The SpanishAmerican War
& American
Imperialism
1872-1912
American Imperialism
-> Imperialism is a phenomenon that usually
happens when a country/culture goes through an
Industrial Revolution.
-> At the end of the 19th century, this was caused
by two main factors:
-> A desire for new markets
-> A feeling of superiority
• Imperial countries are also known as colonizers.
They have industrial technology, advanced
weapons, and are usually western - Europe and
America.
• Countries that are colonized are usually in places
that have not had an industrial revolution.
Cause: Desire for New Markets
• Imperialism is usually caused by two
factors: one is a desire for new markets.
-> Imperialism is defined as the economic
and political domination of a strong
nation over other weaker nations.
-> At this point, most western countries
had placed high tariffs (taxes) on goods
they received from other countries.
• As a result, these countries looked for
other places to sell their goods.
-> Many European countries looked
overseas for places that would buy their
products with no tariffs.
Cause: Desire for New Markets
-> At the same time, the growth of investment opportunities
in western Europe had slowed
-> Most of the factories, railroads, mines, etc that Europe’s economy
needed had been built - they started to “boost” the economies of
countries that they colonized.
• To protect their investments, the European nations began
exerting control over those territories where they spent
money and sold their products.
-> Some areas became colonies.
-> Others became protectorates - where the imperial power
allows the local rulers to stay in control and protected
them.
– In exchange for this protection, these rulers had to accept “advice”
from the Europeans as to how to run their countries.
Cause: Desire for New Markets
• The United States saw that many European countries were
expanding overseas.
• As the US industrialized, many US citizens wanted to take
advantage of the new imperialist world.
-> Until the late 1800s, the US had been able to expand westward but by this point, the US stretched from coast to coast across
North America.
• This meant that many
Americans concluded
that they too should
expand overseas.
-> According to one senator,
Albert Beveridge: “We are
making more than we can
use. Therefore, we must
find new markets for our
produce…new work for
our labor.”
Cause: A Feeling of Superiority
• In addition to economic concerns, other key ideas
convinced many Americans to encourage overseas
expansion.
-> Many supporters of Social Darwinism argued that
nations competed with each other politically, economically
and militarily, and that only the strongest country would
ultimately survive.
-> Some Americans took this idea even further - arguing that
English-speaking nations had superior culture, character,
and systems of government.
-> This became known as Anglo-Saxonism
• It is an extension of Manifest Destiny
• People believed that it was the responsibility of the white,
English-speaking races to dominate the world. This was
also called the White Man’s Burden.
Expansion in the Pacific - Japan
-> Many American business leaders believed
that the United States would benefit form
trade with Japan.
-> Japan’s rulers, however, believed that
excessive contact with the West would ruin
their culture, and did not want to trade with
America.
• In 1852, then-President Franklin Pierce
decided to force Japan to trade with the
United States.
-> Commodore Matthew C. Perry was sent to negotiate a trade
treaty with Japan.
• On July 8, 1853, four American ships sailed into Tokyo Bay.
The Japanese had never seen steamships before, and were
impressed by the American technology.
-> Before much could happen, however, Perry and his crew were
called back to the US for the Civil War.
Expansion in the Pacific - Japan
-> The Japanese government
was faced with a choice:
- Industrialize/
Westernize before the
United States navy
returned, and face off
with them as equals.
- Stay true to their
tradition and culture
and risk getting colonized by the US.
• Ultimately, Japan industrialized in record time - gaining
steam ships, locomotives, modern factories etc. in 50
years, Japan’s technology was suddenly equal to that of
the western powers.
Expansion in the Pacific - Japan
-> Rather than becoming colonized by the United
States, Japan itself became an imperialist power.
– To show that it was
equal to the western
countries, Japan
began colonizing too.
– Japan took control of
Korea, and set up
imperial rule there their goal was to
conquer China.
Expansion in the Pacific - Hawaii
• As trade between America and Asian countries
began to increase, many Americans became
interested in Hawaii.
-> Ships traveling across the Pacific regularly
stopped in Hawaii to rest and refuel.
• Missionaries and other settlers moved from
America to Hawaii. Many American ships in the
Pacific used Hawaii as a base of operations.
Expansion in the Pacific - Hawaii
-> Many of these early
American settlers realized
that the Hawaiian climate
was perfect to grow
sugarcane.
-> By the mid 1800s, there
many sugarcane
plantations had been
established on the island.
• Further, when a
recession struck the
Hawaiian market, Americans stepped in, exempting
Hawaiian sugar from costly tariffs.
Expansion in the Pacific - Hawaii
-> Later, when the AmericanHawaiian trade treaty came
up for renewal, the
Americans insisted on
exclusive trade rights.
-> Americans also demanded
a naval base on the island.
• In order to keep American
protection, the Hawaiians
agreed to the treaty.
• Americans built a base at Pearl Harbor.
-> However, not all Hawaiians were happy about this. With
the passing of the McKinley Tariff, it became more
expensive to buy Hawaiian sugar, and the Hawaiian
economy was in trouble.
Expansion in the Pacific - Hawaii
-> In 1891, Queen Liliuokalani
ascended to the Hawaiian
throne. Liliuokalani disliked the
influence that American settlers
had on Hawaiian citizens.
-> In January, 1893, the Queen
unsuccessfully attempted to
impose a new constitution that would have
restored Hawaii to an older form of government.
- The Queen wanted to restore the monarchy which would put her back in control.
Expansion in the Pacific - Hawaii
• In response, American settlers
and Hawaiian sugarcane
planters (who depended on
American trade) attempted to
overthrow the monarchy.
-> Supported by American
marines, the planters
overthrew the monarchy,
set up a provisional
government, and requested to be added as a state.
-> Hawaii would be annexed to America in 1898, but it
would not become a state until 1959.
Trade and Diplomacy
->The Pacific was not the only region where the United
States wanted to increase its influence – it also focused
on Latin America.
• Most countries in Latin America bought their
manufactured goods from Europe.
-> American business leaders and
government officials wanted to
increase the sale of American
goods in that region, instead of
European goods.
• Americans wanted Europeans to
understand that America – not
Europe – was the power in the
region.
Pan-Americanism
-> James G. Blaine was secretary of state through the
1880s, and he led early efforts to expand American
influence in Latin America.
•Blaine suggested that the U.S. invite the Latin
American nations to a conference.
•At this conference, all the nations would discuss how
they could support peace and increase trade.
_. Pan-Americanism was a term coined to describe the
United States working with Central and South America
in order to support trade.
-> The first Pan-American conference was held in 1889
– 17 Latin American nations attended
Pan-Americanism
• The first Pan-American conference was held in 1889
– 17 Latin American nations attended.
-> Blaine had two main goals for the conference.
-> Create a custom’s union between Latin America and the
United States
• This would mean all countries in North and South America would
have to reduce their tariffs (taxes) on imports and exports
-> Create a system for all nations in North and South America
to work out their disputes peacefully without going to war
• Although most of the Latin American delegates
rejected these ideas, the first Pan-American
conference had one big success:
-> The creation of the Pan-American Union – which works to
promote cooperation between American countries.
–This Union still exists today – it is called the Organization of
American States (OAS)
The Sinking of the Maine
-> On the evening of February 15, 1898, an American
ship anchored off the coast of Cuba exploded.
-> Of the 354 officers and sailors aboard the USS
Maine that night, 266 died.
•No one is sure why the Maine exploded – but at the
time, many Americans blamed the Spanish.
•The Spanish controlled Cuba,
but the Cubans were in the
middle of a revolution.
-> The sinking of the USS
Maine is the trigger that
started the SpanishAmerican war.
The Cuban Rebellion
• Cuba was one of Spain’s
earliest colonies, and it
produced 1/3rd of the
world’s production of
sugarcane. It was a
source of a lot of money
for Spain.
• In 1868, Cuban rebels
declared independence.
• They launched a guerrilla war against Spanish
authorities in Cuba.
• However, the rebellion did not have enough support
and collapsed.
• Many of the rebels fled to the United States, and
began planning another rebellion.
The Cuban Rebellion
-> One of the leaders of the Cuban
rebellion was José Martí.
•Martí was a writer and a poet, who
was passionate about Cuban
independence.
•He fled to New York City when the
Cuban Rebellion was suppressed.
-> While in NYC, Martí gathered
supporters, raised money, and
trained troops. Martí was planning
to invade Cuba and take it for the rebels.
-> Martí and his followers launched a new rebellion in
February 1895.
-> This time, the rebels were successful. The Republic of
Cuba was established in September 1895.
Americans Support Cuba
• When the Cuban Rebellion began, Pres. Grover
Cleveland declared that the U.S. was neutral.
• However, many American citizens supported Cuba.
-> Two major newspapers also published many stories
about the problems the Cubans were facing.
-> The New York Journal – owned by William Randolph
Hearst
-> New York World – owned by Joseph Pulitzer
• These two newspapers were competing for readers,
and so they would greatly exaggerate their stories.
-> These exaggerations became known as yellow
journalism.
Americans Support Cuba
• Although the press invented sensational stories to sell more
papers, there is no doubt that the Cuban people did suffer
horribly.
-> The Spanish dispatched 200,000 troops to the island
to put down the rebellion.
-> General Valeriano Weyler (aka The Butcher) was appointed to
serve as governor.
• Weyler wanted to make sure
that no Cuban villagers
joined the rebels.
-> Weyler herded hundreds
of thousands of men,
women and children into
“reconcentration camps”
where many died from
starvation and disease.
Americans Support Cuba
• News reports of the treatment of these Cuban citizens helped
spur American support for the Cuban Rebellion.
• Most Americans wanted to go to war with Spain.
-> In 1897, Republican William McKinley became President of
the United States.
-> McKinley did not want war, and instead tried to negotiate with
Spain.
-> Pressured by McKinley, the Spanish removed Weyler from
power, and offered Cuba autonomy.
– This would give Cuba its own government, but they would still remain a
part of the Spanish empire.
• Cuban rebels refused to negotiate – they wanted full
independence, and would not compromise.
Americans Support Cuba
• McKinley still did not want to
declare war, however, Congress
authorized the president to spend
$50 million on war preparation.
-> Throughout America, people
called “Remember the Maine, to
Hell with Spain!”
-> Many, including McKinley’s own
Vice President, Teddy Roosevelt,
were furious that he would not
declare war.
– Roosevelt said McKinley had “no more backbone than a chocolate
éclair.”
-> Finally, on April 11, 1898, the United States declared war on
Spain.
• For the first time in 50 years, the United States was involved in
war with another country.
Spanish-American War
• The United States had an advantage from the very
beginning.
-> The Spanish in Cuba had been fighting for months, and
were tired, and weak. Many suffered from tropical
diseases.
-> The Spanish warships were also in bad shape, and their
crews were not well trained.
-> In contrast, the Americans had more battleships, and a
fresh navy.
• Reinforcements for the Americans also had to travel far
less to get to their destinations.
-> The United States knew that if they could defeat Spain at
sea, the Spanish would not be able to get supplies to
their troops in Cuba, and would have to surrender.
Spanish-American War
• The United States Takes the Philippines
• As part of the naval war, United States ships based in
Hong Kong (controlled by the USA’s ally, Britain)
attacked the Spanish-controlled Philippines.
• George Dewey led his squadron into battle.
-> Dewey and his fleet outnumbered
and outgunned the Spanish fleet,
and were ready to take the
Philippine land.
• Pres. McKinley was surprised –
Dewey’s victory was so quick that
he did not yet have extra troops to
send.
-> Dewey called on Filipino rebels,
led by Emilio Aguinaldo.
Spanish-American War
• The United States Takes the Philippines
• Dewey called on Filipino rebels, led by Emilio Aguinaldo
to help overthrow the Spanish rulers in the Philippines.
-> Aguinaldo was happy to help at first, however, he soon
realized that the United States troops were not fighting for
Philippine independence.
• When U.S. troops arrived at the Philippines (having taken
over Guam on the way), they did not let the Filipino
rebels help take the capital city.
-> Americans also refused to recognize the rebel
government.
-> Relations between the U.S. troops and the Filipino rebels
became more and more tense.
Spanish-American War
• Battle in Cuba
• On June 14, 1898, a force of about 17,000 American
troops landed on the shores of Cuba.
-> The beach was protected by powerful shore-based
guns, and the American plan was to capture these
guns and use them to
drive away the
Spanish ships.
• American foot
soldiers and
cavalry led this
portion of the war.
Spanish-American War
• Among the American troops
advancing toward Santiago, Cuba
(where many Spanish were
stationed) were the Rough Riders.
-> The Rough Riders were a volunteer
cavalry unit from the American West.
• They were led by Colonel Leonard
Wood.
-> Second in command was thensecretary of the navy future president,
Teddy Roosevelt.
• The Rough Riders were flamboyant, and showy, but they
were also well trained.
-> The Rough Riders, along with other American troops,
helped to take major cities throughout Cuba.
Spanish-American War
-> The Rough Riders helped
to capture Kettle Hill – an
important strategic
location.
• However, they were not
alone.
• The 9th and 10th Cavalry
Regiments helped take
Kettle Hill as well.
-> The 9th and 10th Cavalry
Regiments were unique – they were the first all-black
cavalry regiments in history.
• Overall, one-fourth of the American troops fighting in
Cuba were African-American.
-> These soldiers were often nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers.
Spanish-American War
• After American victories at El Caney and the San Juan
Heights, the Spanish commander in Santiago
panicked.
-> The commander ordered all of the Spanish ships to
flee.
-> As the Spanish ships raced out of the harbor, they
were met by the American navy.
-> In the battle, every Spanish ship was sunk or beached.
• Two weeks later, the city of Santiago was surrendered
to the Americans.
-> On August 12, 1898, Spain and the United States
agreed to a cease fire.
• The Spanish-American war was over.
Spanish-American War - Results
-> The United States and Spain signed a peace treaty
-> Cuba would be given its freedom
-> The United States would annex Guam and Puerto Rico these would now be United States territories.
• The big question was: What to do with the Philippines?
The Filipino Question:
Option 1: Remain true to Republican/Democratic ideals,
and grant the Philippines its freedom
Option 2: Become an imperial power and take over the
Philippines, monopolizing its resources.
Do Now: Which course of action do you think the United States
should take? Why?
Decide on either option 1 or 2 and cast your vote on the board.
The Filipino Question
• The argument for annexation:
– Economic and military benefits of adding the islands as a
territory
– Provide the U.S. a military base in Asia
– Large market for American goods
– American responsibility to teach “less civilized” people how to
live (White Man’s burden)
• The argument against annexation:
– Cost of an empire outweighs its benefits
– Competition with cheap Filipino labor will drive down American
wages
– Imperialism violates United States principles of freedom,
independence, and representation.
The Filipino Question
• McKinley ultimately decided…
“We could not leave [the Filipinos] to themselves - they were
unfit for self government… and there was nothing left for us
to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and
to uplift and civilize and Christianize them.”
• The United States paid Spain $20 million for the
Philippines.
-> The United States now has islands around the world Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Now the USA
is an imperial power.
What do You Think?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What was your original opinion? (from the in-class
activity). Did you vote for Filipino independence, or
for the U.S. to add the islands as a territory?
After going over the pros and cons of annexing the
Philippines as a territory, did your opinion change?
Why or why not?
What did President McKinley ultimately decide?
Why did he make this decision? What was his
reasoning?
Do you think McKinley made the right decision? Why
or why not?
The Philippine-American War
• The United States learned that controlling its new empire
would not be easy.
-> Emilio Aguinaldo called the American annexation of the
Philippines a “violent and aggressive seizure”.
-> Aguinaldo and his troops continued to fight for their
freedom – instead of
fighting the Spanish, they
were now fighting the new
American invaders.
• The Filipinos engaged in
guerilla warfare against
the Americans.
-> General Arthur MacArthur
was given the job of
keeping the Filipinos in line.
The Philippine-American War
-> Arthur MacArthur decided that the best way to control
the rebellious Filipinos was to take a page out of
Spain’s book…
-> MacArthur set up reconcentration camps to separate
guerillas from civilians.
-> These camps were designed to punish rebels, and to
keep civilians from joining the rebels.
How is this like what Spain did in Cuba?
How is it different?
•Most Filipinos hated American rule.
•Aguinaldo continued to lead his rebellion for 3 years.
The Philippine-American War
• Not all Americans treated the Filipinos poorly.
-> William Howard Taft was made the
American governor of the Philippines.
-> Taft initiated several new measures:
-> Reforming the Filipino education system,
and creating public schools
-> Helping with transportation advances
• Railroads, bridges, and telegraph lines
helped ease communication, and
strengthened the Filipino economy
-> Creating a system for health care
• New hospitals virtually eliminated deaths from cholera
and smallpox
• These reforms slowly reduced Filipino hostility toward
Americans.
Changes in the Philippines
• In March 1901, American troops captured Aguinaldo.
• The following month, Aguinaldo called on the guerrillas to
surrender to the Americans.
• By the summer of 1902, the United States declared that
hostilities in the Philippines were at an end.
Eventually…
-The United States would allow Filipinos more control in their own
government
-By the mid 1930s, the Filipinos were allowed to elect their own
government leaders.
-In 1946, the
Philippines were
granted their
independence by
America
Puerto Rico
-> In 1900, Congress passed the Foraker Act
•This officially added Puerto Rico as an unincorporated
territory
•What does this mean?
-> Puerto Ricans have no constitutional rights
-> Puerto Ricans are not United States Citizens
-> The United States Congress can pass any laws it
wants in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico
• Over time, like in the Philippines, Puerto Ricans gained
more and more rights.
• 1917: anyone born in Puerto Rico is officially a citizen
of the United States
• 1947: Puerto Ricans can elect their own government
(within Puerto Rico)
• 2012: Puerto Ricans vote to decide the issue: will they
apply for statehood?
The 2012 results are unclear. Many Puerto Ricans want
the island to become a state, but many do not.
Why would there be two sides of this issue? What are the
pros and cons of statehood?
Issues in Cuba
• Although following the Spanish-American War, Cuba was
granted its independence, the United States still had a lot of
control there.
-> The United States forced the Cubans to agree to the Platt
Amendment (added to their new constitution)
• The Platt Amendment said:
-> 1. Cuba can not make any treaty with another country that
will allow other countries to gain territory in Cuba
-> 2. Cuba has to allow the United States to have naval
stations in Cuba
-> 3. Cuba’s debts must be kept low to prevent foreign
countries from having an excuse to invade
-> 4. The United States would have the right to intervene to
“protect Cuban independence and keep order”.
Issues in Cuba
• Most Cubans did not agree with the Platt
Amendment.
• However, they realized that this was the only way
to keep the United States happy, and prevent
war.
• Even though Cuba technically had its
independence, the United States had a huge
amount of control over Cuba
-> The Platt Amendment effectively made Cuba an
American protectorate
Teddy Roosevelt
• The election of 1900 was a victory
for McKinley.
-> Roosevelt was McKinley’s running
mate – the vice presidential
candidate running alongside him.
-> Roosevelt had been picked as
McKinley’s running mate because
Roosevelt was popular.
• He had gained fame during the Spanish-American
War, and he was charismatic, and heroic.
• Though Roosevelt had won the vice presidency, the
position was relatively powerless.
• No one planned on Roosevelt becoming President.
Teddy Roosevelt
-> On Sept. 6, 1901, President McKinley
was assassinated.
•Leon Czlogosz (pronounced Choalgosh) was an anarchist, who opposed
all forms of government.
-> Czlogosz fired two shots at McKinley.
McKinley would die of his wounds two
days later.
-> Teddy Roosevelt became the youngest President in
United States history – only 42 years old.
-> Many people thought Roosevelt would be a bad
president – that he would make too many changes, or
that he didn’t know enough about politics.
•Republican senator Mark Hanna said, “Now look, that
damned cowboy is President of the United States!”
Teddy Roosevelt
• Roosevelt planned to expand American power around
the world.
-> Under McKinley, the United States had gained several
new territories: Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the
Philippines. The United States also controlled Cuba
(though Cuba was technically independent).
• Roosevelt wanted to expand American influence even
more.
-> Roosevelt believed in Anglo-Saxonism, an extension of
the idea of the “white man’s burden”. What does this
mean?
This means that Roosevelt, like many Americans at the
time, believed that the United States had a “duty” to shape
the “less civilized” corners of the globe.
Teddy Roosevelt - Asia
-> Roosevelt planned to
increase trade between
the United States and
Asia.
-> Thanks to new territories
in the Pacific Ocean
(Hawaii, Philippines), the
United States had better
access to these Asian
markets.
•Many American business
owners were excited by
the idea of trade with Asia – this was a new market for their
goods, and they could make a lot of money!
Teddy Roosevelt – Open Door Policy
• Political Background:
– 1894: Japan and China go to war. Japan is victorious, and
responds by conquering Korea and parts of China.
– 1898: Russia responds by demanding that China lease territory
to Russia.
– Many other Western countries follow suit – asking for leases of
Chinese land.
• The United States was bothered by the idea of leasing land.
-> Most Americans supported an Open Door Policy.
-> An Open Door Policy would mean that all countries could trade
equally with China.
– If some countries were allowed to lease Chinese land, this would
limit trading opportunities, and allow these countries to dominate
the trade in these areas.
-> Secretary of State John Hay managed to get all leaseholders in
China to agree not to discriminate when it came to trade.
-> This ensured that there would be a market for American goods in
Asia, no matter what country was in control.
Teddy Roosevelt – Balancing Power
• Roosevelt faced several political issues in Asia, and
worked to ensure that America maintained rights to trade.
-> The Boxer Rebellion broke out in China in 1900.
-> The goal of these Rebels was to remove foreign influence in
China.
– United States troops stepped in and stopped the rebellion.
-> Because of the Boxer Rebellion, many European leaders
wanted to split China into colonies.
-> Secretary of State John Hay convinced the European
leaders not to do this.
- If China were divided up, America might lose access to
Chinese markets.
- By convincing the European leaders otherwise, Hay
ensured Americans could keep trading in China.
Teddy Roosevelt – Balancing Power
• Roosevelt’s goal with the Open Door Policy was simple.
-> He wanted to prevent any one nation from monopolizing
trade in Asia.
-> Because of this, Roosevelt would help negotiate an end
to the Russo-Japanese War (which would gain him a
Nobel Peace Prize)
• Roosevelt also sent 16 battleships around the world to
demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s power.
This Great White Fleet
stopped in Japan, to
show the Japanese that
the United States would
protect its “interests” in
Asia through force if
needed.
Teddy Roosevelt – Central America
• In 1903, Roosevelt acquired
access to land in Panama.
-> In 1901, the USA and Great Britain
signed the Hay- Pauncefote
Treaty. This gave the USA rights to
build and control any future canal
through South America.
• At first, Roosevelt encountered
some problems.
– Panama was still part of Columbia,
and the Columbians thought the
American offer to rent the land for the
canal was too low.
– November 3, 1903, Panamanians
revolted against their Columbian
government.
-> By late November, 1903, the USA
had rights to build the Panama
Canal.
Roosevelt Corollary
• Roosevelt wanted to expand his
“big stick” diplomacy.
-> “Big stick” diplomacy came from
a Roosevelt quote:
“Speak softly, and carry a big stick”.
What does this mean?
-> The Roosevelt Corollary stated
that the United states would
intervene in Latin American
affairs when necessary.
-> The goal was to “maintain
economic and political stability
in the Western Hemisphere”.
Roosevelt in the USA
• Roosevelt was also interested in issues “at home”.
-> He was a strong proponent of “social welfare” –
ensuring food products were safe to eat, and that
working conditions were safe.
• Roosevelt also authorized the use of federal funds to
help irrigate (give water to) western states.
-> Roosevelt supported conservation of natural
resources, and forests.
-> Thanks to Roosevelt, the Agriculture department
could inspect food, the Bureau of Corporations
could monitor business and the attorney general
could bring lawsuits more quickly.
Review for Test
• McKinley – Roosevelt assignment