U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
1865 - 1914
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
1. Why did the United States join the Imperial Club at the end of the 19th Century? (What was the primary
motivation?)
UNIT OVERVIEW:
I.
Imperialism Basics
II.
Early U.S. Foreign Policy
III.
Early US Imperial Expansion
IV.
Spanish American War
V.
US Foreign Policy Pre-WWI
THE BASICS
 Imperialism: The process in which one country extends its influence/control over another country/territory
 Types of Imperialism:
o Economic
o Social/Cultural
o Political
 Motives:
o God (Social/Cultural)
o Gold (Economic)
o Glory (Political)
 Forms:
o Informal – through proxies; not government
o Reluctant – circumstances force control
o Preemptive – take control to prevent another country from doing it
o Aggressive – purposeful and forceful takeover
CHANGING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
 Isolationists – Washington’s Farewell Address:
o Stay out of European affairs
 1790 – 1865 U.S. Policy centered around:
o Westward expansion
o Protect U.S. interests abroad
o Limiting foreign influences in the Americas
 Post-Civil War – 1890
o Industrial  Economic Power
o Limited interaction on global stage
 Main interest = Latin America & Asia
o Other Great Powers – New Imperialism
 Economic/Diplomatic means > military action
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1890s Transition Period
o Great economic power, not yet player on world stage
o Expanded navy
o Closing of the frontier
o Panic of 1893 – one possible economic solution = expand overseas
The Dilemma:
o Against U.S. Principles
 Liberty, democracy, self-determination
o Temptation
 Markets, prestige, power, etc.
EARLY U.S. IMPERIAL EXPANSION
 Japan
o Japan remained strictly isolationist for 200+ years
o Japan (1853 – 1854) Commodore Perry
 “Opens Up” Japan
 Gunboat Diplomacy
o Increases traffic between N. America & Asia
 Alaska
o William H. Seward
 Sec. of State (1861 – 1869)
o Purchase of Alaska
 Russia v. Great Britain
 “Seward’s Folly” for $7.2 mil
 Hawaii
o Why was U.S. Interested?
 Key location between US & China
 Missionaries
 Sugar plantations
o American planters power & wealth inc.
 1875: Sugar treaty with US no tariff on Hawaiian sugar
 Planters began to plot to overthrow monarchy and set up planter-controlled democracy
 Bayonet Constitution (1887)
o 1890: U.S. revoked Sugar Treaty
 Only option for planters now – Annexation
o 1891: Queen Liliuokalani
 Nationalist want to end American influence & restore monarchy’s power
o 1893: Coup by Planters – form Republic of Hawaii
o Presidential Response:
 Cleveland condemns coup & refused annexation
 1898 McKinley annexed Hawaii (swept up in Spanish-American War)
 Becomes territory 1900, state in 1959
 Navy
o 1890 Capt. Alfred T. Mahan
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 Influence on Seat Power Upon History
Naval Power=World power
Huge influence: Led to US military buildup
1900: U.S. had world’s third biggest Navy
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China
o Secretary of State, John Hay – declares “Open Door Policy” to China
 All nations have equal trading privileges in China
o Boxer Rebellion (1900)
 Boxers – Chinese nationalists – rebel against Chinese missionaries
 U.S. troops crush rebellion
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o Hay’s 2 round of notes
 US Commitment:
 Preserve China’s territorial integrity
 Safeguard “equal impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire”
Latin America
o US views self as protector of Latin America
 Beginning with Monroe Doctrine
o Pan-American Conference (1889)
 Founding organization for nations of Western Hemisphere
 James G. Blaine
 Organization of American States (1948)
o Cleveland & Olney v. Great Britain
 Boundary dispute between Venezuela and Guiana
 Turning point in U.S. and British relations
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
 The Basics
o Cuba = target of American imperialism between 1850 – 1890
 Controlled by Spain – unrest for 30+ years
 Jose Marti – leads Cuban Independence Movement
o U.S. Role?
 Investments in Cuban sugar
 Spanish misrule in Cuba
 Monroe Doctrine
 Causes
o Jingoism  intense form of nationalism calling for aggressive foreign policy
 Cleveland & McKinley – military action was morally wrong and economically unsound
o Events that led to demand for war against Spain
 Spanish atrocities
 Yellow journalism
 De Lome Letter (1898)
 Sinking of the Maine
 McKinley’s War Message
 Teller Amendment
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Fighting
o “A splendid little war”
 April – August 1898
o Two Front War – Started in Philippines
 Roosevelt orders naval fleet to Philippines
 Commanded by Commodore George Dewey
 Captures Manila Bay in hours (August 13, 1898)
 Aided by native Filipinos led by Emilio Aguinaldo
o Invasion of Cuba
 War Dept. unprepared
 Wool uniforms & leftover food from Civil War
 Army of enlisted men & volunteers
 TR’s Rough Riders
 Turning Points
 Battle of San Juan Hill (July 1, 1898)
 Battle of Santiago Bay (July 3, 1898)
Aftermath
o Treaty of Paris – Ends the War
 Cuban independence (sort of)
 US gets PR & Guam
 US gets Philippines for $20mil
o Significance
 US $250mil & 2K dead (mostly yellow fever)
 Increased nationalism
 Insular Cases – Constitutional rights are not automatically granted
 Europe now sees US as world power with first class navy
 Instant empire for US
o Post-War Cuba
 US troops stay
 Plat Amendment (1901)
 Cuba makes a US Protectorate
o Specific conditions for independence
 Base at Guantanamo Bay
 1934: Protectorate ended – keeps Gitmo
o Post-War Puerto Rico
 Foraker Act (1900) – Set up civilian government
 US appointed governor & upper house of legislation
 Lower House of Legislation – elected
 Jones Act (1917) – Citizenship & Both houses elected
 Ratified in 1952 – Self-governing commonwealth
 Citizenship; no say in federal government
o The Philippine Conflict – Annex or not?
 Pro-annexation: 3G’s
 Anti-Imperialist League (1898)
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 Violates US ideals; feared increased immigration; racism
Pacification of Philippines
 1899 – Annexation  Filipino revolt led by Aguinaldo
 Filipinos forced into Concentration Camps
 1902: War ends, 4K US & 200K Filipinos dead
o Turned some Americans off to imperialism
PRE-WWI FOREIGN POLICY
 Roosevelt
o Big-Stick Diplomacy – Might
 “Speak softly and carry a big stick”
 Aggressive Foreign Policy – builds US reputation as world power
 Big Stick = naval power
 Follower of Mahan
 Built up Navy – “Great White Fleet”
o Panama Canal
 Hay-Pauncefort Treaty (1901)
 US can build without British involvement
 Hay-Herran Treaty (1903)
 US gets 99 year lease on strip of land from Colombia
 Colombia backs out – wants more money
 Panamanian Revolution (1903)
 Encouraged by TR – Panama break free from Colombia
 TR sends gunboats & recognized Republic of Panama
 Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty (1903)
 US gets sovereignty to bigger canal zone for same money
 Construction 1904 – 1914
 Harsh conditions – Disease
 Cost = $23 million
 Amazing engineering feat
o George Goethals & Dr. William Gorgas
 1921: US changed deal, paid $25mil to Colombia
 1999 Canal  Panama
o Roosevelt Corollary (1904)
 Added to Monroe Doctrine
 Says: “US could intervene in Latin America to protect its interests and keep European
powers out”
o Controls delinquent debts
 Significance
 Changes US from reluctant to aggressive imperialists
 From protector (MD) to interventionists (RC)
 Frequent interventions  bad relations with Latin America
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Taft
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Intervention in East Asia
 Relations between Japan and US grows competitive
 Russo-Japanese War
 TR organized diplomatic conference – Treaty of Portsmouth
o Wins Nobel Peace Prize
 Gentleman’s Agreement
 Restricted immigration/emigration to US
 Root-Takahira Agreement (1908)
 Mutual respect for each nation’s Pacific possessions
 Support for Open Door Policy in China
Dollar Diplomacy – Money
 Promote US trade and business interest abroad
 Use economic power to achieve policy goals
 Increased resentment in Latin America
Lodge Corollary
 Non-European powers were excluded from owning territory in Western Hemisphere
 Taft opposes; angers Japan and Latin America
Wilson
o Moral Diplomacy – Morals
 Opposed imperialism (Big-Stick and Dollar Diplomacies)
 Wanted to apply moral standard – promote American ideals
 Responsible for encouraging spread of democracy, especially in Latin America
 Right past wrongdoings
 Conciliation Treaties
 Submit disputes to international commissions
 Observe one year cooling off period before military action
o Wilson & Mexico
 1910: Revolution/Civil War in Mexico
 1917: New US supported government came to power
 Unpopular with revolutionaries
 Pancho Villa: Revolutionary and bandit
 1916: burns New Mexican town – kills 17
 Woodrow Wilson sent troops to hunt down Villa – close to war
 Stopped by WWI
 1920: Revolution ended; Mexican economy badly hurt
 Increased US immigration
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