Ch 18

Global Competition
• Imperialism – stronger nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories
• 1800s, Europeans divide up most of Africa, compete for
China
• U.S. decides to expand overseas

• U.S. farms, factories produce more than
Americans can consume
• U.S. needs raw materials & new markets for goods
• Foreign trade = solution to overproduction, unemployment

• Some combine Social
Darwinism & the belief in the superiority of Anglo-
Saxons
• Argue U.S. has duty to
Christianize, civilize
“inferior peoples”

The U.S. acquires Alaska
• William Seward – 1867 arranges purchase of
Alaska from Russia for $2.7 million
– “ Seward’s Folly” : not everyone convinced Alaska is a good purchase
• Alaska rich in timber, minerals, oil

• Since 1790s, U.S. merchants stop in Hawaii on route to
China, India
• 1820s, U.S. missionaries found schools & churches on islands
• Mid 1800s: American-owned sugar plantations = 75% of islands’ wealth
• 1887, U.S. pressures Hawaii to allow naval base at
Pearl Harbor
• 1890 McKinley Tariff eliminates duty-free status of
Hawaiian sugar
• Planters call for U.S. to annex islands so they don’t have to pay tax

• With help of marines, business groups overthrow
Queen Liliuokalani
• Set up govt. headed by
Sanford B. Dole
• Pres. Cleveland recognizes the Republic of Hawaii
• Pres. McKinley & Congress proclaim Hawaii U.S. territory

• American Interest in Cuba…
• U.S. have wanted to buy Cuba from Spain
• During war for independence, Americans sympathize with Cubans
• Late 1880s – U.S. investment in sugar cane
• Guerilla campaign destroys American-owned sugar mills, plantations in late 1890s
• U.S. public opinion split:
– businesses want to support Spain
– others favor Cuban cause (why?)

Save the island so it won’t get lost

War Fever Escalates
• Generals sent to restore order in Cuba put approx.
300,000 Cubans in concentration camps
• Newspapers exploit actions in circulation war
• Yellow Journalism – sensational writing used to lure, enrage readers
The de Lome Letter
• Headlines increase American sympathy for independent Cuba
• President McKinley wants to avoid war, tries diplomacy to resolve crisis
• Private letter by Spanish minister de Lome published, calls McKinley weak; American public angry

U.S.S. Maine
• U.S.S. Maine sent to pick up U.S. citizens and protect U.S. property
• Ship blows up in Havana harbor; newspapers blame Spain

• Spain agrees to most U.S. demands, but public opinion still favors war
• U.S. declares war April
1898

The war in the Philippines
• First battle w/ Spain occurs in Spanish colony of the Philippines
• Commodore George Dewey destroys Spanish fleet in Manila harbor
• Filipinos, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, support
Dewey
• August 1898 Spanish troops in Manila surrender to U.S.
The war in the Caribbean
• U.S. blockades Cuba; Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor
• U.S. army has small professional force, many ill-prepared volunteers

• Rough Riders – group that leads a volunteer cavalry in Cuba
• Theodore Roosevelt declared hero of attack on San Juan Hill
• U.S. military follows; blockades Cuba
• Spanish fleet tries to escape blockade but it is destroyed in naval battle
• U.S. troops invade Puerto Rico soon after

• Spain, U.S. sign armistice August 1898
• Spain frees Cuba; gives U.S. Guam, Puerto
Rico; gets $20 million for U.S. annexation of
Philippines
• Treaty sets off great debate over imperialism
• President McKinley tries to justify annexation of Philippines on moral grounds

Ruling Puerto Rico
• During Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was under American military control
• After war, Puerto Rico is seen as a strategic post in the Caribbean
• 1900: the Foraker Act sets up civil govt. where U.S. president appoints governor & other leaders of PR

• U.S. recognizes Cuban independence from
Spain
• Teller Amendment says U.S. has no intention of taking over Cuba
• BUT …After the war, U.S. occupies Cuba; Cuban protestors exiled or imprisoned
• American military govt. helps rebuild country

• U.S. makes Cuba add the Platt Amendment to its 1901 constitution:
– doesn’t allow Cuba to go into debt
– no treaties that let foreign power control land
– U.S. navy has right to intervene
– U.S. can buy, lease land for navy
• Cuba becomes a Protectorate – country whose affairs partly controlled by stronger country

• Filipinos outraged at the call for annexation to the U.S. in the treaty
• In 1899, Emilio Aguinaldo leads the fight for independence from U.S.
• 20,000 Filipinos die in the war
• The U.S. president has the power to appoint a
“governor” in the Philippines

U.S. interest in China
• U.S. sees china as vast potential market, investment opportunity
• France, Britain, Japan, Russia have settlements & spheres of influence
John Hay’s Open Door Notes
• U.S. Sec. of State; issues Open Door notes
• Notes ask imperialist nations to share trading rights w/ U.S.; others agree
• Hay issues Open Door Notes saying U.S. will keep trade open
• Open Door Policy reflects beliefs about U.S. economy:
– growth depends on exports
– U.S. has right to keep markets open
– closing of area threatens U.S. survival

• Europeans dominate most large Chinese cities
• Chinese form secret societies to expel foreigners
• Boxers kill hundreds of foreigners & Chinese converts to Christianity
• U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Japan send troops to put down the rebellion

Roosevelt & the World
• Roosevelt doesn’t want Europeans to control world economy, politics
• 1904, Russo-Japanese War: The Japanese dominate (much to everyone’s surprise!)
• Roosevelt negotiates Treaty of Portsmouth:
– Japan gets Manchuria, Korea

• U.S. wants a canal to cut travel time of commercial, military ships
• The U.S. helps facilitate a rebellion in Panama against Columbia to gain building rights
• construction takes 10 years: Canal opens in 1914
• damages U.S. / Latin American relations

• Roosevelt fears
European intervention in Latin America
(remember the
Monroe Doctrine?)
• Roosevelt Corollary:
U.S. will use force to protect American economic interests in
Latin America

The Mexican Revolution
• Missionary Diplomacy: U.S. has a moral responsibility in
Latin America to establish democracies, etc…
• Much U.S. investment in Mexico, but there’s political chaos in the early 1900s as one leader overthrows another, and so on…
• Wilson orders American military intervention as other countries mediate to avoid war
• Wilson supports govt of nationalist president Carranza
• “Pancho” Villa opposes Carranza, leads revolt & kills
Americans

Chasing Villa
• Gen. Pershing leads force to capture Villa
• U.S. faces war w/
Europe, wants peace on southern border
• Wilson withdraws
American troops, 1917
(what major global event is going on right now?)

• Ends U.S. isolationism
• Draws the U.S. deeper into world affairs