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The Rise of American
Imperialism
1890-1908
“The White Man’s Burden (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling)”
Judge, April 1, 1899
Artist: Victor Gillam
Source: CGACGA - The Ohio State University
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
[cb25-141_1899_Judge_d_10386_osu]
The U.S. follows Britain’s imperial lead carrying people
from “Barbarism” at the base of the hill to “Civilization” at
its summit. In this blatantly racist rendering, America’s
newly subjugated people appear far more primitive and
barbaric than the older empire’s load.

Read Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s
Burden” and make comparisons to “The Black
Man’s Burden” and “The Poor Man’s Burden”
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Complete research on the political events in
each place
Find additional relevant information
Write a hypothesis based on your research
regarding imperialistic actions of other powers
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Annam (Vietnam) 1874: taken over by France in 1874
Tunisia 1881: protectorate of France in 1881
Egypt 1883: virtually an English colony (Suez Canal)
Marshall Islands 1884: taken over by Germany in 1884
Burma 1885: taken by England in 1885 (sea routes)
Samoa 1889: shared by England, Germany, U.S.
Rhodesia 1895: carved out of Africa in 1895 by
England
Mariana Islands 1899: except for Guam, purchased
from Spain by Germany
Other areas of interest: Africa, Asia, South Pacific
Concept of “White Man’s Burden”

During the closing decades of the 19th century,
the major European powers strove to extend
their empires in Africa, Asia, S. Pacific. By
creating colonies/claiming territories, the
imperialists searched for markets, resources,
and extended power. A fundamental belief in
European society is the superiority of the white
man, evident in the treatment of developing
lands and peoples by nations such as England,
France, and Germany.

From the Civil War
until the 1890s, most
Americans had little
interest in territorial
expansion:
 Imperial rule
seemed inconsistent
with America's
republican
principles.
 The US became
intolerant of people
with different
cultures, languages,
and religions.
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The exception to the
rule was Alaska. In
1867, Sec. of State
William Steward
arranged to buy
Alaska from the
Russians for $7.2
million. Rich in natural
resources (timber,
minerals, and oil),
Alaska was a bargain at
two cents per acre.
Seward’s Folly
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By the mid-1890s, a shift
had taken place in
American attitudes
toward expansion. Why?
Between 1870 and 1900,
the European powers
seized 10 million square
miles of territory in
Africa and Asia. About
150 million people were
subjected to colonial rule.

During the late 1880s,
American foreign
policy makers began to
display a new
assertiveness. The
United States came
close to declaring war
on Germany, Chile,
and Great Britain.

In the United States, a
growing number of
policy makers, bankers,
manufacturers, and
trade unions grew
fearful that the country
might be closed out in
the struggle for global
markets and raw
materials.
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By the 1890s, the
American economy
was increasingly
dependent on foreign
trade. A quarter of the
nation's farm products
and half its petroleum
were sold overseas.
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Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval strategist
and the author of The Influence of Sea
Power Upon History, argued that national
prosperity and power depended on
control of the world's sea-lanes.
"Whoever rules the waves rules the
world," Mahan wrote. 3rd largest navy
Military Supremacy:
 Germany
 Great Britain
 France
 Russia
 Japan
Rebuilt navy: a new arms race
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A belief that the world's
nations were engaged in
a Darwinian struggle for
survival and that
countries that failed to
compete were doomed
to decline also
contributed to a new
assertiveness on the part
of the United States.
“Take up the White Man’s
burden—
Send forth the best ye breed
Go send your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild—
Your new-caught, sullen
peoples,
Half devil and half child
Take up the White Man’s
burden…”
---Rudyard Kipling (1899)
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During the late 19th
century, the idea that the
United States had a
special mission to uplift
"backward" people
around the world also
commanded growing
support.
Extension of the Social
Gospel
Promoted by Rev. Josiah
Strong—send
missionaries to other
countries: Asia, Latin
America, Africa
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In 1893, a small group of
sugar and pineapplegrowing businessmen,
backed by the U.S. military,
deposed Hawaii's queen,
seized 1.75 million acres of
land, and desired U.S.
annexation of the islands,
which was achieved in 1898.
Reading
https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=XpsmUCtsd2o
(1899)
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Read each document and answer the questions
that follow
Thesis Representing Imperialist View point
What is your perspective regarding
imperialism and why?
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Provide at least 5 examples and explain
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The “splendid little war”
Dramatized the country’s new status as a world
power in fact as well as in potential
Heightened pride and inspired a sense of national
destiny
National interest v. missionary impulse
Decision to declare war, cause of war…
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1. “Put an end to the barbarities, bloodshed,
starvation, and horrible miseries” in Cuba
2. Protect the lives and property of U.S.
citizens living in Cuba
3. End “the very serious injury to the
commerce, trade, and business of our people”
4. End “the constant menace to our peace”
arising from disorder in Cuba
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What led to the Spanish American War?
How did President McKinley justify
intervention?
Thesis Statement: What caused the SpanishAmerican War?
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Signed in Paris Dec. 10, 1898
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1. Recognition of Cuban independence
2. U.S. acquisition of two Spanish islands (Puerto Rico and
Guam)
3. U.S. acquisition of the Philippines from Spain for $20
million.
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Constitutional rights of the Philippine
people?
Supreme Court ruled constitutional rights were
not automatically extended to territorial
possessions.
Determination of whether rights were granted
would be determined by Congress
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Cuba must:
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Never sign a treaty with a foreign power that impaired its
independence
Permit the U.S. to intervene in Cuba’s affairs to preserve its
independence
Allow the U.S. to maintain naval bases in Cuba, including
one permanent base at Guantanamo Bay
Cuba then became a protectorate
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Nationalism of U.S.
Southerners became more attached to the
Union for first time since the Civil War
U.S. became a super-power to the rest of the
world
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How did Teddy Roosevelt intervene in Latin
American affairs?
Political Cartoon Analysis