America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
Tindall/Shi
Chapter 22 - Seizing an American Empire
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I. Toward the new imperialism
o A. Reasons for American expansion
 1. Quest for new markets, raw materials, and investment opportunities
 a. Connection to missionary activities
 2. American advocates for expansion
 3. Naval power
 a. Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power upon History
 b. Expansion of navy
 4. Racial thought
 a. Social Darwinism
 b. John Fiske’s American Political Ideas
 c. Josiah Strong’s Our Country
o B. William Seward and the purchase of Alaska
o C. Expansion in the Pacific
 1. Samoa
 a. Treaty of 1878
 b. After 1889, tripartite protectorate over Samoa
 2. Hawaii
 a. Boom in sugar production
 b. American influence in economy and government
 (1) McKinley tariff hurts Hawaiian sugar trade
 c. Queen Liliuokalani opposed Americans
 d. Americans rebel, proclaim Republic of Hawaii
II. Wars against Spain and the Philippines
o A. “Cuba libre“
 1. Rebellion broke out in Cuba in 1895
 a. “Butcher“ Weyler and the reconcentrado policy
 2. Newspaper coverage in the United States
 a. Yellow journalism
o B. Pressure for war
 1. Cleveland refused to intervene
 2. McKinley’s desire to assist insurgents increases after taking office
 3. Spain offered Cuba autonomy in return for peace
 4. de L™me letter
 5. Explosion of the Maine
 6. U.S. actions
 a. Congress declared Cuba independent
 b. Teller Amendment: United States disavows interest in Cuban territory
 c. McKinley signs war resolution
 7. Summary of reasons for war
o C. Campaigns
 1. Philippines
 a. Commodore George Dewey
 b. Captured Manila Bay
 c. Filipino nationalist movement led by Emilio Aguinaldo helps Americans take the city of Manila
 2. Cuba
 a. U.S. navy blockades Spanish navy in Santiago harbor
 b. 17,000 American troops assembled
 (1) Included Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
 c. Spain quickly defeated
o D. End of the Spanish-American War
 1. Spain loses its remaining colonies
 a. Including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines
 2. Minimal U.S. casualties
 a. Most Americans died of disease, not in battle
 3. Impact of the war on the United States
 a. U.S. emerges as an imperial power
America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
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Tindall/Shi
4. Annexation of the Philippines
 a. Little desire for Philippines before war
 b. McKinley’s reasons for annexation
 (1) National glory, commerce, racial superiority, and evangelism
 c. Other areas in Pacific annexed at this time
 (1) Hawaii, Guam, Wake Island, and Samoa Islands
 d. Opposition to Treaty of Paris in Senate
 (1) Leading Democrat William Jennings Bryan voices support for treaty
 (a) Believed ending the war paved the way for Philippine independence in the near future
 (2) Bryan’s support convinces enough Democrats to vote in favor of and secure passage of the treaty.
o E. The Philippine-American War
 1. The cost for suppression of Filipino nationalism
 a. Deaths
 2. Atrocities committed
 a. Water torture
 3. Anti-imperialist thought
o F. Religion and American empire
 1. American Protestant Christianity’s support for war against Spain and acquisition of colonies
 a. Racial “superiority“ and religion
 b. American anti-Catholicism
III. Organizing the new territorial acquisitions
o A. Philippines
 1. Intense debate over its future
 2. Philippine Government Act: made Philippines an unorganized territory
 3. Jones Act set up elected legislature, affirmed U.S. intentions to grant independence
 4. Tydings-McDuffie Act offered independence in ten years
o B. Puerto Rico
 1. Foraker Act set up civil government
 2. Jones Act granted U.S. citizenship
o C. Cuba
 1. Trouble with Cuban rebels
 2. Platt Amendment restricted Cuban independence
 3. Continued American intervention in Cuba
IV. Imperial rivalries in East Asia
o A. Imperial rivalries in China
 1. Russia, Germany, France, and Great Britain
o B. Open Door policy (1899)
 1. Proposed to keep China open to trade with all countries on an equal basis
o C. The Boxer Rebellion (1900)
 1. Rebellion against foreign encroachments in China
 2. International expedition including U.S. intervened and quelled rebellion
V. Roosevelt’s “big-stick“ diplomacy
o A. Theodore Roosevelt before the presidency
 1. Early years
 2. Election of 1900
 a. W. J. Bryan against McKinley (and Roosevelt)
 b. Election issues, especially imperialism
 c. Mark Hanna’s concerns over Roosevelt as vice president
 3. McKinley assassinated
 4. Theodore Roosevelt’s approach to the presidency
o B. Panama Canal
 1. Early treaties with Colombia and stalled canal efforts
 a. Panama was initially part of Colombia
 2. Hay Herrán Treaty (1903) negotiated to give U.S. rights to build a canal
 a. U.S. Senate ratifies but Colombian Senate rejects
 b. U.S. lends support to a rebellion against Colombia in Panama
 c. Independent Panama gives U.S. rights to build a canal
 (1) Panama Canal opened in 1914
o C. Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
 1. Economic crisis in Dominican Republic threatened foreign intervention to force collection of debts owed to foreign interests
 2. Claims U.S. had the right to intervene in Latin American countries to forestall involvement by others
America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
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D. Russo-Japanese War
 1. Sparked by Russo-Japanese rivalry over ambitions in China and Korea
 2. Theodore Roosevelt helped negotiate the peace settlement, Treaty of Portsmouth (1905)
 3. Russia forced to make many concessions to Japan
 a. Russians ceded dominance in Korea to Japan
E. U.S. relations with Japan under Roosevelt
 1. Concern over Japanese strength near the Philippines
 a. Taft-Katsura agreement (1905): U.S. accepts Japanese control of Korea, Japan disavows designs on Philippines
 b. Root-Takahira Agreement (1908): endorses status quo in Asia and affirms support of Open Door in China
 2. American fears of “yellow peril“ at home
 a. Discrimination against Japanese in California
 b. “Gentlemen’s Agreement“ restricted Japanese immigration
F. Crisis in North Africa
 1. German animosity toward French and British interests in North Africa sparks crisis, threatens war
 a. Roosevelt mediated a settlement in Morocco
 b. Resulted in compromise, the Act of Algeciras (1906)
 (1) Independence of Morocco affirmed
 (2) Open door for trade guaranteed
 (3) France and Spain responsible for training and controlling Moroccan police
G. Roosevelt sends “Great White Fleet“ on global tour from 1907–1909
 1. Showed off America’s naval strength
H. Roosevelt’s foreign policy assessed
 1. Ideas reflected prominence of the era’s racial thought
 2. Embraced warfare
 3. Roosevelt’s self-righteous bigotry defied America’s egalitarian ideals