American Imperialism
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, The United States expanded its territory,
international influence, and trade relations with other nations through what is known as
imperialism. By definition, imperialism means the actions used by a nation to obtain control over
smaller or weaker nations. There were over a dozen ways that the United States practiced
imperialism. They had six main reasons for expansion into regions, including to compete with
European nations, to gain power, to gain wealth through trade, to make alliances, and to spread
Christianity and democracy. Some examples of imperialism were the United States's relations
with Hawaii, the Islands of Samoa, and the Philippines.
The United States annexed Hawaii and expanded the United States's empire because they
wanted to gain wealth through increased trade. The United States expanded into Hawaii because
Hawaii was in a strategic location for refueling ships in the Pacific Ocean. The United States
introduced sugar cane to Hawaii in the late 1800s. After that, the sugar cane business began to
boom. The business was so successful that in the 1890s, the U.S. Congress began to impose
tariffs on sugar cane. Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii took away the power of American sugar
planters in 1891. In response, the planters overthrew the Hawaiian government and set up their
own government. This was known as the Planter's Revolt. The Planter's Revolt was a success
largely because of a man named John Stevens. Stevens was the American diplomat in Hawaii.
Many people in the United States approved the annexation of Hawaii. The annexation was
approved by Congress but not by President Grover Cleveland. Cleveland opposed annexation
and called it "disgraceful." American citizens had to wait until another president, in this case,
William McKinley, was in office. McKinley approved the annexation of Hawaii and in 1900
Hawaii became an American territory. The two governments eventually grew closer which ended
in Hawaiian statehood. Doc I.
The United States took over the Islands of Samoa to compete with European nations and
to expand the U.S.'s trade. The Islands of Samoa lay about 3,000 miles south of Hawaii. There
were three world powers who wanted to take over the Islands of Samoa. These countries were
the United States and two of the most powerful European nations at that time, Great Britain and
Germany. However, Great Britain had other nations to take over and withdrew from battling with
us and Germany for Samoa. In 1899, without Samoa's consent, William McKinley, along with
America, and Germany divided Samoa in half. The United States annexed their fair share and
Germany took the other half. Today, the United States is still in control of American Samoa and
Samoans are free to travel into the United States if they wish.
The United States acquired the Philippines to expand the U.S.'s reach in the Pacific
Ocean, to expand trade, and to compete with other European nations. The acquisition of the
Philippines started with the Spanish-American War. The war started with the sinking of the
Maine, an American ship. While the war was going on, there was a big debate in the United
States between the imperialists and the anti-imperialists. The imperialists approved of foreign
expansion while the anti-imperialists opposed taking over other countries. Some famous
anti-imperialists were Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie, and the imperialists were led by Henry
Lodge and Albert Beveridge, two Senators. The debate lasted a long time, but eventually the
imperialists won and in February of 1899, the Treaty of Paris was signed under president
McKinley, and that treaty gave the United States the Philippines. Many people in the United
States thought that acquiring the Philippines gave America world power. Soon after, many
Americans realized controlling the Philippines wouldn't be easy. There were organizations
formed, such as the American Asiatic Organization, to help the relationships with countries such
as the Philippines. However, the Philippines fought for their independence under Emilio
Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines. The battle for their independence lasted a long
time, and in 1946, the Philippines gained their independence. Doc 1, 7, J.
In conclusion, the United States practiced imperialism in many ways, including to
compete with European nations and to expand trade. The United States interacted with, or in
some cases, took over, many countries, such as Hawaii, the Islands of Samoa, and the Philippines
to compete with European nations and to gain wealth through trade. William McKinley once
said, "We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is Manifest
Destiny." American Imperialism was one of the main reasons that we, as a nation, are here today.