America Becomes a World
Power
Mr. Phipps
U.S. History
Objectives
11.1.4. Examine the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction and
of the industrial revolution, including demographic shifts and
the emergence in the late nineteenth century of the United
States as a world power.
11.4 Trace the rise of the United States to its role as a world power
in the twentieth century.
Imperialism: A Primer
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Imperialism: To expand, to take over another country, to extend
positive/negative influence into another country, to exploit another
country for resources.
Isolationism: To withdraw from foreign affairs, to focus on domestic
issues.
Foreign Policy: The way one country interacts with another country,
diplomacy, working out economic, militaristic, and cultural exchange;
usually focuses on war, border disputes, immigration, and trade.
Domestic Policy: The way one country deals with itself and its own
people; usually deals with employment, education, elderly care,
crime, civil rights, cultural issues.
Nationalism: The feeling of pride in one’s own country, extreme
patriotism; usually denotes the idea that one’s country is infallible and
better than any alternative.
Self-Determination: The ability for one country to decide its own
fate, conduct, behavior, and diplomacy with the intervention of a
foreign government.
 Why would one country take over
another country?
 What are the benefits of taking over
another country?
 What are the downsides of taking over
another country?
 What reactions would the natives of
that other country have to being taken
over?
Arguments For Imperialism
Liberate
a
Country
/Huma n
Rights
Social
Darwinism
White
ManÕs
Burden
Revenge
Spread
Democracy
Ensure
Defense
Show
Power
Arguments
For
Imperialism
Take
Foreign
Ports
Acquire
Territory
and Spread
Population
Become
World
Power
Trade
Opportunities
Sell
Finished
Product/Ne
w Ma rkets
Acquire
Raw
Materials
Make
Money
Arguments Against
Imperialism
Encourage
More
Immigration
Difficult to
Defend a
Large
Empire
Too
Expensive
ARGUMENTS
AGAINST
IMPERIALISM
Too Many
Non-White
Immigrants
Fundamentally
Un-Democratic
Responsibility
for Success
or Failure
The U.S. Takes Sides
PRO-IMPERIALISTS
 Big Business: Looking for
new markets to sell
manufactured items; find
cheap labor
 War Hawks: Congressmen
looking to spread U.S.
influence overseas
 Executive Branch:
President seeking to define
the U.S. as a “world power”
ANTI-IMPERIALISTS
 Minorities: Marginalized
groups who want domestic
security before foreign
involvement
 Isolationists:
Congressmen who consider
the U.S. unprepared for fullscale foreign involvement
 Nativists: Americans who
find no reason to participate
with “foreigners”
A Timeline of Territorial
Expansion
Becoming the “United” States
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1776: The Declaration of Independence
1783: The Treaty of Paris --Great Britain cedes lands up to the Miss.
River
1803: The Louisiana Purchase --Doubles the size of the U.S.,
purchased for $15 million
1830: Oklahoma and Michigan Territories --Aquired after the Indian
Wars, through genocide and relocation
1848: The Mexican Cession --Won after the Mexican-American War,
included the Southwest, California, and Texas
1853: The Gadsden Purchase --Bought from Mexico, the last piece
of the continental U.S.
1867: Alaska --Purchased by William Seward for $7.2 million from
Russia, called “Seward’s Icebox” and “Seward’s Folly”, later to yield
some of the riches oil reserves in the U.S.
1893: Hawaii --Taken as a “protectorate” after the U.S. started a civil
war
So What?
Benefits of Territorial
Expansion
 Expand American influence
 Provide land to a growing
population
 Gain rich agricultural lands
and natural resources
 Secure borders against
foreigners (Britain, Spain,
Russia, etc)
 Gain needed ports for
further expansion
Problems of Territorial
Expansion
 Territorial expansion
caused slavery to spread
(and Civil War to start)
 Difficult to manage large
territory (enforce laws,
communicate, send mail,
trade, etc.,)
 Caused intense friction
between the U.S. and other
nations (including Native
Indians)
The Friction
The War of 1812
The Indian Wars
1810-1831
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
The Mexican-American War
1846-1848
The American Civil War
1861-1865
 Is there such a thing as a “just war”?
 Under what conditions is war O.K.?
What is it good for?
WAR
WOUNDED
DEAD
COST
Revolutionary War
6,100
4,500
$3.2 Billion
War of 1812
4,500
2,300
$1 Billion
Mexican-American War
4,100
13,200
$1.8 Billion
Civil War
413,000
553,600
$72 Billion
(combined)
Spanish-American War
1,700
2,500
$6.5 Billion
World War I
204,000
116,500
$588 Billion
World War II
671,000
408,000
$4.8 Trillion
A Comparative Look
 What accounts for the difference in
wounded, dead, and cost of war?
Identify 3 factors.
Another Look