Download Notes File - Eastchester High School

Unit 10
American “Imperialism” and
the Spanish-American War
New US Power and Diplomacy
Emerging Global Involvement
Railroads/Atlantic and Pacific
 Communication: trans Atlantic Cable
 Interdependence

Attitudes Toward an
Internationalist Role

Arguments for Expansion
Economics: new markets/investment
opportunities/raw materials
 Culture: Social Darwinism/Protestant
Ministers/Josiah Strong
 Naval Bases/Alfred Thayer Mahan/need for
refueling stations/ protect trade
 Technological advancements made the US
strong.

Arguments against Expansion
Morality: democracy
 Practicality: foreign wars/trade
 Legal: was it unconstitutional?

Major Events:
Spanish-American War (1898)

Causes
 Sympathy for Cuban Rebels
 Yellow Journalism
• Hearst and Pulitzer: New York
Newspapers.
 DeLome Letter: criticism of President
McKinley by Spanish Ambassador angers
Americans.
 Sinking of the Maine
 Cuba as a naval base
 Protect 50 million in investments in sugar
and tobacco plantations
Disposition of Other Territories
1900 Annexation of Hawaii
(statehood in 1959)
 Late 1890s Samoa
 Cuba: protectorate
 Philippines finally granted
independence July 4, 1946

Effects of the
Spanish-American War

US gained Guam in the Pacific and Puerto
Rico in the Caribbean.


Cuban independence as a “protectorate”


Foraker Act: established PR civilian gov’t
and citizenship; subject to US federal laws.
Platt Amendment: established Cuban
independence, but US would maintain a
naval base & would intervene to protect US
interests.
Spain sold the Philippines to the US for
$20 million.
Open Door Policy
China
 Equal trading rights
 Territorial integrity of China

Roosevelt Corollary to
Monroe Doctrine
Big Stick Diplomacy
 American military intervention in Latin America

Europeans wanted to force LA countries to pay
debts
 US determination to stop invasion by
Europeans
 Dominican Republic

Panama Canal
Colombian Quarrel
 US supported a Panamanian rebellion
 US blocked Colombian troops
 Panama leased land to US until 1999
 1907 building began
 Amazing engineering accomplishment
