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IV.
Chapter 12—Becoming a World Power (1872-1912)
Chapter 12 Section 1----The Imperialist Vision
Building Support for Imperialism (pp. 392-394)
A. Imperialism—the economic & political domination of a strong nation
over weaker nations
1. Europeans had colonies & protectorates (imperial power
allowed local rulers to remain in control while protecting them
against rebellion & invasion
B. Reasons for American imperialism:
1. Wanted to develop overseas market to keep economy strong
2. Social Darwinists—Strongest will survive (Competition)
3. “Anglo-Saxonism”—idea that English-speaking nations had
superior character, ideas, & systems of government & they
should pass it on to others
a. Josiah Strong---Linked Missionary work to AngloSaxonism
Expansion in the Pacific (pp. 394-395)
A. 1854—Matthew Perry---negotiated a trade treaty with Japan opening 2
ports to American trade
B. 1893—Queen Liliuokalani forced to give up power by a group of
planters supported by the U.S. Marines
1. Planters set up a temporary government & asked the United
States to annex the island
Trade and Diplomacy in Latin America (pp. 395-396)
A. Pan-Americanism—Idea that the United States & Latin America work
together
B. 1889—1st Pan-American Conference (2 Goals)
1. create a customs union between Latin America & the United
States (reduce tariff & trade equally)
2. create a system for American nations to work out their disputes
peacefully
***Latin Americans rejected both goals***
C. Latin American Nations agreed to create:
1. Organization of American States (OAS)--- to promote cooperation
among the nations of the Western Hemisphere
Building a Modern Navy (pp. 396-397)
A. Captain Alfred Mahan—The Influence of Seapower Upon History 16601783
1. U.S. needed a large navy to protect its merchant ships & to defend
its right to trade with other countries
2. U.S. should acquire territory overseas for naval bases
*** Americans were willing to risk war to defend American Interests overseas***
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Chapter 12 Section 2----The Spanish-American War
The Coming of War (pp. 399-401)
A. Events Leading Up to the Spanish-American War:
1. 1895—Jose Marti ---led a Cuban revolution against the Spanish
2. Yellow Journalism---exaggerated stories of Spanish attacks on
Cubans
a. William Randolph Hearst—New York Journal
b. Joseph Pulitzer—New York World
3. Sp. General Weyler caused the deaths of thousands of Cubans
by putting them in reconcentration camps (starvation & disease)
4. de Lome’s letter insulting President McKinley as being weak
5. Feb. 1898---Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine killing 266 Americans
a. Spanish blamed for it even though no one knows why the
ship exploded
b. April 1898—U.S. declared war against Spain
A War on Two Fronts (pp.401-403)
A. Philippines
1. Commodore George Dewey destroyed Spanish warships in
Manila Bay & also seized Guam
a. Emilio Aguinaldo—Led Philippine rebellion against the
U.S. (1899-1902)
B. Cuba
1. U.S. Navy blockaded Cuba
2. June 1898 American troops advanced toward Santiago Harbor
a.“Rough Riders” (Flamboyant mix of cowboys, miners, & law
officers)---Led by Leonard Wood & Theodore Roosevelt
3. August 12, 1898—Spain & U.S. agreed to a cease fire
An American Empire is Born (pp. 403-405)
A. Treaty of Paris (1898)
1. Cuba gains its independence
2. U.S. acquired Puerto Rico & Guam
3. U.S. paid Spain $20 million for the Philippines
*** Controlling its New Empire was not easy for the U.S.***
B. Philippines
1. Emilio Aguinaldo led revolution against U.S. soldiers
2. U.S. set up reconcentration camps to separate guerillas from
civilians, but many died of starvation & disease
3. William Howard Taft—1st U.S. Governor of the Philippines
a. introduced reforms in education, transportation & health
care
b. impact: hostility towards the U.S. lessened
4. 1946—Philippines granted their independence
C. Puerto Rico
1. Foraker Act(1900)—made Puerto Rico an unincorporated
territory
a. Puerto Ricans not U.S. citizens & had no constitutional
rights
b. Congress could pass whatever laws they wanted on the
island
2. 1917—Puerto Ricans made U.S. citizens
3. 1947—Puerto Ricans allowed to elect their own governor
4. Today---Debate to grant Puerto Rico statehood or to continue as
a Commonwealth of the United States
D. Cuba
1. Platt Amendment—U.S. established a military government
a. Cuba could not make a treaty with another nation that
would weaken its power or allow another foreign power to
gain territory
b. Cuba had to allow the United States to buy or lease naval
stations in Cuba
c. Cuba’s debts had to be kept low to prevent foreign
countries from landing troops to enforce payments
d. The United States would have the right to intervene to
protect Cuban independence and keep order
***Platt Amendment repealed in 1934***
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II.
Chapter 12 Section 3—New American Diplomacy
Theodore Roosevelt’s Rise to Power (pp. 408-409)
A. Sept. 6, 1901—Leon Czolgost(an anarchist) assassinated President
McKinley
B. Theodore Roosevelt –42 years old—youngest U.S. President
1. believed the U.S. had a duty to shape the “less civilized” parts of
the world
2. Wanted the U.S. to become a world power
American Diplomacy in Asia (pp. 409-411)
A. Sphere of Influence---an area where a foreign nation controlled
economic development
1. China divided up into spheres of Influence by Germany, France,
Russia, Great Britain
B. Open Door Policy (1899)—Sec. Of State John Hay
1. believed that all countries should be allowed to trade with China
C. Boxer Rebellion (1900)—Chinese trying to get rid of foreign control
1. An international force stopped the rebellion & the Open Door
Policy continued
D. Russo-Japanese War (1905)
1. President Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a
agreement
2. U.S.-Japan’s relationship worsened because each nation wanted
greater influence in Asia
3. 1907—Great White Fleet (16 battleships)—sent around the
world to show the U.S. had great military strength
a. relations with Japan continued to be strained
III.
A Growing Presence in the Caribbean (pp. 412-413)
A. Hay-Pauncefote Treaty(1901)—Gave the U.S. exclusive rights to build
& control any proposed canal through Central America
B. Colombia rejected an offer from the United States
C. Panamanians rebelled against Colombia for their independence
1. U.S. supported the rebellion by sending ships to Panama to
prevent Colombia from interfering
2. Rebellion led by Bunau-Varilla
D. Panama Canal—(1904-1914)
1. short cut between the Atlantic & Pacific oceans
2. Disease, Mosquitoes, etc were big obstacles
E. Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1904)
1. U.S. would intervene in Latin American affairs when necessary
to maintain economic & political stability in the Western
Hemisphere
2. Dominican Republic—1st applied in because they fell behind in
their debt payments to European countries
3. Latin American nations resented the growing American
influence
F. Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy---believed that if American business leaders
supported Latin America & Asian development, everyone would benefit
1. “substituting “dollars for bullets”