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An industrial powerhouse with a booming population,
America turned its focus on becoming a world power at the turn of the century.

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Imperialism- stronger nations dominate and control weaker ones in attempt to create an empire.
Historical examples: Roman Empire, Mongolian Empire,
Ottoman Empire, British Empire.

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“The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
Territories that have been, or remain, part of the British Empire.

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Imperialistic activity increased in the late 1800s for several reasons…
– Economic factors: need for resources
– Nationalistic factors: feelings of national superiority
– Military factors: Navies needed bases for fuel and supplies.
– Humanitarian factors: Western civilizations often thought it their duty to spread their culture, law, and religion to other countries.

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In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington warned Americans to avoid foreign conflicts and
“entanglements” and to “steer clear of permanent alliances”
These values molded early America, and for the next
100 years.

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Beginning in the 1820s,
America embraced the anti-imperialist “Monroe
Doctrine” named after a policy of president James
Monroe.
The Monroe Doctrine declared the US neutral in all European wars and warned European powers not to interfere with
North or South America.

Sign reads, “all guests are welcome, but they must not bring their guns”

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The US showed early glimpses of its own imperialism.
Manifest Destiny: it was the destiny of the U.S. to control Atlantic to Pacific Oceans

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By the 1890s, many Americans argued for increased involvement in international affairs, despite the US’s history of isolationism.

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Rapid industrial growth created an overproduction of food and goods.
Businesses and workers argued that the US needed to secure new markets abroad to sell goods.

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In some cases, American businesses were already invested in other countries.
United Fruit Company provided financial services to the Costa
Rican government in exchange for long-term leases on land.
By 1913, United Fruit Company was exporting 50 million banana bunches to the US per year and played a significant role in the governments and economies of several Central American economies, which came to be known as “banana republics”.

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In the 1880s, the US Navy was far inferior to that of
European powers.
Many argued for a larger, more modern navy.
A powerful navy not only allowed for the possibility of imperialism, but also created a new need for naval bases around the world.

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Some believed that America needed a new frontier since they had already expanded the whole way to the Pacific
Ocean.
The challenge of a new frontier, they argued, created energy and passion on which the country thrived.
Still others cited social Darwinism to justify taking over new territories; survival of the fittest.

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Many Americans believed that it was their duty to spread modern civilization and
Christianity to “heathen” or “savage” peoples around the world.
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Even many intellectuals at the time believed that certain racial and national groups were biologically superior to others.

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White Man’s Burden, written by Rudyard Kipling, assumed the racial supremacy of whites and came to embody the “noble” justifications of imperialism: to liberate and civilize the poor savages of other countries.
“Take up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child…
Take up the White Man's burden--
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought he us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"

“The White Man’s Burden.”

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Remnants of this kind of thinking remain today, even in our wellintentioned efforts of humanitarian aid and church missions.
Many believe that developed, western governments often do more harm than good even when trying to
“help”.

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Over time, these various arguments gained traction throughout the country and within government and the United
States began to move toward foreign involvement and expansionism.

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The Spanish-American War was America’s first major step towards imperialism and changed its role in world affairs forever.
A war created, sustained, and shaped by journalists.

“I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one.”
–Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt thought that America needed a new challenge, an adventure for young men and a unifying cause for the nation to rally behind.

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Cuba was a colony of
Spain.
Cubans rebelled in 1895.
Spain sent 150,000 troops to put down the rebellion.
“Reconcentration” camps.
General Weyler
Spanish General
Valeriano Weyler

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In the prison camps over 200,000
Cubans died over 2 years due to disease and starvation.
Cuban exiles living in US, led by
Jose Marti, urged US to intervene.
US government refused to help.
Cuban guerrillas began destroying
American sugar plantations in
Cuba to pressure US government to help.

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Yellow Journalism fueled support for the war.
– Joseph Pulitzer: New York World
– William Randolph Hearst: New York Morning Journal
Featured articles that exaggerated horrific acts that
Spanish soldiers performed against Cubans.

Hearst to photographer: “you provide the pictures, I’ll furnish the war”

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US newspapers published a letter intercepted from Dupuy de Lome, a Spanish ambassador to Washington.
Letter called President McKinley weak, angering Americans.

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Weeks after the letter, on
February 15, 1898, the
U.S.S. Maine, a US warship sank off the coast of Cuba.
The explosion/sinking was likely caused by an accidental fire.
Newspapers and the
American public immediately blamed Spain for the explosion.
Enraged, the US public called for war.

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The Philippines were also under Spanish possession at the time.
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, felt that Philippines would be a key naval base in the Pacific.
Teddy Roosevelt secretly messaged naval commanders in the Pacific to prepare for war with Spain.

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In attempt to avoid war, McKinley sent a list of demands to Spain.
– Compensation for the U.S.S. Maine
– A truce in Cuba
– Cuban independence
Spain, also hoping to avoid war, agreed to all but Cuban independence.
On April 11, Congress recognized Cuban independence and declared war on Spain.

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The first action took place in the
Philippines, not in Cuba.
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On May 1, US forces launched a surprise attack on Spanish ships.
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Destroyed Spain’s entire Pacific fleet in seven hours.

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Teddy and the volunteer “Rough Riders” became war heroes.
Charge on San Juan Hill
Became the celebrities of thew war, even though they experienced little battle action.

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The Spanish fleet tried to escape on July 3, but the US Navy sank every Spanish ship, ending the war and setting off wild celebrations throughout the US.
The war lasted only 2 months.
2,500 Americans died, but only 400 in battle.
Most died of disease or food poisoning.
Secretary of State John Hay called it “a splendid little war”

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Spain recognized Cuba’s independence and gave the
Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the US for $20 million.
These islands became “unincorporated” territories of the US.
The annexation of the new territories barely passed the two-thirds vote in the senate.

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Filipino rebels had fought alongside American troops against Spain with the expectation that US victory would give them their independence.
Instead, after the war the US annexed the island.
Filipino rebel leader Emilio
Aguinaldo proclaimed the
Philippines an independent republic in January 1899.
America ignored him.

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War between the US and the Philippines broke out and lasted for three years.
4,000 Americans were killed.
Americans killed 16,000 Filipino rebels and 200,000 Filipino civilians.
The Philippines did not gain independence until 1946.

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Congress attached an amendment, called the Teller Amendment, to the resolution of
Cuban independence, promising not to annex Cuba.
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US involvement didn’t end after the war, however.
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Set up a military government in Cuba.

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Feeling betrayed, that the US had simply replaced Spain, Cubans began to draft a constitution that did not allow American involvement.
US agreed to withdraw troops only if Cubans included the Platt Amendment in their constitution.
Platt Amendment required Cuba to allow US naval bases on the island and to intervene in the country when necessary.

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United States had brief military government before pulling out.
Puerto Rico remains a US territory today.

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The leader of Hawaii, Queen
Liliuokalani, strongly opposed U.S. control of the islands.
In 1893, pineapple planter
Sanford B. Dole and the
United States Marines removed Liluokalani from power.
In 1898, Congress approved the annexation of Hawaii.

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China represented a huge market considered crucial to the expansion of American trade.
John Hay, Secretary of State, worried that other
European powers would close off trade in China.
Hay proposed an “Open Door Policy” to other powers, trying to ensure that the U.S. would have equal access to Chinese trade.

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Many Chinese resented foreign influence.
In 1900, a secret Chinese society called the Righteous and Harmonious Fists ( “Boxers”) started a rebellion.
The Boxers massacred 300 foreigners and Christian
Chinese.

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Secretary Hay worried that other imperialist countries would use the “Boxer” Rebellion as an excuse to seize greater control of China.
He issued a second series of
Open Door notes, reemphasizing the importance of open trade in China and the
U.S. intention to preserve it.

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Given all of America’s international activity in the late 1890s, the U.S. entered the 20 th century as a genuine world power and with a new, interventionist foreign policy.

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Americans desired a shorter route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
A canal across Central America would cut distance.
Panama was an ideal location for the canal.
At the time, Panama was a province of Colombia.

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Columbia refused to negotiate with the U.S.
Now President, Teddy Roosevelt, encouraged
Panama to revolt for their independence.
The revolt took place in 1903 with U.S. warships waiting offshore to support the rebels.
America immediately recognized Panama as an independent country and in return Panama signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, giving the
U.S. a permanent land grant to build their canal.

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Construction of the canal began in
1904 and lasted until 1914.
The canal was a huge undertaking and operated with a system of locks and channels.

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Roosevelt said his foreign policy was…
“speak softly and carry a big stick.”
Roosevelt believed that if the U.S. displayed military and economic power, the rest of the world would obey without resistance or conflict.

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Roosevelt issued messages to
Congress that became known as the
Roosevelt Corollary, an extension of the Monroe Doctrine.
Roosevelt denied that the U.S. was interested in acquiring new territories, but that they would intervene to “stabilize” political and economic affairs in South and
Central America.
This signified a very formal shift from American isolationism to interventionism.

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Under Roosevelt, U.S. intervention in Latin
America became common.
This angered many Latin
Americans as well congress, who felt
Roosevelt’s independent foreign policies strengthened his powers while undermining the authority of congress.

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Elected president in 1908, William Howard
Taft was not as aggressive as Roosevelt in his foreign policy.
Promoted economic control over military control.
Wanted to “substitute dollars for bullets”.
– “Dollar Diplomacy”

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The next president was Woodrow
Wilson.
Amidst a bloody Mexican revolution, many encouraged Wilson only to protect U.S. investments.
Wilson believed Mexican revolutionary,
Victoriano Huerta, to be a tyrannical
“butcher”.
U.S. must intervene to stop Huerta on moral grounds.
Became known as Wilson’s “moral diplomacy”.

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The U.S. withdrew from Mexico after replacing Huerta with a new leader, Venustiano Carranza.
Francisco “Pancho” Villa, a peasant rebel, was furious with the U.S. support of Carranza.
Began terrorizing Americans in Mexico and raiding U.S. border towns.
In 1916, his men burnt down Columbus, New Mexico.

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Wilson sent General John
J. “Black Jack” Pershing and 5,000 U.S. to Mexico to pursue Villa.
After many bloody clashes between
Pershing’s forces and regular Mexican troops,
Wilson withdraws troops.
Pershing’s troops never actually found Villa.

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While United States’ new, imperial role in the world excited many
Americans, others were strongly opposed to the new level of international involvement.

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In 1898, opponents of U.S. policy in the Philippines established the Anti-
Imperialist League.
Many of the organizers were well-known leaders of society.
Politician William Jennings
Bryan, settlement house leader Jane Addams, and novelist Mark Twain were several.

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Imperialism, they argued, was a rejection of the nation’s foundation of “liberty for all.”
“We regret that it has become necessary in the land of Washington and Lincoln to reaffirm that all men, of whatever race or color, are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
–Carl Schurz (Republican senator)

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Opponents also pointed out that “the Constitution must follow the flag”.
Annexed territories should be entitled to the same rights as other U.S. citizens.
Samuel Gompers, famous labor union organizer, pointed out that most of Hawaiians worked for much less than
American laws required.

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Opponents worried that imperialism threatened the very nature of democracy within the continental U.S.
The large standing armies that were used to control new colonies could also be used to crush dissent at home.

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People saw racism as a cause, or justification, of imperialism.
“Had the Filipinos been white and fought as bravely as they have, the war would have been ended and their independence granted a long time ago.”
–Bishop Alexander Walters
(African American)

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Many white southerners actually opposed
Imperialism
of their racism.
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They feared that taking on new territories would eventually mean different races and ethnicities of people would move to the
U.S.

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Some thought expansion wasn’t economically viable.
Maintaining new levels of armed forces would require additional taxation and possibly even mandatory military service.
Samuel Gompers argued that laborers coming to U.S. from annexed territories would also compete for American jobs.

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Despite opposing arguments, imperialism maintained a powerful momentum in the
American public.
In 1890, the American frontier had officially been declared “closed”.
Imperialism seemed to offer a new frontier for the country.

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Most Americans thought the practical advantages of expanded marketplaces, and strategic military opportunities outweighed the arguments for isolationism.

Unlike other empires, the U.S. “empire” has dominated primarily through economic control and foreign investment.

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In 1907, Roosevelt sent the part of the U.S. Navy on a cruise around the world.
The trip was meant to be an impressive display of the world’s most powerful navy ships.
The ships made big impressions all around the world and became known as the Great White Fleet .

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Many annexed territories became resentful of the
America.
In Latin America, the cry
“Yankee, Go Home!” became popular.
Other nations began to recognize America’s new power, and began turning to them for help.