U. S. IMPERIALISM
1870-1920
Ch 19, Brinkley
I. STIRRINGS OF IMPERIALISM
There had been almost no expansion in the 20
years after the Civil War, but after 1890 the
U.S. began to look toward territories overseas.
What is “IMPERIALISM”?
The policy that was common among Western
European countries in the late 1800s of conquering
African and Asian nations. Many politicians in
America supported American expansion after the
Spanish American War and this led to American
involvement in Cuba, the Philippines, and Latin
America.
Had the US been an imperialistic nation
from the very beginning?
The New Manifest Destiny
American
Exceptionalism

Manifest Destiny was the belief that
the United States was destined to
expand across North America from sea
to sea. It has also been used to justify
other territorial acquisitions (Cuba,
Philippines, Hawaii, Samoa, Puerto Rico)
as well as the belief in an American
"mission" to promote and defend
democracy throughout the world.
Reasons Americans supported overseas
imperial expansion in the 1890s:
1. U. S. had experience in exerting colonial
control over Native Americans. Some
historians have suggested that the US has
been imperialistic and expansionist since the
colonial period
2. The closing of the frontier led to a fear that
America might have not have enough natural
resources (land, timber, oil, coal…)
3. The increasing importance of trade due to rapid
industrialization
Depression of 1893 led some businessmen to
look overseas for markets for the
4. Some felt that overseas expansion might be an
outlet for the frustrations of the Populists and labor
movements.
5. Americans were aware of imperialist fever in
Europe. The major powers had divided up Africa
and were now turning to Asia and China.
Americans were afraid of being left behind
and felt that nations with colonial holdings
would gain the upper hand in military and economic
power.
Intellectual arguments for overseas
expansion:


6. Social Darwinism
Survival of the fittest nations
“White Man’s Burden”
Belief in the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon
race
7. Some Americans felt sea power
was very important to the future of the
nation. Colonies would provide raw materials,
markets, AND NAVAL BASES for a larger U.S.
Navy.
Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan


Alfred Thayer Mahan
wrote The Importance
of Sea Power Upon
History, (1890).
He said that countries
with sea power were
the great nations in
history and the future
of the U.S. depended
on sea power=a
strong NAVY.
U.S. begins to take action….



1. Latin America (1895)
Border dispute between Venezuela and
British Guiana (Britain) U.S. supported
Venezuela, cited the Monroe Doctrine
2. Annexed Hawaii (1891)
Queen Liliuokalani
Pearl Harbor
Sugar Production
3. Annexed Samoan Islands (1890s)
Pago Pago
1898 Annexation Ceremony in Hawaii
Samoan Islands, c. 1900
An important trade route and military base. The U.S. gained control of the harbor
of Pago Pago.
The Rock



Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson is of Samoan
descent.
Famous pro wrester
Tattoos covering the
shoulder are of
Samoan origin.
Troy Polamalu
http://www.history.com/videos/rooseveltfights-in-spanish-american-war
II. WAR WITH SPAIN
1898—The war transformed America’s
relationship to the rest of the world, and left the
nation with a far-flung overseas empire.
Yellow Journalism and the Spanish
American War
Joseph Pulitzer (Pulitzer Prize)
William Randolph Hearst
Spanish-American War:
Reasons the U.S. Declared War





1. Sympathy for the Cuban rebels seeking
independence from Spain
2. American press coverage of the conflict between
Spain and her colony (Cuba) led to increased
support for the Cuban rebels
3. Geography: the desire for U.S. dominance in the
western hemisphere
4. de Lome letter
5. The Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. The U.S.
blamed the Spanish.
President William McKinley

McKinley took a
stronger stand against
Spain and in 1898 the
de Lome letter, stolen
from the the Spanish
ambassador in
Washington, escalated
tensions between the
U.S. and Spain.
The sinking of the Maine in Havana
Harbor
Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Sec. of
the Navy and avid imperialist
HOW IT WASN’T
Theodore Roosevelt in Cuba
U.S. Forces Seized Control of the
Philippines
Spanish-American War:
“A Splendid Little War”


The war was short and American troops suffered
few casualties.
Treaty of Paris with Spain, 1898
1.Cuba was granted independence
2. Spain ceded Guam, Puerto Rico and
Philippines to the U.S. ($20,000,000)
3. Theodore Roosevelt received national
attention
The Spanish American War and the U.S.
Modern Military System
Elihu Root, Sec. of War, suggested changes
in the system….
 INCREASED THE SIZE OF THE STANDING
ARMY
 SET STANDARDS FOR THE NATIONAL
GUARD
 SET UP OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOLS
 ***ORGANIZED THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
TO ACT AS MILITARY ADVISORS AND PLAN
FOR WAR

What were the Terms of Treaty of Paris?
1898
Ended the Spanish-American War
 Cuba gained its independence
 Spain handed over Guam, and
Puerto Rico, Philippines to the U.S.
for $20 million

Debate over the Annexation of the
Philippines and Imperialism
Imperialists






T. Roosevelt
Could not give it back
Moral obligation
Reinvigorate the nation
Trade
Ease of annexation
Anti-Imperialists




Imperialism was
immoral
Went against
American ideals of
freedom
Racism against Asians
Labor feared
competition
What was the PhilippineAmerican War?
Emilio Aguinaldo and the Filipino Rebels rebelled
against American control
 Philippine–American War
--Americans fought Filipino rebels
--lasted 3 years
--200,000 Filipinos were killed, 4,000 U.S.
soldiers died
 Philippines granted independence on July 4,
1946

What was the Significance of the
Spanish-American War, 1898
The war transformed
America’s relationship to the
rest of the world, and left the
nation with a far-flung
overseas empire.

McKinley, war, yellow press, Maine,
war ends, assassination
http://www.history.com/videos/mckinleyfaces-war-assassination
III. THE REPUBLIC AS EMPIRE
The new American empire created many
challenges. The U.S. became involved in the
politics Europe and Asia as well as a brutal war
in the Philippines.
Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Foraker Act (1900) –gave U.S. the right to
appoint Puerto Rico’s governor.
 Insular Cases (1901) –Supreme Court ruled
the Constitution does not always apply to
people in U.S. territories. “Constitution does
not follow the flag”
 Congress granted citizenship to Puerto
Ricans in 1917

Platt Amendment
1901


After the Spanish-American War the
U.S. passed the Platt
Amendment=barring Cuba from
making treaties with other countries
(U.S. has control over all Cuban foreign
relations) and giving the U.S. the right
to intervene in Cuba to maintain its
independence and to protect property.
The amendment also required Cuba to
allow U.S. naval stations on the island.
U.S Fleet at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba (1927)

Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba
What is a Protectorate?


Under the Platt Amendment, Cuba
became a U.S. PROTECTORATE--a
country whose affairs are partially
controlled by a stronger power
U.S. wanted to protect American
property in Cuba: sugar and tobacco
farms, mining, railroads, and public
utilities
U.S. and China: Open Door Notes
(1899-1901)

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China was weak—”the sick man of Asia”—and U.S.
was afraid stronger nations would cut them out of trade
relations with China
Open Door Notes—John Hay of U.S. wrote letters to
leaders around the world proposing the nations should
share trading rights with China
Question: How important is U.S. trade with China
“Open Door Policy” or “Open Door
Notes”
The issue: U.S. trade with China
 Under President McKinley and Secretary
of State John Hay, the “Open Door
Policy” on trade with China would allow
the U.S. to trade with China without
risking military involvement.
 How important is trade with China today?

What was the Boxer Rebellion in
China? (1901)

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A group of Chinese rebels called BOXERS rose up to
wipe out “foreign devils”.
Boxers resented Christian missionaries and their
converts
Boxers seized foreign embassies in Beijing, killed over
200 foreigners and took hostage.
Troops were sent in to put down the rebellion. 100s
died.
Herbert Hoover (future president) and his wife were in
China.
Chinese Boxers
Boxer
Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion, 1900 Imprisoned Boxers in Beijing who days earlier had
been involved in the siege of the compound where Western diplomats lived.
Boxer Rebellion: Firing Squad at the
graves of those who died in Peking
http://www.history.com/videos/engineeringan-empire-the-boxer-uprising
America as a World Power
Theodore Roosevelt’s Foreign
Policy

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” The goal was
to make nations think twice about fighting, thus
promoting global peace
.
Theodore Roosevelt and “Big
Stick” Diplomacy



“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” (A strong
Navy and military)
The goal was to make nations think twice about
fighting, thus promoting global peace.
Actions T. Roosevelt took:
Supported a stronger military
Built the Panama Canal
Issued the Roosevelt Corollary to the
Monroe Doctrine
“The World’s Constable”
What was the Great White Fleet?


In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt sent 16 battleships of
the U.S. Navy around the world to showcase the
nations military might.
Military might was the force behind Roosevelt’s
“Big Stick” diplomacy.
“Great White Fleet,” 1907-1909
Map of Great White Fleet’s Voyage
Welcoming the Greet White Fleet to New Zealand
http://www.history.com/videos/rooseveltsbig-stick-foreign-policy
Why did the US Build the Panama
Canal?
Theodore Roosevelt acquired the Panama
Canal zone in 1903.
 He and others believed the construction of the
canal was vital to American world power.
 The canal served both military and trade
purposes by providing a shorter route from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
 U.S. gave control of the canal to Panama in
1999.

http://www.history.com/videos/guts--boltspanama-canal---locks
What was the Roosevelt Corollary
to the Monroe Doctrine? 1904

****Roosevelt Corollary to the
Monroe Doctrine: Warned
European nations that the U.S.
would now use force to protect its
interests in Latin America (Western
Hemisphere)
Describe U.S. Foreign Policy in
Latin America from 1910-1920
1910-1920 the U.S. intervened in Latin
America several times:
 1. Sent troops to put down rebellion in
Nicaragua
 2. Sent Marines to Veracruz, Mexico
 3. U.S. forces under John Pershing entered
Mexico to try to capture Poncho Villa

Territories held by the U.S. today….
SO WHAT….THE BIG QUESTIONS
1. What kind of nation are we? What kind of nation do we want
to be?
2. Is imperialism and expansion ALWAYS wrong?
3. Critics of US world power describe American dominance as
arrogant chauvinism…what about the spread of communism or
radical Islam? What about countries who embrace and adopt
Am culture on their own? How is the US to react when countries
ask for support?
4. What is the relationship of America to the rest of the world?
How has it changed?
5. Should the US or any nation dominate other people against
their will?

What kind of nation are we?
Critics of U.S. world power….