The United States
in the Era of Imperialism
Imperialism
--The economic, political,
cultural or military domination
of weak nations by strong
nations.
AMERICAN
IMPERIALISM
• America was founded by risk-takers and
explorers…
• And the first 150 years of our history…
• Was a time of relentless expansion.
• However, this is not seen as “Imperialism”…
• Because the conquered territory was
believed to be the “natural property” of
United States.
European Imperialism
• European imperialism
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began around the time of
the voyages of
Christopher Columbus…
And by 1900, the
European “Empires”—
Great Britain, France,
Germany, Holland, etc.,
Were in a competition to
conquer and occupy
territory around the
world…
With the PRIMARY goal
of capturing much
needed raw materials…
To fuel their
participation in the
Industrial Revolution.
Humanitarian Impulses?
 Of course, the European Empires
didn’t openly ADMIT that their
efforts amounted to simple
thievery.
 European imperialists argued that
they were bringing LIGHT to
DARKNESS…
 European medicine, law,
government…
 And, especially, RELIGION…
 Were, they argued, so
SUPERIOR…
 That the Europeans were actually
doing conquered nations a FAVOR.
 This RACIST viewpoint was
referred to as “The White Man’s
Burden.”
American Begins to Expand
• The US’ first step towards
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international expansion came
with a PURCHASE…
When, in 1867, Secretary of
State William Seward bought
Alaska from Russia for $7.2
million.
About a penny/acre.
The purchase was widely
RIDICULED at the time…
But it nearly DOUBLED the size
of the United States…
And added a territory of nearly
LIMITLESS wealth—
GOLD, SILVER, COAL, OIL,
LUMBER are all ABUNDANT in
Alaska—
And the deal is now seen to
have been as STROKE of
GENIUS.
Manifest Destiny Sputters Out
 By the end of the 19th
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century, Manifest Destiny
had been achieved…
There was nowhere else to
go…
And influential politicians
and public philosophers
began to argue…
That the AMERICAN SPIRIT
went hand-in-hand with
EXPLORATION and
EXPANSION—
And that our unique culture
would DIE…
If the nation stopped
expanding.
So our political and military
leaders began looking for
OTHER regions into which
the US could expand.
Economic Expansion
• Spiritual fulfillment was not the only
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argument for American expansion…
The industrial revolution had
dramatically increased
PRODUCTIVITY…
And factories were producing MUCH
MORE than American could buy…
Which led to huge surpluses…
And regular economic disasters.
What was a solution to this
problem?
Many political and economic leaders
argued that America should…
CONQUER territory abroad…
In order to establish new markets
for the sale of American products.
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The MONROE DOCTRINE had
ensured that by the second half of
the 19th century…
The US was the SUPREME POWER in
the Western Hemisphere.
Consequently, in seeking to conquer
new markets…
America looked SOUTH…
And became heavily involved in the
political and economic systems of
scores of Latin American nations:
Panama, Argentina, Uruguay,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the
Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Guatemala, etc., etc., etc.
Some of this involvement was
BENEFICIAL:
Hospitals and schools were
constructed with American dollars…
Some of it was NOT BENEFICIAL…
Unfriendly leaders were sometimes
overthrown or assassinated by the
USA.
Latin
America
Cuba
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The island of Cuba—90 miles off the coast of Florida—
Had been claimed as a Spanish colony in 1492.
400 years later, Cuba was still under Spanish control…
And a large segment of the Cuban population was determined to
become independent.
In 1892, a Cuban revolutionary named Jose Marti declared a
“War of Liberation” against Cuba’s Spanish rulers.
The Spanish government responded to this revolutionary
activity…
With the utmost BRUTALITY—
Torture, random imprisonment, summary execution—
And the Cuban people began to PLEAD with the American
government for assistance.
American Interests in Cuba
• The American public
was generally not
interested in helping
the Cuban people…
• However, American
businesses owned tens
of millions of dollars
worth of property on
the island…
• And when American
property came under
threat in the fighting…
• RICH Americans began
to call for American
intervention.
Yellow Journalism
 Although rich investors had started
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to take interest in a possible US
intervention in Cuba…
Average Americans were still
opposed.
How could they be persuaded?
The Cuban Revolution coincided with
a new practice called “yellow
journalism”…
Wherein newspapers took minor
stories…
And made them SENSATIONAL…
With splashy headlines and graphic
pictures…
Why?
To sell more newspapers.
WAR is good for the media industry.
The result was that average
Americans began to be slowly
CONVINCED that an INVERVENTION
in Cuba was NECESSARY.
The Maine Incident
• Bowing to public pressure,
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President McKinley sent
the USS Maine to Havana…
In order to “protect
American interests” in
Cuba.
Spain was unhappy with
this development, but
reluctantly agreed…
And on February 15, 1898,
the Maine exploded…
Killing 258 American
sailors.
Americans were
OUTRAGED…
And the American news
media pinned the blame on
SPANISH SABOTAGE.
War is Declared
• Upon the destruction of the
Maine, McKinley sent Spain
a list of demands…
• They included:
1. Compensation for the
Maine….and…
2. Cuban independence.
• McKinley also called for a
buildup of the US Military…
• And Spain responded by
declaring WAR on the US in
April of 1898.
The Spanish-American War
• By August of 1898…
• The US had
destroyed the entire
Spanish Navy…
• And had won every
major land battle.
• After a final defeat
in Puerto Rico, the
Spanish Empire
requested a peace
treaty.
The Treaty of Paris, 1898
• Spain recognized Cuba’s
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independence...
The US paid Spain $20
million…
In return, Spain gave up the
Philippines, Puerto Rico &
Guam…
These nations became
“unincorporated” US
territories…
Meaning that their residents
could not become US
citizens.
This was also the end of
Spain as an imperial power.
About 400 Americans died in
battle…
Many more died from food
poisoning and poor medical
treatment.
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After the war, the Filipinos
expected to be granted
independence…
But the US was determined
that they remain American
property…
And in 1899, Filipino freedom
fighters issued a “declaration
of independence” against
Imperial America.
This led to the “dirty war” in
the Philippines—
4,200 Americans were
killed…
16,000 rebels and 200,000
Filipino citizens were also
killed.
The Philippines did not gain
complete independence until
1946.
War in the Philippines
Interrogation technique of
the Philippine-American War
Cuba
After the war, Cuba was granted independence,
but was forced to submit to US oversight…
► Later, Cuba became a playground for the
kingpins of American organized crime—
► And Americans who wished to…
► Gamble…
► Visit with prostitutes…
► Or drink cheap liquor (especially during
Prohibition)…
► Traveled to Cuba to do so.
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Puerto Rico
 In 1917, Puerto Ricans were
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granted American citizenship…
And today, Puerto Rico operates in
ALMOST the same way as a US
state…
Except that they receive no
Congressional representation…
And no electoral votes in
Presidential elections.
Periodically, Puerto Rico has a
referendum on pursuing US
statehood…
But Puerto Ricans have always
voted against it.
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President William
McKinley, responsible for
leading the US to victory
in the war…
And overseeing the US
development into a
SUPERPOWER…
Was WILDLY popular…
And won the election of
1900 in a landslide.
However, shortly after the
election, he traveled to
New York for the World’s
Fair…
And was shot twice in the
stomach by a Polish
anarchist.
Some days later,
McKinley died of an
infection…
And Theodore Roosevelt
became POTUS.
McKinley and Roosevelt
THE PANAMA CANAL
Roosevelt, having fought in the Spanish-American war, was
stricken by the difficulty of fighting a Naval War in both the
Atlantic and Pacific…
And directed his administration to resume abandoned
efforts by the French to dig an artificial river across the
Isthmus of Panama.
The project, completed under budget and earlier than
projected, is considered equal to the moon-landing in terms
of engineering difficulty…
And was Roosevelt’s greatest foreign policy achievement.
Roosevelt believed that military
STRENGTH was the key to
American imperial power…
 And oversaw a huge buildup,
particularly of the US Navy.
 His key pronouncement was
that America would…
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Speak softly and carry a big
stick.
American military strength
allowed him to issue the
Roosevelt Corollary to the
Monroe Doctrine…
Which stated that if any nation
in the Western Hemisphere
engaged in behavior
unacceptable to the US…
The US would INTERVENE…
And CORRECT the behavior.
In a sense, the US would
become the POLICE of the
Western Hemisphere.
Roosevelt’s
Foreign Policy