THE AGE OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM
INTRODUCTION TO UNIT 3
Four weeks (through 11/21)
Topics
Motives for imperialism
The Spanish-American War
Colonizing the Philippines
The Roosevelt Corollary
Assessments
DBQ
Spanish-American War essay
Philippines debate
Imperialism research +
presentations
Big question: How and why did the United States become a global
power after the Civil War?
WHAT’S IMPERIALISM?
DEFINING IMPERIALISM
Imperialism = a stronger country taking over a weaker
country/territory and dominating its economic, social, and
political life
Creating colonies or protectorates, or simply adding territory
Verb form: colonize or annex
Some examples?
BEFORE IMPERIALISM
Three competing trends in
American foreign policy
THE TRADITION OF ISOLATIONISM
Isolationism = a foreign policy of limiting
involvement with the rest of the world
George Washington’s Farewell Address
(1796):
[I]t is our true policy to steer clear of
permanent alliances, with any
portion of the foreign world.
Informed US foreign policy through the
Civil War
THE MONROE DOCTRINE
Established 1823 by James Monroe
Three premises:
South America would be a U.S. “sphere
of influence”
Europe should not establish colonies in
the Americas
U.S. would not get involved in Europe’s
affairs
MANIFEST DESTINY
Coined 1845
Belief that the United States
has a mission to:
Expand westward
Bring democracy to others
Spread American values
American Progress (John Gast, 1872)
WHY IMPERIALISM?
WHAT CHANGED IN THE US AFTER 1865?
Answer this question in your notebook – think back to Unit 2
The Gilded Age – a review:
Rapid industrialization + economic growth
Immigration – more people, more countries
Urbanization – cities becoming larger and more crowded
Closing of the frontier (1890)
Progressive ideals – “we can make everything better”
Overall sense of rapid change and a loss of tradition
THE GILDED AGE AND FOREIGN POLICY
Increased economic productivity  need for markets for
exports
Closing of the frontier
Growing population
Demand for new territory
Increasing immigration
Rapid modernization + Progressive ideals  desire to
spread American ways of life
THE RESULT: EXPANSIONISM
Expansionism:
Desire to expand American influence
and power to more territory
Focus on Asian markets for exports
Wanted land in Caribbean, Central
America, and Pacific
Increasingly popular belief in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries
MOTIVES FOR IMPERIALISM
ECONOMIC COMPETITION
Industrialization means:
More raw materials being used
More manufactured goods being produced
Consumers expect a bigger variety of goods
Expanding territory means:
Access to more and different raw materials
New markets for exports
Safer trade routes
MILITARY STRENGTH
Expansionists wanted to build up U.S.
military strength
The Influence of Sea Power Upon
History (1890)
Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914)
Argued that naval power made the British
Empire powerful
Recommended a strong navy to expand
American trade
SOCIAL DARWINISM
“Survival of the fittest”
Scientific racism
Belief in European and
American superiority
Duty to “civilize”