American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
1. Define Imperialism (withOUT a book or any notes): If something imperial is defined as
something with ruling authority, what is imperialism in relation to relationships between
nations and peoples?
2. For each cartoon (based upon your definition of imperialism – again with no books or
notes) write two/three sentences explaining each cartoon.
Yellow Journalism:
Imperial Hunger
Hero
What the US has fought for…
TR’s Perch
McKinley’s National Tailors
Imperial Guests
3. On the back (or on a separate sheet of paper) – repeat number 1 and 2, after reading
the summary page and using chapter 10 to review these topics.
4. How different are your results?
5. Now that you are familiar with what Imperialism is, and with some actions of the
United States around the turn of the 20th century, do you think American actions were in
keeping with American Democratic principles (Democracy, self-government, equal
rights/liberty, etc…)? If not? Explain why. Do you think the imperialist actions were
necessary even if not necessarily fair to the peoples of the territories taken by the U.S.?
American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
Yellow Journalism (Joseph Pulitzer vs. Randolph Hearst – newspaper owners)
Imperial Hunger
American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
Hero
American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
TR’s (Teddy Roosevelt’s) Perch (he is holding the “big stick” of his foreign policy).
McKinley’s National Tailors
American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
Imperial Guests
American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
The Rise of American Imperialism (1890–1913)
Summary: Beginning in the 1890s, the United States began to practice some of the same
imperialistic policies that it had previously criticized major European powers for. Spurred on by
sugar planters, America expanded its influence in Hawaii and in 1896 annexed the islands.
Americans also pushed for an "Open Door" trading policy in China. Efforts to expand American
influence abroad were motivated by economic, political, religious, and social factors; the "white
man's burden" argument was influential in both Europe and the United States. There were also
opponents to imperialism who often based their opposition on moral grounds. American
imperialistic impulses flourished during the Spanish-American War; newly created American
naval power was one important factor in the defeat of Spain. After contentious debate within the
United States, America finally decided to annex the Philippines; it took three years for American
forces to defeat Filipino rebels, who instead of fighting the Spanish now resisted their new
occupiers, the Americans. Americans finished building the Panama Canal in 1914; the Roosevelt
Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine further increased American influence in Latin America.
Open Door policy: policy supported by the United States beginning in 1899 that stated that all
major powers, including the United States, should have an equal right to trade in China.
American Imperialism: Political Cartoon Activity
Social Darwinism: philosophy that emerged from the writings of Charles Darwin on the
"survival of the fittest"; this was used to justify the vast differences between the rich and the poor
in the late nineteenth century as well as American and European imperialistic ventures.
Spanish-American War: war that began in 1898 against the Spanish over treatment of Cubans
by Spanish troops that controlled the island. As a result of this war, the United States annexed the
Philippines, making America a major power in the Pacific.
Yellow journalism: a method of journalism that utilizes sensationalized accounts of the news to
sell newspapers; this approach helped to whip up nationalistic impulses that led to the SpanishAmerican War.
USS Maine: U.S. naval ship that sank in Havana harbor in February 1898 following an
explosion; the incident was used to increase calls for war against Spain. It was never definitively
determined why or how the ship was sunk.
Panama Canal: canal across the Panama isthmus that was begun in 1904 and completed in 1914;
its opening enabled America to expand its economic and military influence.
Roosevelt Corollary (1904): policy that warned Europeans against intervening in the affairs of
Latin America and that claimed the right of the United States to intervene in the affairs of Latin
American nations if "chronic wrongdoing" was taking place.
Dollar Diplomacy: foreign policy supported by President William Howard Taft and others that
favored increased American investment in the world as a way of increasing American influence.