American Stories
THIRD EDITION
By: Brands •
Chapter
21
Toward Empire
1865‒1902
Toward Empire, 1865‒1902
21.1
America Looks Outward
Why did Americans look outward in the
last half of the nineteenth century?
21.2
War with Spain
What were the causes and results of the
war with Spain?
Toward Empire, 1865‒1902
21.3
Acquisition of Empire
What were the various viewpoints about
the acquisition of empire after the war
with Spain?
Video Series:
Key Topics in U.S. History
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4.
The American Empire
Coup in Hawaii
The Spanish-American War
War in the Philippines
Home
Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
• Roosevelt wanted United States to
establish itself as a world power
• War with Spain a step in right direction
• Extend influence in Asia and Latin America
• U.S. foreign policy in 1890s
• Fostered overseas business interests
• Strengthened navy
• Extended U.S. influence into Pacific
Home
America Looks Outward
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Catching the Spirit of Empire
Reasons for Expansion
Foreign Policy Approaches, 1867‒1900
The Lure of Hawaii
The New Navy
Home
America Looks Outward
• U.S. expansion shifted after 1890
• Involved island possessions
• Used as naval bases, trading outposts, and
commercial centers
America Looks Outward
Catching the Spirit of Empire
• Movement toward empire building
• Domestic concerns dominated the
post‒Civil War years
• Foreign policy of isolationism
• 1870s – new interest in events abroad
• Internationalism began to replace
nationalism
• Imperialism not of much interest at this
time
America Looks Outward
Reasons for Expansion
• New interest in expansion
• End of frontier
• Growth of factories and farms
• Worldwide scramble for empire
• Ideas encouraged expansion
• Evolution theory
• Missionary spirit
America Looks Outward
Foreign Policy Approaches,
1867‒1900
• Foreign policy varied by region
• Europe
• North and South America
• Pacific
• Expansionist foreign policy
• Pushed by Secretary of State Seward
• Seward’s Folly – Alaska
• Closer commercial relations with Latin
America
America Looks Outward
• Venezuela boundary dispute
The Lure of Hawaii
• U.S. desired Hawaii as a way station
• Many ships stopped there
• Missionaries arrived in 1820
• Children of missionaries dominated
Hawaiian political and economic life
• U.S. tightened connection
• 1875 - granted Hawaiian sugar duty-free
entry
• Hawaiian monarchy limited
America Looks Outward
• 1887 - Pearl Harbor
The Lure of Hawaii (continued)
• McKinley Tariff led to change
• Ended special status for Hawaiian sugar
• Hawaiian sugar dropped
• New queen – new constitution
• Queen Liliuokalani wanted to reduce white
power
• 1893 – American settlers revolted
America Looks Outward
The Lure of Hawaii (continued)
• Hawaiian annexation
• Rebels set up provisional government and
attempted to annex Hawaii
• Investigation found Americans’ role was
improper
• Republic of Hawaii and finally
annexation
• Debate stretched throughout the 1890s
• McKinley - joint resolution
America Looks Outward
America Looks Outward
America Looks Outward
The New Navy
• Growth of navy
• Growing fleets of European countries
• United States needed to protect interests in
Caribbean and Pacific
• New steel ships constructed
• Alfred T. Mahan
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Overseas markets were essential
Large merchant marine
Strong navy
America Looks Outward
Colonies
The New Navy (continued)
• Mahan influenced secretary of navy
• Program of naval construction
• Bureau of Construction and Repair
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Design and build new ships
• Naval Reserve – 1891
• First American submarine – 1893
• U.S. gained offensive capability at sea
• 1889 – twelfth in world
• 1893 – seventh in world
• 1900 – third in world
America Looks Outward
Discussion Question
• Why did Americans look outward in the
last half of the nineteenth century?
America Looks Outward
War with Spain
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A War for Principle
The Spanish-American War
African American Soldiers in the War
The Course of the War
Home
War with Spain
• Effects of war with Spain
• Bolstered national confidence
• Altered insular patterns of thought
• Reshaped Americans’ vision of themselves
and the world
• Strain of isolationism and antiwar feeling
• The war increased overseas possessions
• Gained colonies and colonial subjects
• Responsibility
War with Spain
A War for Principle
• Cuba struggles - 1890s
• Ongoing rebellion against Spanish rule
• Depression of 1893
• Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894
• 1895 - Rebellion in Cuba
• Importance of United States
• General Valeriano Weyler Nicolau
• U.S. moved to support rebels
• Yellow journalism
• Spain and U.S. relations
War with Spain
A War for Principle (continued)
• Spain offered concessions
• Recalled Weyler and offered autonomy
• Spanish officers led riots in Havana
• Movement toward war with Spain
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Explosion of the Maine
Yellow press published de Lôme letter
Last chance to negotiate offered
Teller Amendment
War declared
War with Spain
War with Spain
The Spanish-American War
• Beginning of the war
• U.S. regular army small, ill-prepared
• Problems of equipment and supply
• War over quickly
• Ten weeks
• Few Americans died in the fighting
• Many died from disease
War with Spain
African American Soldiers
in the War
• African Americans served in Guard and
regular army units
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One-fourth of forces
Four army regiments
Volunteer army
Black troops resisted segregation
African American soldiers won 26
Certificates of Merit, five Congressional
Medals of Honor
War with Spain
War with Spain
War with Spain
How Did the United States Build an
Overseas Empire in the 1890s?
• Where and how did the SpanishAmerican War unfold?
• How did American territorial claims
change between 1790 and 1900?
• What were domestic attitudes toward
the new overseas empire?
War with Spain
War with Spain
The Course of the War
• Simple naval strategy
• Destroy Spanish fleet
• Damage Spain’s merchant marine
• Harry the colonies or coast of Spain
• Army strategy
• Defend the United States
• Invade Cuba and probably Puerto Rico
• Possible action in far-flung locations
• Joint planning
• Limited strategy
War with Spain
The Course of the War (continued)
• Changing strategy
• Commodore George Dewey captured Manila
Bay
• June - Cuba invaded
• July - Santiago surrendered
• War lasted 113 days
• 5500 Americans died, only 379 from battle
War with Spain
War with Spain
War with Spain
Discussion Question
• What were the causes and results of the
war with Spain?
War with Spain
Acquisition of Empire
• The Treaty of Paris Debate
• Guerrilla Warfare in the Philippines
• The Open Door
Home
Acquisition of Empire
• Negotiations
• Fate of the Philippines was the thorniest
issue at the peace negotiations
• Public opinion
• Religious and missionary organizations
• Merchants and industrialists
• Many Americans – fruits of war
• December 1898 ‒ Treaty of Paris
• Cuba independent
• U.S. acquired territory
Acquisition of Empire
The Treaty of Paris Debate
• Anti-Imperialist League
• Opponents from all areas
• Violated principle of self-determination and
independence
• Cheap labor feared by labor leaders
• Race issue
• Not needed for trade
• Domestic issues more important
• Senate ratified Treaty
• U.S. became colonial empire
Acquisition of Empire
Acquisition of Empire
Guerrilla Warfare in the Philippines
• Philippine-American War
• Led by Emilio Aguinaldo; from 1898‒1902
• Filipinos used guerilla war tactics
• U.S. adopted tactics Spanish used in Cuba
• 1901 - Taft named civilian governor
• Local self-government permitted
• Changes made
• Schedule established for independence
• Philippines independent
• July 4, 1946
Acquisition of Empire
Acquisition of Empire
The Open Door
• China weak from warfare and rebellion
• “Spheres of influence”
• Open Door policy
• Nations possessing sphere of influence
would respect other nations’ rights in that
sphere
• Boxer Rebellion
• Nationalists tried to oust foreigners from
China
Acquisition of Empire
Discussion Question
• What were the various viewpoints about
the acquisition of empire after the war
with Spain?
Acquisition of Empire
Conclusion: Outcome of the
War with Spain
• Effects of war with Spain
• Teddy Roosevelt a war hero
• Set back the cause of civil rights for African
Americans
• Confirmed Republicans as majority party
• U.S. soldiers stationed outside the country