Chapter 19
Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of
Expansionism
Was American foreign policy during the 1800’s
motivated more by realism or idealism?
FOREIGN POLICY = the set of goals, principles
and practices that guide a nation in its relations with
other countries
The Brief History of American Foreign
Policy
 How is Foreign Policy conducted?
 The State Department (led by the Sec. of State) advises the President and
carries out the details of U.S. policy
 Congress debates and can vote on foreign policy issues
 Treaties with other nations do not become legally binding until the Senate
approves it by a two-thirds vote
 “Tools of the Trade”
 Diplomacy and financial aid and the threat of armed force
 Realism versus Idealism
 Realism: based on our self-interest
 If it benefits us, it is good policy
 Idealism: promote America’s founding ideals to ensure a better world for
ALL not just for us
 Democracy, liberty, rights
 1796 and George Washington’s Farewell
Address
 It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent
alliances with any portion of the foreign
world.
 The great rule of conduct for us in regard to
foreign nations is to have with them as little
political connection as possible.
 This is known as “isolationism” or
“unilateralism”
 The United States will “go it alone”
 Neutrality protects us from taking sides
 Great Britain vs. France in the early days
 Realism (economics) vs. Idealism (principles)
Defending Neutrality in the War of
1812
 Both France and Great Britain
seized ships and kidnapped American
sailors
 Neither respected our neutral rights
 James Madison made progress with
France but declared war on Britain
 Idealism: free trade and our rights
 Realism: land (in the West and maybe even
Canada)
 Treaty of Ghent in 1815 ended the war
 No territory was ceded or lost
 It was a “tie”
Monroe Doctrine
 1820’s
 Russia threatening to expand in
North America
 Spain and Britain were colonizing in
South/Central America
 1823: The Monroe Doctrine states a
policy of non-colonization and noninterference in the Western
Hemisphere
 The American continents are closed to
future colonization by any European
powers
Monroe Doctrine
A History of American Expansion Through
Diplomacy
 1803: T. Jefferson buys the
Louisiana Territory from
France for $15,000,000
(3 cents an acre)
 1819: We negotiate for
Florida from Spain
 1846: Britain signs a treaty
dividing the Oregon
Territory at the 49th
parallel
 1867: $7,200,000 for
Alaska from Russia
A History of American Expansion Through
War
 1821: Moses Austin establishes a “colony” in Texas which was part of
Mexico at the time
 The Americans and Mexican government did not get along
 Americans held slaves, official documents were in Spanish
 1836 Texas declares itself an independent republic, names Sam Houston as
commander in chief and revolts against Mexico
 Santa Anna recognizes the Lone Star Republic
 Statehood in 1845
 1846 President Polk goes to war with Mexico over our southern border
 Mexican War ends in 1848 (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
 Mexican Cession
o Rio Grande as the southern border of the U.S.
o Territory from Texas to California
 Realists: Great new territory, secure borders
 Idealists: An unjust land grab with no regard for the rights of Mexico
The Beginning of Imperialism
 Empire Building
 Expanding to the West beyond
our borders
 Across the Pacific Ocean to
China and Japan
 Hawaii and other islands as
“coaling stations”
 Protectorates = nations
controlled by stronger nations
 Moral not just economic
empire building
 Josiah Strong

Civilize and Christianize
 Empire Building through a
strong navy
 Alfred T. Mahan
 World powers need world class
navies
Differing Viewpoints: Should the U.S.
become an imperialist power?
Henry Cabot Lodge (1895)
Carl Schurz (1896)
Small states are of the past and
have no future. The modern
movement is all toward the
concentration of people and
territory into great nations
and large dominions. The
great nations are rapidly
absorbing for their future
expansion and their present
defense all the waste places of
the earth.
In its dealings with other nations,
the United States should have
scrupulous regard, not only for
their rights, but also for their
self-respect…It should seek to
influence mankind, not by
heavy artillery, but by good
example and wise counsel. It
should see its highest glory, not
in battles won, but in wars
prevented.
Uncle Sam and People from His Colonies, Postcard, ca. 1900
Chapter 20
The Spanish-American War
Why did the United States go to war against
Spain in 1898 and why was the outcome
significant?
Trouble in Cuba
 One of only two remaining Spanish colonies
 Much American investment in sugar plantations amid political instability
 Two previous rebellions for independence had failed
 ValerianoWeyler was sent to put down the rebellions
 Created prison camps (“reconcentration camps”)
 Thousands die in overcrowded, unsanitary, poorly equipped camps
 Foreign Policy Realism: we must protect our investments and
property
 Foreign Policy Idealism: we must help the Cubans realize their noble
dream of independence and freedom
 President William McKinley hoped to maintain neutrality.
Imperialism, The Role of the Media and
a Call to War with Spain
 Newspapers
 Joseph Pulitzer and
the NewYorkWorld
versus William
Hearst and the New
York Journal
 Yellow journalism =
sensational
exaggerated news
stories
Causes of the Spanish-America War
 The DeLome Letter
 Enrique Dupuy DeLome:
Spanish ambassador in
Washington
 Describes President McKinley
as “weak and catering to the
rabble, and, besides, a low
politician.”
 Outrage and indignation in the
United States
 “Remember The Maine!!”
 February 15, 1898 the
American battleship blows up
 Probably not a mine,
probably not
sabotage…remember “yellow
journalism”?
Congress Declares War!
 McKinley hopes for an armistice =
cessation of hostilities
 Close the camps
 Grant Cuba independence
 Spain agrees to close the camps, will
not grant independence
 April 25, 1898
 Congress formally declares war on
Spain
 Teller Amendment
 When Cuba is liberated and peace
restored, the United States will “leave the
government and control of the Island to
its people.”
A “Splendid Little War” with Spain
 First, the Philippines (their other colony)
 Emilio Aguinaldo had been fighting against the Spanish there
 Commodore Dewey storms Manila Bay
 Aguinaldo with American reinforcements takes Manila
 Then Cuba
 The First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry
 The Rough-Riders led by Teddy Roosevelt
 After taking San Juan Hill the war went quickly
 Peace on August 12
 5500 died mostly from disease (malaria and yellow fever)
 Poorly equipped, poorly supplied troops (wool uniforms in the
tropical jungle!) win America’s first overseas war
America on the World Stage
 Treaty of Paris 1898
 Independence to Cuba
 Puerto Rico and Guam ceded to the United States
 Philippines to the U.S. with a payment to Spain of $20,000,000
 Ratification Debate
 Anti-Imperialist League
 Imperialism violates the country’s founding principles of freedom and democracy
 Supporters of the Treaty
 An empire is crucial for the future success of the United States
 Platt Amendment
 The U.S. is allowed to intervene in Cuban affairs and to buy or lease
naval bases there
 By 1913, 60% of Cuba’s land was owned and controlled by American
business interests
Chapter 21: Acquiring and Managing
Global Power
Three Presidents, Three Foreign
Policies: Teddy Roosevelt
 National Interests- political, economic, military, and cultural
goals that a nation considers important
 Roosevelt- “Speak softly and carry a big stick: you will go far”
 Big Stick Policy- Roosevelt’s strong arm approach in working
quietly and patiently to achieve goals overseas but using force
if necessary.
 Roosevelt Corollary- a proposition that is a logical extension
of the Monroe Doctrine where the United States would act
as international police power to preserve peace and order in
the western hemisphere and protect American interest.
Three Presidents, Three Foreign
Policies: Taft and Wilson
 Taft continued Roosevelt’s goals and his Big Stick Policy but
also started to focus on the economy
 Dollar Diplomacy- to encourage and protect trade and
investment in Latin American and Asia.
 Woodrow Wilson tried to take a moral approach to foreign
affairs.
 Moral Diplomacy- democratic ideals rather than economic
investment or military force.
 Self-determination- the right of people of other nations to
determine their own government, free of outside influence
Panama
 The US helped Panama
overthrow Columbia in 1903
and recognized them as an
independent nation.
 Panama Canal- The United States
build a 51 mile canal which
connected the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans over a ten year
time period. The canal opened
on August 15th 1914.
 The Canal was an engineering
feat of the time. Although
recently in 1999 the US returned
ownership of the canal back to
panama.
Mexico
 Revolution in Mexico in 1911-
Revolt led by Victoriano Huerta
 Wilson and Huerta did not get
along
 War almost occurred in 1914
when Wilson sent troops to
Veracruz, a port on the Gulf of
Mexico to keep weapons from
reaching Huerta’s army. A
battle broke out killing 90
Americans and 300 Mexicans.
A lot of people opposed
Wilson’s actions and the troops
were pulled out.
 Months later Huerta resigned
and Carranza gained power.
Puerto Rico
 After the Spanish American War the U.S. set up a military government, schools, and a
postal service
 Puerto Ricans grew frustrated with American rule because they were neither U.S.
citizens nor Independent
 Jones Act- 1917 Wilson made Puerto Rico a U.S. territory but still no rights
 Puerto Rico remains a U.S. commonwealth- Puerto Rico has control over their laws and
finances but decisions on defense and tariffs are in the U.S. hands
Philippines
 After the Spanish American War
Filipino Emilio Aguinaldo called
for independence from the U.S.
 February 1899, fight broke out
between U.S. and Philippines
and the U.S. sent hundreds of
thousands of soldiers to put
down the revolt. After battles
the Filipino army was defeated
 The U.S. set up a central
government and built schools.
 The U.S. controlled the
Philippines until 1946.
Hawaii
 Ruled by Queen
Liliuokalani as a Monarchy
 1893- U.S. military forces
overthrew the queen and
annexed Hawaii, making it
part of the United States as
a territory in 1900.
 Hawaii became a state in
1959, the only one that is
not part of North America.
China
 China was a huge nation rich in resources
 Spheres of Influence- areas in which a single nation controlled
trading rights, many foreign powers did this in china in the late
1890’s
 Open Door Policy- a U.S. policy issued in 1899 stating that
foreign nations must allow free trade in China, Issued by Sec. of
State John Hay
 Boxer Rebellion- 1900 a group in China led a insurrection (rising
up to expel the foreign devils from China). Boxers killed
thousands of foreigners including Christian Missionaries and
Chinese Christians, but the U.S., Japan, and European Powers
crushed the uprising.
 China remained open to Trade and influence because of Hay and
the Open Door Policy.