U.S. Expansionism (1865-1905)
Key Events:
Purchase of Alaska
Annexation of Hawaii
Spanish-American War
Panama Canal
Driving Forces Behind Expansion
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Manifest Destiny
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God-ordained right to expand U.S.
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Originally applied to contiguous 48 states
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“Sea to shining sea” expansion
Closing of the Frontier
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Social Darwinism during Industrial Revolution
Expanded to Western Hemisphere
Industrial Revolution
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Manufactured Products
Military Power Increasing
American Foreign Policy
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Isolationism
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Definition – Policy that stresses national selfsufficiency and freedom from foreign alliances
President Washington’s Farewell Address
Policy toward Europe
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Civil War
Undemocratic and untrustworthy
Never applied to rest of the world
Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine
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Foreign policy statement issued in 1823
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U.S. would not tolerate European
interference in the Western Hemisphere
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Originally no means to back it up
Involved matters of trade with Latin America
Became important statement once U.S.
developed naval strength after Civil War
Led to U.S. domination of the affairs of the
Western Hemisphere
Imperialism
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Definition: 1) Practice of
establishing and controlling
colonies; 2) domination by one
country of the political, economic,
cultural affairs of another country
Imperialism (cont.)
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Reasons (selfish):
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Access to raw materials and resources
Markets for manufactured products
Increased national pride
Reasons (justification):
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Christianize savage people
Civilize savage people
Protect and bring technology to savage people
Purchase of Alaska
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Purchased from Russia in 1867
 $7.2 Million for 600,000 square miles
 Two cents/acre for area more 2X Texas
Seward’s Folly
 William H. Seward, Secretary of State
 Block of ice
Bargain
 Rich in natural resources (lumber, copper, gold, oil and
natural gas
Alaska and the United States
Hawaii
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First contact with Hawaii by New England
whalers and traders in late 1700s
Christian Missionaries arrive in the 1800s
In 1840, King Kamehameha models
constitution after that of the U.S.
Importance of Sugar
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By 1865, missionary families dominated sugar
production
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1875 Treaty
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Most of the sugar was sold to the U.S.
Hawaiians sugar enters U.S. tariff-free
Hawaii will give no territory or special privileges in the
islands to any other country
Sugar producers est. plantations using Japanese laborers
McKinley Tariff (1890)
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Removed Hawaiian sugar tariff-free status
Led to depression in Hawaii
Annexation of Hawaii
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Queen Liliuokalani becomes ruler in 1893
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Americans organize revolution
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“Hawaii for the Hawaiians”
Absolute Monarch
Marines ordered ashore from warship in Honolulu harbor
Queen Liluokalani “persuaded” not to resist
Revolution successful; American flag raised
Revolutionary government headed by Sanford Dole
Debate over annexation
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President Cleveland withdrew annexation treaty from Senate
Cleveland wants control returned to “Queen Lil”
Dole refuses and declares Hawaii a republic on July 4, 1894
Annexation of Hawaii (cont.)
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Impact of Spanish-American War
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Hawaii strategically located as war is
fought in the Philippines
Hawaii is annexed by the U.S. in1898
Hawaii becomes a territory of in 1902
Hawaii becomes 50th state in 1959
U.S. Territorial Expansion since
1803
Spanish-American War
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Guerilla War between Spain and Cuba begins in 1895
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Cuban patriots sought independence
Burned sugar cane fields, blocked RR, ambushed, etc..
Led by Jose Marti
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Marti’s writings win tremendous sympathy in U.S.
Cuba is Spain’s last important imperial possession in
the Western Hemisphere
Cubans herded into concentration camps
U.S. Presidents Cleveland and McKinley urging Spain
to give Cubans more say in the government
Explosion of the Maine
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In 1898, McKinley sends U.S.S. Maine to Havana
harbor
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Maine explodes killing 266 sailors – February 15,
1898
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Protect U.S. citizens due to rioting in Havana
Spain exploded it with underwater mine
Faulty wiring caused Maine’s ammo to explode
Cuban rebels exploded it knowing Spain would be blamed
U.S. exploded it so there would be reason to go to war
War Fever in the U.S. – Remember the Maine!!!
Declaration of War
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McKinley did not want war
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Spanish government
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Civil War veteran who knew the cost of war
Could not surrender Cuba
Congress wanted war
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McKinley asks for declaration on April 11, 1898
Teller Amendment
Spain breaks off relations = war
Role of Yellow Journalism
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Definition: Sensationalized journalism with the goal of
calling attention to wrongdoing and selling
newspapers
Yellow Journalism in Spanish-American War
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Concentration camp conditions and the Maine
Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst
Influence in leading U.S. to war?
Latin America Cont.
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Roosevelt Corollary
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Expanded the Monroe Doctrine
the Monroe Doctrine would now consider
Latin America as an agency for expanding
U.S. commercial interests in the region,
along with its original stated purpose of
keeping European hegemony from the
hemisphere
Panama Canal
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Prime example of Roosevelt’s “Big Stick”
foreign policy
Dollar Diplomacy
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President Taft
The U.S. wanted to further its foreign
policy aims in Latin America and East
Asia through use of its economic power.
Missionary Diplomacy
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President Wilson
Wilson felt morality should guide all
conduct
America's mission was to foster peace,
human rights, and social progress in the
world.