WAS IMPERIALISM
JUSTIFIED?
After completing this Web Quest you
will research the time period of 18901917 and use that research to answer
the essential question.
IMPERIALISM MATRIX
Use this matrix to help you organize your ideas.
Make a decision before you start the Web Quest based on
your prior knowledge and explain your reasoning in your
packet.
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CAUSES
Below are the major reasons behind US
Imperialism. Click on the picture to learn about
each one in more detail.
Resources
Markets
Military Strength
Social Darwinism
RESOURCES
Colonies offered a number of natural resources
such as:
Colonies used for their
1. Tea
resources are known as:
extractive economies
2. Rubber
because the imperialist
3. Iron
nation extracted
(removed) the raw
4. Petroleum
materials to become more
Click on the star
to view a map of
powerful.
resources and
where they can
be found around
the world.
MARKETS
The United States had a large amount of resources,
but a surplus of goods (too many goods). Having a
large supply of goods led to a drop in prices and
decreased profits. A major cause of US imperialism
was to find new places for US businesses to sell
their goods.
According to Senator Albert J. Beveridge:
Today we are raising more (crops) than we can
consume. Today we are making more than we can
use…Therefore we must find new markets for our produce,
new occupation for our capital, new work for our labor.
MILITARY STRENGTH
Many nations built up their military and the US
was no exception. According to Alfred T. Mahan,
nations with large navies were powerful. He urged
the US to build a fleet. The US had to expand to
find more bases where ships could refuel and
replenish their supplies. By the end of imperialism,
the US had the 3rd largest navy in the world.
Click on the star to view a map of US military bases around the
world.
SOCIAL DARWINISM
A major justification of imperialism was
Social Darwinism. According to this theory,
many felt their nations were superior to
others and deserved to rule over “inferior”
people. These people felt that it was their
responsibility to “educate” the inferior people
of the world and teach them about culture,
religion, education, and the government.
Now that you have learned about the causes of US Imperialism, plot
each cause on the matrix.
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AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT
The following events moved the United States
closer to being an imperial power. Click on the
bubble to learn more about each one.
Commodore
Perry in
Japan
Attempts to
influence
Latin
America
Seward
buys Alaska
Steps toward
US
Imperialism
Hawaii
becomes a
part of the
US
Commodore Perry in Japan
Comm. Matthew Perry sailed warships to
Japan and used the persuasion of the
intimidating ships and gifts to convince the
emperor to trade with the US.
Click on the star to view an
illustration of Perry’s visit.
Seward Purchases Alaska
Secretary of State William Seward bought
Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars.
Many were critical of the purchase because it
was land of snow and ice so they called it
“Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox.”
However, it turned out to be an excellent
purchase because of the natural resources
there such as oil and lumber, which proved
very useful to industrialization.
Click on the star to view more pictures related to
Seward’s Purchase.
To the left, a copy of the
check Seward used to
purchase Alaska.
To the right, a monument to Seward for
his purchase. The monument says:
“William Henry Seward patriot and statesman as
governor of New York United States senator and
Secretary of State gave to the people of this
country a long and useful life culminating in his
purchase for them of the territory of Alaska on
March 30, 1867”
Attempts to Influence Latin America
Secretary of State James Blaine worked to
create the First International Pan-American
Conference. The purpose of the conference
was to discuss the benefits of economic
cooperation and to create the Pan-American
Highway system that linked the US to Central
and South America.
Click on the star to read more about the First
International Pan-American Conference.
Hawaii Becomes A State
1790s-Americans ships stopped at Hawaii to refuel
-Missionaries established Christian schools &
churches
-American sugarcane plantations were located on
the island
1887-American planters convinced Hawaii to limit voting
rights to only wealthy landowners
1890s-A new tariff law imposed duties (similar to taxes) on
sugar from Hawaii making it more expensive
-Hawaiian leader Kalakua died leaving Queen Liliuokalani
in power (she was much less willing to work with the US
than her brother)
1893-American planters overthrew the Queen resulting in
a new government that wanted to annex Hawaii into the
US (make Hawaii a territory of the US)
-Attempts to annex Hawaii were stopped by the
current President, Grover Cleveland
1898-Under the direction of a new president, and with the
coming of war, Hawaii officially becomes a US territory
Click on the star to learn more about Hawaii’s
history and reaction to annexation.
Now that you have learned about the beginnings US Imperialism,
plot each event on the matrix.
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SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
At this time, Cuba was a Spanish colony.
Quickly, Cubans became unhappy with
Spanish rule and called for revolt. The US
had a decision to make: Get involved and
become an imperialist nation or Stay neutral.
Below are the major aspects of the SpanishAmerican War. Click on a box to learn more
about each one.
CAUSES
BATTLES
EFFECTS
Causes
1. Cubans rebelled against Spanish rulethreatening the $50 million dollars US businesses
had invested in Cuba.
2. Yellow Press-American journalists helped fuel
extreme nationalism by publishing stories that
were exaggerated. One in particular, was the
publishing of the De Lome letter.
3. Explosion of the Maine (a battleship stationed
outside of Cuba to protect American citizens).
Click on the stars to learn more about the De
Lome letter and the explosion of the Maine.
Battles
Battle
Explanation
Outcome
Philippines
The US attacked the Philippines
(also controlled by the Spanish)
with the help of Filipino
nationalist, Emilio Aguinaldo.
No Americans died
during the battle and
it was ruled a
complete success.
1st Landing in
US forces landed in Cuba &
It was a quick, and
Cuba
quickly captured Guantanamo Bay easy success for the
.
US.
Battle of San
Juan Hill
The Rough Riders fought for San
Juan Hill & quickly moved into
Santiago where the Spanish
surrendered.
An important
success.
Although the battles may have been easily won, American soldiers
did face hardships. Click on the star to see what they were.
Effects
Treaty of Paris: This agreement officially ended the war.
Click on the link to read about the provisions.
The United States had the opportunity to gain a lot of new
territory. However, many debated whether or not they
truly wanted to become an imperialist nation. Those in
favor believed it was the responsibility of the US to help
weaker nations and it would be a profitable way to
increase trade. Those opposed believed it was a crime that
went against democratic ideals.
Click on the star to learn more about what the
US gained as a result of the war.
Now that you have learned about the Spanish American War, plot
this event on the matrix.
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US TERRITORIES
Click on each of the boxes below to learn more
about US involvement in these areas of the globe.
CHINA
CHINA
CUBA
CUBA
PUERTO
PUERTO
RICO
RICO
PANAMACANAL
CANAL
PANAMA
JAPAN
JAPAN
PHILIPPINES
PHILIPPINES
Philippines
In 1899, Filipino rebels led by former US ally Emilio Aguinaldo launched an
uprising to fight US occupation of the Philippines. The American response was
swift & brutal. Villages were burned, crops were destroyed, and rebels were lined
up and shot.
When William Taft became the governor general of the Philippines things
changed. He worked to rebuild the islands in a three-pronged plan.
Political Reform
In 1901 Taft granted the
Philippines limited selfrule. In 1916 Congress
passed the Jones Act
which promised the
Philippines they would
eventually become
independent.
Healthcare
US administrators
started a public health
system. As part of this,
American doctors came
to help many who were
injured during the
rebellion.
Education
American programs
were created to build
schools for Filipino
children. American
teachers came to educate
the children of the
Philippines.
China
At this time, European countries were building a “sphere
of influence” in China. This meant that the countries
would take over a small part of China and there they had
access to ports and markets. The United States did not
have it’s “zone” and thus they did not have access to any of
this. US official John Hay proposed the Open Door Policy
to combat this. According to the Open Door Policy, the US
would have free trade in any part of China.
At first, China refused, but in 1900 a group of angry
Chinese revolted against the European powers there. This
was known as the Boxer Rebellion. As a result, China was
forced to accept in exchange for damages caused by the
rebellion.
Japan
When Russia moved troops closer to China, Japan felt
threatened and attacked the troops. This led to the
outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. In 1905
representatives from both countries met in the US to work
out a peace agreement with the help of President
Roosevelt. Although this was a success, there was still
tension in the US due to the discrimination against the
Japanese. (an example of this is when San Francisco tried
to segregate Asian children and send them to a separate
school). To calm the tension, Roosevelt negotiated the
“Gentlemen’s Agreement” with Japan. According to this
agreement the US would end it’s segregation policy and
Japan would limit the number of immigrants it sent to the
US.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico became a US territory during the SpanishAmerican War. Until 1900, Puerto Rico was ruled by US
military forces. In 1900, the US granted Puerto Rico more
freedom by passing the Foraker Act. According to this,
Puerto Rico was granted to “rule themselves” with a civil
government. The governor of Puerto Rico would be
chosen by the US president and Puerto Ricans could vote
for the rest of the legislature or ruling body.
This led to a debate over the citizenship rights that Puerto
Ricans had in the US. After a series of Supreme Court
cases it was decided that although Puerto Ricans did have
to pay taxes to the US, they did not have the same rights as
a US citizen.
Cuba
When the US first began the Spanish-American War, they
promised not to imperialize Cuba and grant them
independence. However, the US did not remove its
military right away and when it did, it left the Platt
Amendment. The Platt Amendment restricted the
rights of Cubans. Some ways rights were restricted
were:
1. Cuba could not sign a treaty with any other nation
without US approval.
2. Cuba was forced to lease naval stations to the US.
3. The US kept the right to “intervene” at any time to
preserve Cuba.
Panama Canal
The US purchased the route across Panama from
France for $40 million dollars. The route was to
be the place of the Panama Canal that the US
could use for both economic and military travel.
Although the US owned that land, they could not
build because Panama was controlled by
Columbia. To counter this, the US sent warships
to support a Panamanian rebellion against
Cuba. Once Panama was independent, the US
was free to build a canal and in exchange they
paid Panama $10 million dollars and $250,000
annually for rent.
Now that you have learned about the different US territories during
Imperialism, think about how the US handled each situation and
plot each territory on the matrix.
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PRESIDENTIAL POLICIES
During the time of Imperialism three presidents
served in office. Each had different ideas about
American foreign policy. Click on each president
below to learn more about their policies.
THEODORE
ROOSEVELT
WOODROW
WILSON
WILLIAM H.
TAFT
Theodore Roosevelt
“Big Stick Diplomacy”
President Roosevelt’s philosophy is characterized by the phrase
“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” According to this policy,
Roosevelt believed in maintaining a strong, powerful, military
presence and in doing so, many countries would recognize the
power of the US. Roosevelt believed in military intervention
meaning the US would serve as a police power and restore order.
An example of his philosophy is the Roosevelt Corollary.
According to this, Roosevelt claimed that no European country
should intervene in Latin America because the US would
maintain order. This plan was not popular with many Latin
American countries because they believed the US should not be
involved in their affairs.
Click on the star to view a political cartoon
about Roosevelt’s “Big Stick Diplomacy.”
William Howard Taft
“Dollar Diplomacy”
President Taft’s philosophy was focused on
expanding American trade. Rather than
focusing on the military, Taft planned to increase
American investments in banks and businesses
outside the US. Under Taft, America invested in
plantations, mines, oil wells, railways, etc.
Woodrow Wilson
“Moral Diplomacy”
President Wilson’s philosophy was quite different
from the other two. Rather than searching for
new territory or new interests, Wilson’s focus
was on human rights. Wilson wanted to help
nations reach new goals and opportunities.
Unfortunately, while Wilson’s intentions may
have been genuine, the outcome was not always
as such. At times, Wilson’s foreign policy led to
a lot of US control over a particular country.
Now that you have learned about the presidential policies during the
time of Imperialism, plot each policy on the matrix.
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WAS IMPERIALISM JUSTIFIED?
Based on your research of US Imperialism, I would like you to plot
United States Imperialism on the matrix. You will use your research
to respond to the focus question in a three paragraph essay.
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