Motivation behind our “Over Seas Empire.”
1. The need to find new markets for our growing industrialized
economy.
“Good Neighbor Policy” in Latin America.
2. Acquire access to raw materials to feed our growing
industrialized economy.
3. To compete in a world market with the other “Big Dogs.”
OPEN DOOR POLICY in China
Alfred Mahan’s Theory of naval supremacy
4. The divine mission / obligation to be “our little brown brothers’
keeper.”
Rev. Josiah Strong “Our Country”
The ROOTS OF WAR:
The Monroe Doctrine = Divides the world into
“Spheres of Influence.”
Cuba= Colony of Spain.
Spain= Once powerful Empire.
U.S.= Up and coming world power.
Monroe Doctrine
• A desire to become a world power and protect our
interests in the Caribbean and beyond.
•Cuban Concentration Camps.
•Yellow journalism stories about Spanish atrocities
and McKinley is too weak to fight public sentiment.
JOSEPH PULLITZER
vs. WILLIAM HEARST
•De Lome letter that embarrassed McKinley and
America
•Explosion on U.S.S. Maine (Spain blamed)
Our Goal: To liberate the Cubans from the
Spanish Empire.
BUT FIRST, It’s “Off to the Philippines…”
“. . . it shows once more
what McKinley is: weak
and catering to the
rabble, and, besides, a
low politician, who
desires to leave a door
open to me and to stand
well with the jingoes of
his party.”
Before
After
Admiral George Dewey captured Manila Bay
(Philippines) with the aid of Filipino revolutionary
leader, Emilio Aguinaldo
By July he had defeated the Spanish at the
Philippines
The American army was ill prepared for war in the
Caribbean (wool uniforms, lack of training, poor food
storage)
The most famous battle was the charge up San Juan Hill
The charge up San Juan Hill was credited to Teddy
Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, though it was the Tenth
Negro Cavalry (a.k.a. Buffalo Soldiers) who were responsible
for taking the hill, the Rough Riders actually charged up
Kettle Hill
With little loss of American life, the U.S. military forces
the surrender of the Spanish and liberates Cuba. Spain
agrees to the term of the Treaty of Paris.
THE EFFECTS:
1. U.S. becomes a world power. (Top 5)
-begins colonizing other lands. Acquires
Guam, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, AND
CUBA from Spain.
2. Spanish Empire destroyed.
Teller Amendment = Congressional resolution passed prior to the
start of war stating that once the war was over and Cuba was
independent, the USA would “leave control of the island to its
people”
Treaty of Paris (Dec. 10, 1898) = Cuba gained independence,
America was given Puerto Rico and Guam as colonies, and Spain
sold the Philippines to America for $20 million
Platt Amendment = agreement between the USA and Cuba in
1902 that gave the USA the right to intervene in Cuban affairs if
“for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty” and
forced Cuba to lease Guantanamo Bay as an American naval
base
We could not leave them to themselves –
they were unfit for self-government, and
would soon have anarchy and misrule
worse than Spain’s was . . . There was
nothing left for us to do but to take them
all, and to educate the Filipinos, and
uplift and civilize and Christianize them .
..
-President William McKinley
•Filipino rebels – led by Emilio
Aguinaldo – fought alongside US forces
in the Spanish-American War
•USA bought the Philippines from Spain
for $20 million as part of the Treaty of
Paris (1898)
•Aguinaldo issued a proclamation of independence in
January 1899 – declaring the Philippines a republic
•USA ignored the proclamation and proceeded to
suppress the independence movement
•Vicious fighting lasted for 3 years:
•4,000 American soldiers KIA
•3,000 American soldiers wounded
•16,000 Filipino soldiers KIA
•200,000 Filipino civilians killed
•Occasional fighting continued for years
•During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in WWII,
Aguinaldo made an infamous radio address in support of the
Japanese (referring to them as liberators)
•Aguinaldo was imprisoned by the USA (in his trial as a
collaborator, he testified that the Japanese forced him to
make the address)
•The Philippines were granted independence in 1946
Fast Forward to Today
Victory in the Spanish-American War touched off a new era in
the United States. Its role in world affairs forever changed;
the United States became involved in many foreign conflicts
over the next century.
 1917 = WWI
 1941 = WWII
 1950 = Korea
 1964 = Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – Vietnam
 1991 = Persian Gulf War (invasion of Kuwait)
 2001 = Invasion of Afghanistan (to depose the Taliban)
 2003 = Invasion of Iraq (to depose Saddam Hussein)