Imperialism

Late 1800’s – US
becomes an Imperialist
power
 Stronger nations control
weaker ones
 Want more influence in the
Pacific
 2 main groups wanted this
– Farmers and
Industrialists

Fueling this belief is –
desire for military
strength, thirst for new
markets, and belief in
cultural superiority
The Purchase of Alaska

1867 – Secretary of
State William Seward
bought Alaska from
Russia for $7.2 million
(less than 2 cents an
acre)
 Seward’s Folly
 Seward’s icebox
The Purchase of Alaska


1959 – Alaska
becomes a state (rich
in timber and minerals)
1968 – discovered the
largest oil field in North
America there
The Annexation of Hawaii



Hawaii was the
halfway point between
California and the
Philippines
1820’s – US
missionaries founded
schools and churches
in Hawaii
Their descendants
became sugar
planters – a very
successful enterprise
The Annexation of Hawaii



1867 – US built a
naval base in Pearl
Harbor
Became a refueling
station for US ships
Important to protect
our boarders and
protect our
commerce.
The Annexation of Hawaii

Mid-1800s - US owned sugar plantations
made up ¾ of Hawaii’s wealth
 Dramatically increased sugar production

1875 – US agreed to import Hawaiian
sugar tax-free
 By 1900s, foreigners and immigrant laborers
outnumbered native Hawaiians 3 to 1.

1890 – McKinley Tariff Act canceled it –
increased competition and made it hard for
Hawaiian sugar planters to compete
The Annexation of Hawaii


Many began calling for
the US to annex Hawaii
(so they wouldn’t have
to pay the tax)
1891 – Queen
Liliuokalani came to
power and restricted
rights of US planters
 She was very strong and a
huge Hawaiian nationalist.
She wanted native
Hawaiians to take control
of their islands – hated
white American rule
The Annexation of Hawaii
The Queen took steps
that removed property
qualifications for voting
to lessen the control
and power of the sugar
planters.
 US planters overthrew
the Queen using the
help of American
marines on a nearby
ship in Honolulu

 They arrested her and put
her under house arrest.

Made Sanford B. Dole
president.
The Annexation of Hawaii


President Cleveland
ordered that the queen
be restored to her
throne, but when Dole
refused to surrender,
Cleveland officially
recognized the Republic
of Hawaii
August 12, 1898 – the
US annexed Hawaii
 Hawaiians never voted

1959 – Hawaii became
the 50th state
American Interests in Cuba

1854 – US tried to
buy Cuba from
Spain
 Spain refused - said
they would rather see
Cuba sunk at the
bottom of the Ocean

1870’s – US
invested in Cuban
sugar plantations
American Interests in Cuba


1895 – Jose Marti led a revolution
against the Spanish occupation of
Cuba
Used scorched earth policy to destroy
anything that might be of use to Spain
 Destroyed US-owned sugar plantations
 Hoped to provoke US intervention

Americans were split:
 Businessmen supported Spain to protect
their investments
 Others support Cuba’s fight for
independence
American Interests in Cuba


General Valeriano Weyler was sent to
restore order for Spain
He was given the nickname the Butcher
 Moved 300,000 Cubans into concentration
camps (many women and children)
 Thousands died from hunger and disease
Moving Toward War

Reporters like William
Randolph Hearst and
Joseph Pulitzer
exaggerate tales of
Spain’s brutality to
gain support for Cuba
 “Yellow Journalism” –
sensationalized news to
enrage readers
 Said that wells were
purposely poisoned and
that children were being
thrown to the sharks
Moving Toward War
Many criticized President
McKinley for trying to
avoid war with Spain
 Theodore Roosevelt,
Assistant Secretary of the
Navy, called McKinley a
coward who had “less
backbone that a
chocolate éclair.”
 February 1898 – Spanish
Minister DeLome
criticized McKinley

 The “DeLome Letter” was
leaked to the press and
sparked US outrage
Moving Toward War
McKinley sent the U.S.S Maine to Cuba to
bring home US citizens who were in
danger from the fighting
 February 15, 1898 – the USS Maine
exploded in Havana, Cuba

 More than 260 US soldiers were killed
s
Looking at this picture how do you think American
citizens felt? Tell me specifics about this picture that pull
your emotions.
Moving Towards War

US newspapers
blamed Spain
 No one knows what
really happened

Public opinion turned
in favor of war
 Spain tried to make
peace and agreed on
Congress’s demands


“Remember the
Maine” became the
US war cry
April 20, 1898 – US
declared war on Spain
The Spanish-American War


April 30, 1898 – 1st
battle took place in the
Philippines (A colony of
Spain)
Commodore George
Dewey destroyed the
Spanish fleet
 Filipinos supported the
US because they also
wanted independence
from Spain

August 1898 – Spanish
forces in the Philippines
were forced to
surrender.
The Spanish-American War


Dewey becomes a
national hero for this
The battle for Cuba
was more difficult
 US had small
professional army
 The 125,000 volunteers
were unprepared
The Spanish-American War




Many officers were
former Civil War
veterans who spent
more time reliving the
“glory days” than
training their men
Lacked adequate
supplies and effective
leaders
Few modern weapons
Woolen uniforms – in
the tropics!
The Spanish-American War


June 1898 – US blockades
Cuba and sent 17,000
soldiers to Santiago
Included 4 AfricanAmerican regiments and
the “Rough Riders”
 Volunteer cavalry unit led by
Teddy Roosevelt and
Leonard Wood
 The men were made up from
all different classes:
○ Cowboys, rich polo players,
and ex-convicts
Cuban Blockade
The Spanish-American War

July 1st, 1898 – US win
the Battle of San Juan Hill
(most famous battle)
 Rough Riders led the
charge (without their
horses) with the 10th
Calvary
 Roosevelt was declared a
war hero – later helped him
politically


July 3rd – US destroyed
the Spanish fleet in Cuba
July 25th – US invades
Puerto Rico
The Spanish-American War

August 12, 1898 –
“The Splendid Little
War” ends
 Lasts only 16 weeks
 379 battle casualties,
1,662 wounded, 2,061
died from disease
(mostly malaria and
yellow fever)
The Spanish-American War

The Treaty of Paris of 1898




Grants Cuba independence
Spain gives the US Guam and Puerto Rico
US buys the Philippines for 20 million
The US officially becomes an Imperialist
power
Rebellion in the Philippines


Many Filipinos
believed the US had
promised them
independence
February 1899 –
Emilio Aguinaldo
leads an
unsuccessful revolt
against the US
 Revolt lasted 3 years
(so long because of
guerrilla war tactics)
Rebellion in the Philippines

It was a very nasty war – Americans would find
people mutilated with Bolo knives (machetes)
and American soldiers would slaughter and
burn entire villages of women and children
 20,000 Filipino casualties
 4,000 US casualties
 Cost nearly $400 million (20X what they paid for the
island)
Rebellion in the Philippines


After the war we sent
millions of dollars into
these islands to clean it
up, better health care,
factories, schools, and
roads.
July 4, 1946 – US
grants the Philippines
independence
 Since the economy has
drastically declines and
poverty had increased,
but they are independent!
Open Door Policy

US feared Europe would
keep us from trading with
China
 Many European nations set
up settlements in China

Secretary of State, John
Hay, demanded that all
nations share trading
rights in China (“Open
Door Notes”)
 Preventing one nation from
monopolizing China’s trade
The Open Door Policy



The Boxer Rebellion:
1899 – resistance
group (known as the
Boxers) vowed to rid
China of “foreign
devils”
Killed hundreds of
missionaries and
foreigners
 1900 – US, Britain,
France, Germany, and
Japan joined forces
against this resistance.
The Open Door Policy


Defeat the Boxers in
2 months
US issued 2nd Open
Door Notes
 Said US would
safeguard free trade
in China
 China was forced to
accept more outside
influence
The Panama Canal

US wanted a shortcut between the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
 Bring our 2 navies together
Wanted a canal in Panama to create this
shortcut, but Panama is owned by
Colombia.
 However, Colombia would not allow us
to build the canal. At the time many
Panamanians wanted their
independence from Colombia.

The Panama Canal


Panama and the
United States made a
deal. US would assist
Panama in their
revolution if they
allowed us to build a
canal.
1903 – US agreed to
pay Panama $10
million to build the
canal (negotiated by
President Teddy
Roosevelt)
 US would lease the
canal for $250,000/year
The Panama Canal



Cost $380 million to
build
5,600 deaths (from
diseases or accidents)
September 7, 1977 –
President Jimmy
Carter signed the
Panama Canal Treaty
 Returned control of the
canal to Panama on
December 31, 1999
Building of the Canal
The Panama Canal
Said the canal was
obsolete and too narrow
and small for cargo ships
to go through
 After he sold it to Panama
they made it wider and
deeper to allow larger
cargo ships
 In 2005, after Panama
made changes, 279
million tons of shipping
passed through the canal.
– They charged $3/ton =
837 million dollars a
year…. And we lost

Additions to the Monroe Doctrine



The Roosevelt Corollary:
Europe loaned Latin
America money for
railroads
US feared Europe would
take over if these nations
couldn’t pay off their
loans
 Teddy Roosevelt declared
the US would be an
“International Police Force”
in the Western Hemisphere
(protect our economic
interests)
“Speak softly and carry a
big stick; you will go far.”
Additions to the Monroe Doctrine
Dollar Diplomacy
President Taft said that
the government would
guarantee loans made to
foreign nations by US
businesses
Missionary Diplomacy
President Wilson said the
US had a moral obligation
to deny recognition to
oppressive governments
Hoped to pressure
nations in the Western
Hemisphere to establish
democratic governments
Add the Platt Amendment and
Cuba becoming a protectorate!!
Next time




Look for a yellowjournalism lesson
The Spanish-American
war is considered the first
war perpetuated by the
Media
http://makinghistoryfun.wor
dpress.com/2010/01/04/m
y-fav-fun-lesson-set-foryellow-journalism/
https://sites.google.com/sit
e/msdendelsteachingportfo
lio/table-ofcontents/sample-lessonplans/yellow-journalismand-entrance-into-thecuban-american-war