Download Chapter 23 Notes

Imperialism is the policy of powerful countries seeking
to control the economic and political affairs of weaker
countries.
For many years, the United States followed a policy of
isolationism.
At the same time, the United States also followed a
policy expansionism by expanding its national
boundaries.
Between 1870 – 1914, the United States enters what is
called the Age of Imperialism.
What caused the change in policy from isolationism to
imperialism?
Reasons for Imperialism
1. Economic - Access to raw materials, new markets to
sell finished product
2. “White Man’s Burden” – Belief that the U.S. had a duty
to spread democracy and religion to less civilized
societies.
3. Competition with Europe for new markets
4. To Offset the Western Frontier
Alfred Mahan proposed the theory that US prosperity
and strength depended on having a strong navy.
The United States built a huge fleet of steam powered
steel warships that became known as the Great White
Fleet.
From the earliest days, the United States conducted a
lot of foreign trade with Asia including China and the
Philippines.
Japan refused to trade with America and other western
nations.
US Merchants wanted to open Japan to trade and to
help shipwrecked sailors who washed up on their
shores.
President Millard Fillmore sent Commodore Matthew
Perry to Tokyo Bay in the 1850s with a fleet of seven
steam powered war ships.
The Japanese, impressed by the show of strength
agreed to sign the treaty of Kanagawa which accepted
American demands to help shipwrecked sailors and
open two of their ports to American trade.
Midway Island
In the 1860s Secretary of State William Seward
persuaded Congress to annex Midway Island in the
Pacific Ocean.
Alaska
Seward also purchased Alaska from Russia for the price
of $7.2 million.
Samoa
In 1889, Germany and the United States divided up the
island of Samoa without Samoa having any say in the
matter
Hawaii
In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii and it
became the 50th state in 1959.
China
In the 1800s several European countries and Japan
were allowed to trade in areas of China known as
spheres of influence. U.S. Secretary of State John Hay
demanded that China allow any country (including the
U.S. to trade freely any where in China.
Many Chinese opposed foreign influence in their country
and in 1900 a group of Chinese rebelled and killed more
than 200 foreigners in China in what became known as
the Boxer Rebellion.
The Spanish American War
By the 1890s, Spain’s empire in the Caribbean had
shrunk to Cuba and Puerto Rico.
In 1868 the Cuban people rebelled against Spain. Some
of the revolutionaries fled to New York to where they
raised awareness of Cuban independence.
Lola Rodriguez de Tio wrote patriotic poems in support
of Spanish independence.
Jose Marti told of the Cuban struggle for freedom.
Newspaper publishers William Randolph Hearst and
Joseph Pulitzer used yellow journalism or sensational,
biased, and sometimes untrue stories to sell
newspapers and encourage war with Cuba.
In 1898, fighting broke out in Havana and President
McKinley sent the warship the Maine to protect
American citizens. When the Maine exploded and sank,
the yellow journalist newspapers called the Maine an
act of sabotage by Spain and called for war.
The Spanish American War lasted only four months.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt
planned to fight Spain’s navy in the Philippine Islands in
the Pacific. Roosevelt wired Commodore George
Dewey, commander of the Pacific fleet to fire on
Spanish ships in a surprise attack. Within about 6 hours,
the U.S. Had destroyed the Spanish fleet.
American troops soon landed and aided Philippine
rebels lead by Emilio Aguinaldo to capture the islands
from Spain.
Meanwhile American troops had landed in Cuba.
When the war broke out, Teddy Roosevelt resigned his
position as Asst., Secretary of the Navy to organize the
1st Cavalry Unit known as the Rough Riders.
Roosevelt led the Rough Riders on a charge up San
Juan Hill
The 1st Cavalry were also joined by African American
soldiers in the 9th and 10th Cavalries.
Americans also destroyed the Spanish fleet in Santiago
Bay and also landed on Puerto Rico and claimed the
island.
Spain and the U.S. signed an armistice. 379 Americans
were KIA, but 5,000 more dies of other causes such as
malaria, yellow fever, and typhoid.
Spain granted Cuba freedom and gave Puerto Rico and
Guam to the U.S.
The Platt Amendment made Cuba a protectorate, a
nation whose independence is limited by the control of
a more powerful country. It also gave the U.S. control of
the naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
In the Philippines, the U.S. went to war against Emilio
Aguinaldo’s rebels to control the country, but later gave
the country independence in 1946.
When Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901, he
was determined to build a canal through the Isthmus of
Panama.
Panama was perfect for a canal because it was a small
strip of land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Roosevelt knew that a canal would greatly benefit
American commerce and military capability. By
avoiding a trip around South America, it could shorten
the journey form New York to San Francisco by about
8,000 miles and reduce the cost of shipping greatly. In
the event of war, naval ships could move back and forth
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans more quickly
than ever before.
Roosevelt had secretary of state John Hay offer
Colombia $10 million in cash plus $250,000 a year to
rent a strip of land across Panama. Colombia turned him
down.
When some Panamanians decided to revolt against
Colombia, Roosevelt sent a warship to stop Columbian
troops form crushing the revolt. The United States
recognized the new nation of Panama at once and
Panama agreed to similar terms offered to Colombia to
give the strip of land for the canal to the United States.
With its tropical heat, heavy rainfall, and swamps,
Panama had a “mosquito paradise.” Mosquitoes carry
malaria and yellow fever.
Dr. William Gorgas, an army physician helped to control
the diseases by draining swamps and spraying
insecticide.
Under the supervision of army engineer George
Goethals, more than 40,000 workers dug the canal.
They used locks to raise the ships and pas through the
canals.
In 1904 Roosevelt announced the Roosevelt Corollary to
the Monroe Doctrine stating that the US had the right to
preserve law and order in Latin America.
Roosevelt’s successor, William Taft used Dollar
Diplomacy, investing in Latin America, to keep law and
order there.
Woodrow Wilson used moral diplomacy to spread
democracy and promote peace. Wilson, however,
ordered more military intervention in Latin America
than any other prior president.
Mexicans, however, remained poor and revolted in
1910. Wilson sent troops into Mexico. This marked a
major change in American policy.