Hill
(Remember Teddy’s the
One!)
• Next, the American
Navy destroyed the
Spanish fleet and paved
the way for an invasion
of Puerto Rico (Spanish
colony)
San Juan Hill
• June of 1898, US forces began
landing in Cuba and headed
towards Santiago
• These forces included four
African-American regiments
and the Rough Riders
(volunteers)
• The strategic location that
needed to be overtaken by the
US was San Juan Hill. The
story is that the Rough Riders
charged that hill…but
apparently they only had a
minor role. (History Mystery)
US Wins: Signs Treaty of Paris
• The Spanish surrender in
July of 1898
• The U.S. and Spain signed an
armistice on August 12, 1898,
ending what Secretary of
State John Hay called “a
splendid little war”
• The war lasted only 16 weeks
• Cuba was now independent
• U.S. receives Guam, Puerto
Rico, and “bought” the
Philippines for $20 million
The Results of the War
• Imperialism…the central issue.
• McKinley responded to the critics of the
treaty by claiming that his prayers guided
him to civilize and Christianize all our
newly acquired territories. (Filipinos and
been Christian for centuries)
• Many felt it violated the Declaration of
Independence
Section 3: Targets
• By the end of this lesson, I will
be able to:
• 1. Describe the US involvement
in Puerto Rico and in Cuba.
• 2. Identify the causes and
effects of the PhilippineAmerican War.
• 3. Explain the purpose of the
Open Door Policy in China.
• 4. Summarize the views
regarding US imperialism.
Section 3: Acquiring New Lands
•
Main Idea: In the early
1900’s, the United States
engaged in conflicts in
Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the
Philippines.
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Why it Matters Now:
Today, the United States
maintains a strong military
and political presence in
strategic worldwide
locations.
Key Terms:
Foraker Act
Platt Amendment
Protectorate
Open Door Notes
Boxer Rebellion
• Key Names:
• Emilio Aguinaldo
• John Hay
Acquiring New Lands:
• The U.S had to decide how to
rule the new lands
• Puerto Rico wanted their
independence– but the U.S.
had other plans
• Puerto Rico was important to
the U.S. strategically
• Foraker Act - The U.S. set up
a civil government and gave
US President right to appoint
governor and members of
upper house of congress
• 1917:Puerto Ricans became
US Citizens
Cuba And The United States:
• The Treaty of Paris granted
full independence to Cuba
• The U.S signed an agreement
with Cuba known as the Platt
Amendment 1903
• Key features of “Platt”
included
• 1. The right of the U.S. to
maintain naval stations on the
island and
• 2. The right to intervene in
Cuban affairs
• Cuba had become a
“protectorate” of the U.S.
Foreign Influence on China:
• China was a vast potential
market for American
products
• Weakened by war and foreign
intervention, many European
countries had colonized in
China
• In 1889, John Hay, U.S.
Secretary of State, issued the
Open Door Policy which
outlined his plan for free
trade among nations in China
Boxer Rebellion:
• European nations dominated
China’s cities
• Resentment arose in the form
of secret societies determined
to rid China of these “foreign
devils”
• The Boxer’s were a secret
group that rioted in 1900,
killing and vandalizing all
things foreign
• Foreign Troops were called in
to put down this “Boxer
Rebellion”
Americans Protect Rights in Asia:
• After the Boxer Rebellion,
John Hay again issued a
series of Open Door Policies
• These policies reflected
American beliefs in:
• 1. the importance of exports
• 2. the right of America to
intervene to keep foreign
markets open
• 3. the belief that America’s
survival depended on access
to foreign markets
Did We Meet our Objectives?
• Can You:
• 1. Describe the US
involvement in Puerto
Rico and in Cuba.
• 2. Identify the causes and
effects of the PhilippineAmerican War.
• 3. Explain the purpose of
the Open Door Policy in
China.
• 4. Summarize the views
regarding US imperialism.
Section 4: Objectives
• By the end of this lesson, I will
be able to:
• 1. Explain how Theodore
Roosevelt’s foreign policy
promoted American power
around the world.
Section 4: America as a World Power
• Main Idea: The RussoJapanese War, the Panama
Canal, and the Mexican
Revolution added to
America’s military and
economic power.
•
•
•
•
Key Terms:
Panama Canal
Roosevelt Corollary
Dollar Diplomacy
• Why it Matters Now:
American involvement in
conflicts around 1900 led to
involvement in WW I and
later to a peacekeeper role in
today’s world.
America As A World Power:
• Two events signaled
America’s continued climb
toward being the #1 world
power
• 1) Roosevelt negotiated a
settlement between Russia
and Japan who had been at
War – his successful efforts in
negotiating the Treaty of
Portsmouth won Roosevelt
the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize
• 2) Construction of Panama
Canal
The Panama Canal:
• By the early 20th
century, many
Americans understood
the advantages of a canal
through Panama
• It would greatly reduce
travel times for
commercial and military
ships by providing a
short cut between the
Atlantic and Pacific
oceans
Building the Panama Canal: 1904-1914
Cost- $380 million
Workers– Over 40,000 (5,600
died) Time – Construction took
10 years
• The French had already
unsuccessfully attempted
to build a canal through
Panama
• America first had to help
Panama win their
independence from
Colombia – which it did
• Construction of the
Canal stands as one of
the greatest engineering
feats of all-time
Building the Canal
• In 1903, Panama was territory
of Columbia
• The US backed a Panamanian
rebellion against Columbia
backed with 12 US warships
• Within weeks The US and
Panama struck a deal that
allowed the US to build the
canal (Panama gets 10 million
plus $250,000 a year rent)
• Colombia is SALTY and we
pay them 25 million in 1921
Struggles Building the Canal
• Disease was rampant
while building the canal
(Yellow Fever, Bubonic
Plague, Dysentery, and
Malaria)
• Inadequate housing
(Houses covered in mold
and guano)
• The work was
painstakingly slow
• Mosquito Spraying
The Roosevelt Corollary:
• In 1904, President Roosevelt
added the Roosevelt Corollary
to the Monroe Doctrine.
• Monroe Doctrine (1823 that
stated US did not want
European influence in South
America
• The Roosevelt Corollary said
that the US would now use
force to protect it’s economic
interests in Latin America.
• Roosevelt coined the phrase
“Speak softly and carry a big
stick; you will go far” during
this time. (Gunboat Diplomacy)
Dollar Diplomacy
• Just like other nations in the
world that were practicing
imperialism, the US was
nervous that other nations
would become more powerful.
Many Latin American countries
were heavily indebted to
European banks
• Dollar Diplomacy –US
government loans made to
foreign countries (favors) to pay
off debt
• This allowed us to control
others things though (taxes on
import and exports)
• This helped keep European
powers out of the Caribbean
because they had US backing.
Sum it All Up: What Did America Accomplish During
This Time Period?
• 1. Expanded it access to
foreign markets in order to
ensure the continued
growth of the domestic
economy.
• 2. Built a modern Navy to
protect its interests abroad.
• 3. Exercised its
international police power
to ensure dominance in
Latin America.
Did We Meet All Of Our
Objectives?
• Can You:
• 1. Explain how Theodore
Roosevelt’s foreign policy
promoted American power
around the world.