Ch 12, Sec 1-2: The Imperialist
Vision and the Spanish-American
War
Imperialism
• The idea of economic and political domination of
a strong nation over a weak nation
• New idea for Americans at the turn of the century
• Americans stopped focusing on U.S. problems
and wanted to take over other lands for several
reasons:
– Economic growth
– Military competition
– Cultural dominance/superiority
Economics leads to Imperialism
• U.S. needed new markets for trade
• U.S. ran out of land to take over in America
– Frontier was closed
• American factories were mass producing
goods and overproducing for American needs
Cultural Superiority to Imperialism
• Americans wanted to show their dominance
to others
• Idea of manifest destiny of new lands was
strong
• Spread American ideas, beliefs, and
technology
Annexing Hawaii
• Mid 1870s-Hawaii’s
economy was struggling
• U.S. traders/politicians offered to help for sugar
• U.S. was given a naval base at Pearl Harbor
• Traders/farmers took over Hawaii’s gov’t from
1870-1890
• McKinley Tariff was passed to make U.S. sugar
cheaper than Hawaiian sugar
• Hawaiian traders were angry and pushed the U.S.
to annex Hawaii as a protectorate
Trade in Latin America
• U.S. bought materials from Latin America
• Latin America did not buy manufactured
goods from the U.S.
• Pan-Americanism-idea that the U.S. and
Latin America should work together to
support peace and increase trade
• Wanted to end European influence
in the Americas
– Latin American countries said no
Military leads to Imperialism
• U.S. wanted to start trading in Asia
• Japan didn’t want anything to do with the U.S.
• U.S. sent 4 military ships to Japan and forced
them to allow the U.S. to trade with Japan
• U.S. saw a strong military as a benefit for trade
causing the military to grow bigger/stronger
• Military ships needed coal for power, so the
U.S. took over small islands for refueling
points (led to the desire for Cuba)
The Fight Over Cuba
• Cuba was a Spanish colony
• Produced 1/3rd of the world’s sugar
• 1868-Cubans fought for Independence for 10
years but failed
• Freedom fighters fled to the U.S. for help
• Cuba and the U.S. started trading heavily
between each other
• A second revolution started in 1895
Americans Support Cuba
• America gov’t tried to remain neutral but the
people wanted to help
• U.S. press reported horror storied about
things the Spanish troops did to the Cubans
– Fed Cuban prisoners to sharks/dogs
– Other articles said blood covered everything in
Cuba
• Known as Yellow Journalism-created storied to
sell more papers
Spanish Response to the Revolution
• Sent 200,000 troops to Cuba
• Destroyed plantations, train tracks, and sugar
mills
• They raided towns and killed 1000s of people
American response to Spain’s troops in
Cuba
• Cubans hoped the destroyed American
property in Cuba would bring the U.S. into the
war
• U.S. wanted to negotiate a peace with Spain
or the U.S. would have to help the Cubans
• Spain said Cuba could have independence if
they remained under the Spanish Empire
– Cuba refused
• U.S. sent USS Maine to Havana Harbor in case
Americans in Cuba had to leave
USS Maine in
Havana
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•
•
•
•
Bombed in Feb 1898
Nobody knew who attacked it
U.S. newspapers blamed Spain
Brought the U.S. to prepare for war
April 19, 1898 U.S. declared Cuba free from
Spain and promised military help in Cuba to
start the Spanish-American War
U.S. Plan for Spanish-American War
• Attack Spanish Fleet in the Philippines to
prevent it from coming to Cuba
• American navy from China was sent to attack
the Philippines while the army came from the
west coast of the U.S.
• Philippines were taken quickly between the
Filipinos and
Americans from
Spain
Problems for the U.S. in Cuba
• Navy was well funded and prepared for war
• Army was in bad shape
– Not enough troops
– Poorly trained
– Disease spread fast
Rough Riders
take charge
• Calvary unit in the army
• Teddy Roosevelt led his
troops to attack Kettle Hill
and San Juan Hill in Cuba
• Spanish troops started losing other battles fast
• Spanish troops were sent to board ships in the
Havana
• U.S. Blockade destroyed these ships
• Spain surrendered in Santiago, Cuba 2 weeks
later
Results of the Spanish-American War
• Cuba was free at last
• U.S. annexed Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
Philippines
• U.S. paid Spain $20 million for the Philippines
U.S. Control of the Philippines
• Filipino fighters attacked U.S. soldiers
• Gen. Arthur MacArthur was sent to take care of
the problem
• Created “reconcentration” camps to separate
fighters from civilians
• U.S. built up roads, hospitals, schools, and gov’t
buildings to reduce tensions
• Fighting stopped by 1902
• Philippines were granted freedom in 1946 after
WWII ended
Governing Puerto Rico
• Foraker Act-made Puerto Rico and
unincorporated territory
• Made Puerto Ricans non-citizens with no
rights (until 1917)
• U.S. could still make laws that they had to
follow
• Still a protectorate of the U.S.
• Could be the 51st state of the U.S. some day or
could be a free country again
Governing Cuba
• U.S. Military ran gov’t ran Cuba
• Cubans got to make a constitution to gain their
freedom
• Platt Amendment had to be a part of the
constitution
– 4 parts
– U.S. was given a naval base on Cuba for refueling
(Guantanamo Bay)
– “Gave” Cuba their freedom but also made them a
protectorate of the U.S.