I

“The White Man’s Burden”
• In this poem, Kipling urged the U.S. to take up the
“burden” of empire, as had Britain and other
European nations.
• Published in the February, 1899 issue of McClure’s
Magazine, the poem coincided with the beginning of the Philippine-American War and U.S. Senate ratification of the treaty that placed Puerto Rico,
Guam, Cuba, and the Philippines under American control.

• Stronger nations would extend their control over weaker nations in these areas:
– Economic
– Political
– Military (Alfred T.
Mahan)

1. Desire for Military strength
2. Thirst for new Markets, Over production, Raw Materials, &
TRADE
3. Belief in Racial Superiority
– Responsibility to spread
Christianity & “Civilization” to the
“inferior people”

III. Imperialism Helping US
Economy
• Provide Raw
Materials
• New Markets for
Agricultural &
Manufactured
Goods

• Good Deal for
US
• 2 Cents per acre
• Rich in Timber, minerals, & oil
• 1867
• seward’s folly

V. Growth of Naval Forces
• the “Great white fleet”
• 9 Steel-hulled cruisers
• Became the 3 rd largest Naval
Power

• Most powerful group in Hawaii was
American sugar planters (Sanford B.
Dole)
• US Annexation allowed planters to deliver sugar to US w/out paying tariffs
• Territory in 1898, a state in 1959

“The White Man’s Burden”
• In this poem, Kipling urged the U.S. to take up the
“burden” of empire, as had Britain and other
European nations.
• Published in the February, 1899 issue of McClure’s
Magazine, the poem coincided with the beginning of the Philippine-American War and U.S. Senate ratification of the treaty that placed Puerto Rico,
Guam, Cuba, and the Philippines under American control.

The Spanish-American War of 1898
• brought America onto the world stage as an imperial power.
• a war for Cuban independence
• first shot was fired halfway around the globe in the Spanish-controlled Philippine
Islands

The Spanish-American War of 1898
• After the defeat of Spain, Cuba became independent in name but virtually an
American colony
• Spain was forced to cede Puerto Rico and the
Philippines, and Hawaii was formally annexed by the U.S. America

Jose Marti
• Cuban poet & journalist
• Led a revolt promoting destruction of
American-owned property
• Hoped to provoke the US into war over Cuba

Valeriano Weyler
• Spanish general
• Sent to Cuba to restore order
• Placed rural population into concentration camps where thousands died from disease & hunger

de Lome Letter
• Stolen letter published by a New York newspaper
• From the Spanish minister (de Lome) who calls
President McKinley “weak” and “a bidder for the admiration of the crowd”
• De Lome resigns & Spain apologizes
• US views it as an insult to their president

The Action in the Philippines:
• US launched a surprise attack on the
Spanish fleet at
Manila
• Destroyed every
Spanish ship

George Dewey
• US commander who led the US to victory
• Got support of Filipino rebels to force a
Spanish surrender

Rough Riders
• Volunteer
Calvary regiment under
Theodore
Roosevelt

Battle of San Juan Hill
• Rough Riders & 2 African American regiments clear the way for US victory
• Spanish fleet destroyed 2 days later

Treaty of Paris
• Dec. 10 th , 1898
• Spain frees Cuba
• Gives Guam & Puerto Rico to the US
• Sells Philippines to US for $20 Million

DEBATE over the Philippines:
Imperialism
• IN FAVOR
– Educate people
– Christianity
• AGAINST
– Violation of Constitution
(self gov’t)
– Race issues at home still not resolved
Senate approved February
6 th , 1899

Philippine-American War
• To keep the Philippines, Americans had to wage a bloody and costly war against Filipino independence forces
• February 1899 when the Philippine Republic declared war against the United States
• Casualties numbered more than 4,200 U.S. soldiers, 20,000 Filipino soldiers, and 200,000
Filipino civilians dead

Misapplication of Darwinian Theory
• theories of race which held that the different peoples of the world were not only culturally but also biologically distinct
• competition in which only the "fittest" would survive
• This permitted successful imperial powers to point to their conquests as proof of their own "fitness" and to rationalize their empires as efforts to bring the benefits of their "superior" civilization to their "little brown brothers," as President McKinley referred to the Filipinos.

Summary
• In the debate over U.S. policy towards the Philippines the imperialists won- The U.S. would have an empire.
• It solidified its "sphere of influence" in the Americas by building the Panama Canal and by pursuing a policy of military intervention in countries ranging from Nicaragua to Mexico.
• It would seek to "open" China's markets but with less success.