The Age of American
Imperialism
Imperialism 101
• Motives behind imperialism:
– Economic
– Military
– Philosophical
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Manifest Destiny, Part II
Social Darwinism and Scientific Racism
Missionary impulse “The White Man’s Burden” – Rudyard Kipling
The Imperialist Chorus
• Josiah Strong – Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present
Crisis (1885)
• Anglo-Saxon people are the “fittest to survive”
• Protestant Americans have a duty to colonize other lands to spread
Christianity and the benefits of “superior” civilization
• Alfred Thayer Mahan: The Influence of Seapower Upon History
(1890)
• A strong navy is essential to securing foreign markets and becoming a
world power
• Thesis used to argue for construction of a modern (steel/coal) navy,
acquisition of overseas islands, and construction of a canal across Latin
America.
• Albert Beveridge: The Beveridge Report
• “American factories are making more than the American people can
use; American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has
written our policy for us; the trade of the world must and shall be
ours.”
American imperialism
• US naval build-up – The Great White Fleet
• Hawaii, 1890s
– America’s relationship with Hawaii – protectorate,
trading partner, military base
– The sugar interest: The McKinley Tariff, 1890 raises
sugar prices.
– Queen Liliuokalani and the planter revolt
• Samuel Dole
– Grover Cleveland refuses annexation
– President McKinley annexes in 1898.
The Spanish-American War
• Causes
• Cuban Rebellion, 1895
– Jose Marti – Cuba Libre!
– Scorched earth policy and US property interests
• $50 million year invested/$100 million year trade
– General Valeriano Weyler
• Reconcentration policy
• Atrocity stories abound
Puck cartoon depicting the Cuban crisis
The Spanish-American War
(con’t)
• Causes – Con’t
• DeLome Letter
– Dupuy de Lome -- Spanish ambassador
– Calls McKinley “weak” and a “bidder for the attention
of the public”
– Published in Yellow Press
• The Maine Explosion (Feb. 15, 1898)
– Occurs one week after the release of the DeLome letter
– “Remember the Maine”
– 260 killed
The USS Maine before…
…and after
Yellow Journalism and the War
• William Randolph Hearst: New York Journal
– Frederick Remington: "There is no war. Request to be
recalled.”
– Hearst: "Please remain. You furnish the pictures, I'll
furnish the war."
• Joseph Pulitzer: New York World
The Reaction of the
Yellow Press
McKinley’s War Message
• After the sinking of the Maine…
– Demands a cease fire from Spain
– Public pressure continues…
McKinley’s War Message
• April, delivers war message
• Promises to:
– “Put an end to the barbarities, bloodshed, starvation, and horrible
miseries” in Cuba
– Protect the lives and property of US citizens in Cuba
– End “the very serious injury to the commerce, trade, and business
of our people.”
– End “the constant menace to our peace” arising from disorders in
Cuba.
• April 20 – Congress declares war, along with the Teller
Amendment
– Teller Amendment: US is fighting for Cuban independence; does
not intend to make Cuba a territory.
The Sp-Am War
• The “Splendid Little War”
• War begins in the Phillipines with the defeat of the
Spanish fleet
– Admiral George Dewey
– Spain loses all its ships and 381 men; the US loses 1
(died of a heat prostration)
– America troops would invade the Phillipines with the
help of a Filipino nationalist, Emilio Aguinaldo
“You may fire when ready, Gridley.”
• The War in Cuba
– Problems: logistics, supplies, uniforms
– Rough Riders
• Theodore Roosevelt
• San Juan Hill
Treaty of Paris, 1898
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Ratified in 1899, provides for:
1.
2.
Cuban Independence recognized
US gains two Spanish islands
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3.
Philippines bought for $20 million
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Puerto Rico (Caribbean)
Guam (Pacific)
Debate between the imperialists and anti-imperialists in the US
Anti-imperialism and isolationism: fear of entanglement in
Asian conflicts.
W McK’s justification for taking the Philippines:
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Christianity
Democracy
Manliness v. cowardice
The Philippine-American War,
1899-1902
The Philippine-American War
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Guerilla war
Emilio Aguinaldo
Atrocities (water torture, attacks on women and
children) reported on both sides
Racial dimensions of the conflict:
“This country won’t be pacified until the niggers are killed of like
the Indians” - Kansas infantryman
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Larger conflict than the Sp-Am War
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70,000 US soldiers stationed
$400 million spent
10,00z 0 US casualities
16,000 Filipino casualties
200,000 civilian deaths.
Anti-Imperialist
Cartoons
Making Sense of the American
Empire
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Insular Cases (1901-1903)
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A series of Supreme Court cases addressing
the question: “Does the Constitution follow
the flag?”
Court rules that constitutional rights are not
automatically extended to territorial
possessions; Congress has the power to
decided whether or not to grant such rights.
Making Sense of the American
Empire
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Platt Amendment (1901)
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US troops remain in Cuba from 1898-1901
Withdrawal of troops conditioned upon Cuba’s
acceptance of the Platt Amendment:
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No foreign treaties that impair independence (except
this one, of course!)
US is allowed to intervene in Cuba’s affairs to preserve
Cuban independence and maintain law and order
US may maintain naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
Overall: US oversight and control
Amendment is bitterly resented by Cuban nationalists
Foreign Policy & the New
American Empire
• Asia:
– The Open Door Policy (1899)
• John Hay
• “sick man of Asia” and “spheres of influence”
• Open Door note neither accepted nor rejected by
European powers
European “spheres of influence”
– Boxer Rebellion (1900)
• Society of Harmonious Fists, aka
Boxers
• Nationalism and xenophobia on the
rise
• Attacks on Christian missionaries and
foreign settlements.
• International force sent in (inc. Ams)
to crush it.
– Prompts a second round of “Open
Door” notes from Hay calling for
powers not to use the rebellion as
an excuse to gain more territory.
Asia (con’t)
• Japan
– Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
• Imperialist rivalry between Japan and Russia breaks out into war
• TR arranges the Portsmouth Conference (1905) to settle dispute
• Japanese feel betrayed after failing to gain Sakhalin Island
– Gentlemen’s Agreement (1908)
• Japan upset by California laws preventing Japanese children from
attending public schools
• Compromise calls for Japan restricting emigration in return for TR
persuading California to repeal laws.
– Root-Takahira Agreement (1908)
• Important agreement that pledges: a) respect for each others
territories, and b) to support the “open door” in China.
Theodore Roosevelt’s “Big
Stick” Policy
• 1901, TR becomes Pres
after McKinley is
assassinated in Buffalo,
NY
• TR declares his
philosophy of foreign
policy: “talk softly, and
carry a big stick”
The Big Stick in the Americas
• Panama Canal
– Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901)
• US gets okay from Britain to “go it alone”
– The Nicaragua v. Panama debate
– Colombian control of Panama; resistance
– The Panamanian Revolution (1903)
• Banau-Varilla
• Hay-Banau-Varilla Treaty (1903)
• Colombia compensated for $25 million in 1921
• Panama Canal (cont’)
– Construction of the Canal:
• “A man, a plan, a canal: Panama”
• Dr. William Gorgas: eradication mosquitos and
yellow fever
• Venezuela (1901)
– US forces sent in by TR to force it to pay debts
to European creditors
• Santo Domingo (1904)
– US sends troops in to occupy ports, collect
taxes, and oversee debt repayment
– Done to prevent European powers from doing
the same thing
– Policy is called the “Roosevelt Corollary” to
the Monroe Doctrine: US may intervene to
prevent others from doing so…