Imperialism
1890-1914
Imperialism
The system by which great powers gain control of
overseas territories. The U.S. became an
imperialist power by gaining control of Puerto
Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Cuba as a result
of the Spanish-American War.
Colonialism
A policy by which a nation maintains or
extends control over foreign dependencies
(colonies).
The Four P’s
Profits
Patriotism
Piety
Politics
Factors that encouraged imperialism:
1. Profits
The depression of the 1890s provided a powerful
stimulus for American commercial expansion.
– Need for markets
– Need for raw materials i.e. sugar
Balance of U.S. Imports, 1870–1914
Social Darwinism
2. A feeling of superiority
– Many supporters of social Darwinism argued
that nations compete with each other
politically, economically, and militarily and
that only the strongest would ultimately
survive.
William
Graham
Sumner
Herbert
Spencer
3. Anglo-Saxonism
Writer and historian John Fiske argued that Englishspeaking nations had superior character, ideas, and
systems of government, and were destined to dominate
the planet.
Fiske’s idea is known as Anglo-Saxonism
It seemed to fit with the idea of Manifest Destiny—
the “obvious” right to expand the nation from
ocean to ocean.
Historian John Fiske 1878
4. Missionary Zeal (Piety)
– Missionary zeal
– Sense of democratic duty
Dr. Livingston
5. Power & Prestige
Beginning in the 1870s, Britain, France, Germany,
Spain, Belgium, and Japan sought overseas
empires. By 1900, European nations colonized
more than 20% of the world’s land mass and 10%
of the world’s population.
– Desire for economic/military power
– Desire for prestige
Key terms:
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Hegemony
Jingoism
Protectorate
Yellow
Journalism
Hegemony- The predominant influence of a
state over others; domination.
Jingoism- Extreme nationalism characterized
especially by aggressive foreign policy.
Protectorate- A relationship of protection and
partial control assumed by a superior country
or region.
Banana republic- A country run by U.S.
business interests.
“Splendid Little War” was a phrase coined by Secy. of
State John Hay and referred to the Spanish American
War which lasted just over 4 months.
Yellow journalism
The competition between rival newspaper
publishers W. R. Hearst (Journal) and J.
Pulitzer (World) came to be called yellow
journalism, named for the colored ink used
in a popular comic strip. Practitioners of
yellow journalism pandered to the public’s
appetite for sensationalism.
Yellow journalism
Joseph Pulitzer & The World
Advocates of imperialism
Josiah Strong
A. T. Mahan
T. Roosevelt
John Hay
Henry Cabot Lodge
Opponents of imperialism
Grover Cleveland, 22
& 24th president
Mark Twain
Samuel Gompers
Andrew Carnegie
Queen Liliuokalani
Life, June 16, 1898
Amid the patriotic frenzy
over Dewey's naval
victory, cooler heads
wondered whether the
United States knew what
it was getting into with
all the talk about
creating an American
empire. Here, Life
magazine, often a
skeptical commentator
on American public life,
pictures a blindfolded
Uncle Sam stepping off a
cliff.