Download U.S. Imperialism (1875

U.S. Imperialism
(1875-1905)
APUSH DAY 61 / Feb. 10, 2014
The United States and Foreign Relations
Before the 1890s
• Lincoln’s Secretary of State William H. Seward
promotes the U.S. becoming a world empire
• 1867 – Seward engineered the U.S. purchase
of Alaska from Russia (and was ridiculed for
it)
The United States and Foreign Relations
Before the 1890s
A period of foreign policy inaction
• Before 1890,the U.S. did not attempt to
imperialize because…
o U.S. expansion was primarily westward
o Industrial Revolution and immigration
keeps the U.S. occupied
o Opposed to potential warfare/violence
(after the Civil War)
Why imperialism?
• Economic
o U.S. desires more natural resources and markets post Industrial Revolution
• Military
o Famous book Influence of Sea Power upon History says country with strong
power over the seas are the most powerful nations in history
• Political
o U.S. wants to compete with European countries who were fighting for
control in Asia and Africa
• Ideological
o Americans believe their culture is superior after removal of Native
Americans; believed in “Manifest Destiny,” “Social Darwinism”
• Religious
o U.S. missionaries want to spread their religion and convert natives to
Christianity
• Exploratory
o U.S. wanted to explore for the purpose of the reasons listed above
An Imperialist President
William McKinley
(1897-1901)
• Republican
• In his inaugural
address, said the U.S.
would be neutral
• Ended up leading
America’s
imperialism of
Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto
Rico, and the
Philippines
Hawaii
• United States wants
Hawaii as a military base
• Interested in their sugar
plantations
• Missionaries came to
Hawaii
o Brought diseases
o Degraded Hawaiian
culture
• American sugar planters
forced King Kalakaua to
accept a new
constitution that
restricted his power
White American
planation owners,
Asian immigrant
workers
Annexation of Hawaii
• In 1891, the king dies and
Queen Liliuokalani takes the
throne
• She attempts to reduce
American influence
• Pro-American sugar planters
want to avoid tariffs (taxes) on
sugar
• In 1893, pro-American sugar
planters and the American
marines overthrow the queen
• U.S. Senate debates added
Hawaii to America, President
McKinley states its “manifest
destiny” that the U.S. control
Hawaii
• Hawaii becomes part of U.S.
Spanish-American War
1898
Spanish colonies: Cuba,
Puerto Rico, Philippines,
Guam, Rio de Oro
Cuba in the late-1800s
Cuba is a
Spanish colony
Spain grows sugar
and tobacco in
Cuba
Facts about Cuba
• 1492: Cuba becomes a colony of Spain
o Spain uses Cuba to export fruit, sugar, tobacco
to the U.S.
• 1868: Cubans begin rebelling against the
Spanish
o Spain wanted to tax Cuba and restrict their
trade
• 1895: Spain sends troops into Cuba and
forces farmers to live in re-concentration
camps
o Conditions are AWFUL in the camps
Cuban Immigrants ask the
U.S. to Intervene in Cuba
• Upset by how the Spanish
treat the Cubans, Cuban
immigrants living in the U.S.
asked the U.S. government
to intervene
• However, the U.S.
government did not
intervene in 1895 because
they did not want to spend
money on the conflict or get
involved in a war.
Jose Marti (Cuban
immigrant to the U.S.
and journalist)
Cuban Immigrants ask the
U.S. to Intervene in Cuba
Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine
• In early 1898 riots broke out in Havana, Cuba as
tension increased between Spaniards and Cubans.
• President McKinley ordered that the battleship
Maine move into the Havana harbor to protect U.S.
citizens and property.
• On February 15, 1898 an explosion sank the Maine –
killing 250 U.S. sailors.
• Though it is unclear what caused the explosion,
Americans blamed the Spanish for the explosion.
Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine
Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine
U.S. Declares War on Spain
• In March 1898, President McKinley sent
the Spanish a list of demands.
o (1) Compensation for the Maine, (2) an end to the
concentration camps, and (3) Cuban
independence.
• Spain did accept some of the U.S. demands
• However, after pressure from the public, on
April 11th , 1898 McKinley sent a war message to
Congress.
• On April 25, 1898 the United States declared
war on Spain.
Spain and the Philippines
• The Philippines had been
a colony of Spain since
1521.
• Filipinos were also waging
a war of independence
against the Spaniards in
the late 1800s.
• Some U.S. government
officials were interested in
the Philippines because it
could lead to U.S.
economic and political
expansion in Asia.
Content Review Questions
1. Why didn’t the U.S. imperialize prior to the
1890s?
2. Why did the U.S. want to imperialize in
1890?
3. Why did the U.S. take over Hawaii?
4. What countries of the world did Spain
control before the Spanish-American war?
5. Why did the United States go to war with
Spain in 1898?
6. Why was the United Sates interested in the
Philippines?
Content Writing Practice
Respond to the following question in
writing with as much detail as you
can:
Did the United States
try to imperialize in
the late 1800s?