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The Rise of American
Imperialism
Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines,
and Latin America
Anti-Imperial Sentiment
 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 did not welcome
people with different
cultures, languages, and
religions.
Acquisition of Alaska
 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.
European Imperialism
 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.
Fear of Competition
 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.
Belief in Darwinian Struggle
 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
(jingoism).
Dependency on Foreign Trade
 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.
A Desire for Sea Power
 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.
The White Man’s Burden
 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.
The Annexation of Hawaii
 In 1893, a small group of
sugar and pineapple-growing
businessmen, backed by the
U.S. military, deposed
Hawaii's queen, seized 1.75
million acres of land, and
conspired for U.S. annexation
of the islands, which was
achieved in 1898. Hawaii
became a state in 1959.
Origins of Spanish American War
 The Tariff of 1894,
which put restrictions
on sugar imports to the
United States, severely
hurt the economy of
Cuba which was then a
Spanish colony. Angry
nationalists began a
revolt against the Spanish
colonial regime.
The USS Maine
 The US, which had many
businessmen with investment
interests in Cuba, became
concerned and dispatched the
USS Maine to rescue US
citizens who might be
endangered by the conflict.
The Spanish-American War 1898
 3 reasons U.S. enters
War
 1. yellow journalism
 2. DeLome LetterSpanish ambassador
claims Pres. McKinley
is “weak”
 3. The U.S.S. Maine
mysteriously blows up
in Havana and the
U.S. blames Spain
View beginnings of Spanish-American
war
The Spanish-American War 1898
 Cuba was fighting Spain for
Independence
 Jose Marti`-Cuban leader
 Spain put 300,000 civilians in
concentration camps
 American newspapers began
writing exaggerated claims of
Spanish brutality towards
Cubans that became known as
Yellow Journalism exaggerated news to lure new
readers
Jose Marti
“Yellow Kid” Cartoon
Newspaper drawing about
Spanish officials strip
searching U.S. woman
Teller Amendment
 Congress agreed, but
only after adopting the
Teller Amendment that
made it clear that the
United States did not
harbor imperialist
ambitions and would not
acquire Cuba.
“The Splendid Little War”
 U.S. attacks Spanish
fleet at Manila Bay in
Philippines (Spanish
territory)
 U.S. and Filipino forces
quickly defeat Spanish
“The Splendid Little War”
 War in Cuba
 Fighting is somewhat fierce
 Many died of malaria and
dysentery
 Teddy Roosevelt leads a
group of volunteers called
The Rough Riders in the
Battle of San Juan Hill in
Cuba
 Rough Riders play only
small part, but Roosevelt
gets famous
San Juan Hill
Rough Riders
African-American Unit that fought along
side Rough Riders
Treaty of Paris 1898
 Spain grants Cuba its
Independence
 U.S. gets the Philippines,
Puerto Rico, and Guam
 Platt Amendment allowed
the U.S. to intervene in
Cuba’s affairs, which U.S.
did on multiple occasions.
 Guantanamo Bay
 Cuba became a
Protectorate of U.S.
The Platt Amendment
 After the US defeated Spain, it
passed the Platt Amendment
which gave the US the right to
intervene in Cuba to protect
"life, property, and individual
liberties.”
 Could not sign treaty with
foreign power
 Never build up excessive debt
 US naval bases in Cuba
Yellow Journalism Questions
 Did the diction of the article sound certain?
Was the cause of the explosion clear?
 What is the author’s purpose in writing the
article?
 How do you think this article affected US
involvement in Latin American affairs?
 Do you think yellow journalism is still used
today? Why or why not?
Philippine Independence
 Won independence from Spain but under control of
US after war
 Emilio Aguinaldo led war against US control
 During the war, more than 4,000 American
soldiers, about 20,000 Filipino fighters, and an
estimated 200,000 Filipino civilians died. After a
long struggle, the Filipinos received their
independence in 1946.
American Atrocities
 To suppress Filipino
insurgency, the American
military forcibly relocated
or burned villages,
imprisoned or killed noncombatant civilians, and
used vicious torture
techniques (including the
water cure) on suspected
insurgents.
The Roosevelt Corollary
 In 1904, when Germany
demanded a port in the
Dominican Republic as
compensation for an unpaid
loan, Theodore Roosevelt
announced the Roosevelt
Corollary to the Monroe
Doctrine, declaring that the United States would be
the policeman of the Caribbean and Central America.
TR’s Big Stick Policy
 Built Panama Canal through Central America to
connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
 Panama did not want to give land to US
 TR supported rebels in Panama to overthrow
government
 New government’s first order of business gave
US control of canal zone
 Congress votes to pay Panama $25 million for
land loss
Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy
 Tried to promote US trade by supporting
American businesses abroad
 Thought it would stabilize economies of weaker
nations
 Invested in Chinese RRs
 US intervened in Nicaragua to stop civil war
 Lodge Corollary- non-European powers were
excluded from owning territory in Western
hemisphere
Wilson’s Moral Diplomacy
 Main objective was to right past wrongs
 Wanted foreign policy to advance democracy
 Granted territorial status to Philippines, a bill of
rights, universal male suffrage, and
independence as soon as Filipino government
stabilized
 Granted US citizenship to inhabitants of Puerto
Rico
 Required US to pay Panama Canal tolls
Mexican Revolution
 Wilson refused to recognize military dictator, Victoriano Huerta
 Tampico Incident- US fleet sent to block Mexican port; American
seamen were arrested; resolved through mediation
 Pancho Villa- led revolutionaries who to replace democraticelected Carranza
 Led raids and murdered people in Texas and NM
 General Pershing sent troops to find Pancho Villa
 Searched for months but did not find him
 Carranza protested US presence in Mexico
 Withdrew due to WWI entry
China
 Open Door Policy- passed by US to ensure
equal trade opportunities in China
 Boxer Rebellion- Chinese nationalists that
disliked foreigners murdered missionaries
 US sent force to put down Boxer Rebellion
 Sec. of State, John Hay, sent a second note
stating US would preserve China’s
territorial integrity and keep trade open
Interventions in Western Hemisphere
 To enforce order, forestall
foreign intervention, and protect
economic interests, the United
States intervened in the
Caribbean and Central America
some twenty times over the next
quarter century -- in Cuba, the
Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Protection of American Interests
 On the whole, the United
States’ actions in Latin
America protected US
commercial and strategic
interests, but the goal of
spreading democracy went
mostly unfulfilled. The
frequent use of military force
also engendered widespread
resentment in the region.