Download America Becomes A Colonial Power

Foreign Policy Elite
• Most Americans do not follow foreign
affairs
• Small, cosmopolitan group shapes foreign
policy (same people guide economy)
• Argue that US prosperity and security
requires expansion overseas and global
activity
• Assert that foreign trade and investments
will bring profit and relieve factory/farm
overproduction (depression of 1890s)
1. Commercial/Business Interests
U. S. Foreign Investments: 1869-1908
1. Commercial/Business Interests
• Key factor in post-1865 economic growth
– GDP increases by 4x from 1870-1900
• Exports and investments abroad surge; US
achieves favorable balance of trade (1874)
• Export to England, Europe, Canada (80% of
exports); trade with Latin America and Asia also
increases (worth $200M in 1900).
• Farmers and some manufacturers (Singer)
depend on exports; 1913: factory exports
surpass farm exports for first time
– 20% Agricultural output what exported.
• Producers wanted markets for ‘excess’
production.
1. Commercial/Business Interests
American Foreign Trade:
1870-1914
2. Military/Strategic Interests
Alfred T. Mahan - The Influence of Sea Power on
History: 1660-1783
2. Military/Strategic Interests
• Key to empire in this time—Naval Power.
US began developing its Navy. Captain
Alfred Mahan and Theodore Roosevelt
became important advocates of naval
power.
• Mahan: “Oceans are not barriers… but a
great highway over which men pass in all
directions.”
– Need a powerful navy to protect the highway.
– Need military bases at strategic points (in the
Pacific, and Caribbean) to have a powerful
navy.
3. Social Darwinist Thinking
The Hierarchy
of Race
The White Man’s
Burden
3. Social Darwinist Thinking
• Many intertwined ideas encourage empire
– Exceptionalism, nationalism, capitalism, social
Darwinism, paternalism and prejudice
• Imperialists assert racial hierarchy of
“civilized” peoples; Anglo-Saxons at top;
dark skinned (Africans, Indians) on
bottom
• Latin Americans and Asians in middle
(still viewed with derogatory stereotypes)
3. Social Darwinist Thinking
• Strong’s Our Country (1885) celebrates
divine Anglo-Saxon mission to lead world
• National Geographic (1888) stereotypes
foreign peoples as uncivilized.
• Ethnocentrism and paternalism shape
imperialism (US culture is superior and
dark skinned foreigners are “children”)
• Such ideas rationalize domination of
others
4. Religious/Missionary Interests
American
Missionaries
in China, 1905
Motivated by religion, 10,000
missionaries (many of them
women) overseas by 1915
5. Closing the American Frontier
5. Closing the American Frontier
• Manifest Destiny- John Fiske: “The work
which the English race began when it
colonized North America is destined to go
on until every land on the earth… shall
become English in its language… religion…
political habits… and to a predominant
extent in the blood of its people.”
• The Winning of the West- TR: Sweep aside
Natives- “backward peoples”- “for the
benefit of civilization and in the interests of
mankind.”
Gentleman’s Agreement: 1908
A Japanese note agreeing
to deny passports to
laborers entering the U.S.
Japan recognized the U.S.
right to exclude Japanese
immigrants holding passports
issued by other countries.
The U.S. government got the
school board of San Francisco
to rescind their order to
segregate Asians in separate
schools.
1908  Root-Takahira Agreement.
“Seward’s Folly”: 1867
$7.2 million
“Seward’s Icebox”: 1867
Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani
Hawaii for the
Hawaiians!
Annexation of Hawaii
• US missionaries, businessmen, and navy see
Hawaii as base for profit and expansion
• 1875- trade agreement that allowed sugar
from Hawaii to enter US duty (tax) free.
• White (American) planters came to dominate
the island.
• Native population largely killed by diseases.
– 1887- Whites forced king to accept political reforms.
King loses much power to whites.
– 1890- Hawaii loses trade advantages. Domestic (US)
growers get a subsidy, and tariff dropped for all
foreign growers.
•Economic crisis in Hawaii
Annexation of Hawaii
• By 1890s, white American elite dominates
economy and undermines native
government
• 1890 tariff hurts sugar exports to US; elite
wants US to annex Hawai‘i;
• 1891- Queen Lili assumes throne. Tries to
take power back. Whites revolt.
American Minister calls in Marines to
support coup. New government asks for
annexation to US.
• McKinley maneuvers annexation in 1898
U. S. Missionaries in Hawaii
Imiola Church – first built in the late 1820s
U. S. View of Hawaiians
Hawaii becomes a U. S. Protectorate in 1849
by virtue of economic treaties.
U. S. Business Interests In Hawaii
1875 – Reciprocity
Treaty
1890 – McKinley Tariff
1893 – American
businessmen backed an
uprising against Queen
Liliuokalani.
Sanford Ballard Dole
proclaims the Republic
of Hawaii in 1894.
To The Victor Belongs the Spoils
Hawaiian
Annexation
Ceremony, 1898
The Imperialist Taylor
Cuba
• Cubans (Marti) want freedom from Spain
• US investments dominate Cuba (sugar), and
most Cuban trade with US, esp. Florida
• 1894 US tariff creates economic crisis
• Marti launches guerrilla war; many Cubans
killed and US property destroyed, but Spain
weakened; Americans sympathize with
rebels
• Rebels recognized they could tip the balance
by drawing America into the conflict.
Cuba
• US public support generally for the rebels
– Reflects our revolution of 1776
– Rebels were damaging economic life of island
with sabotage. American investors want war
over.
– Spanish Gen. Weyler began to put population
into concentration camps. Conditions led to
many deaths. “Butcher” Weyler.
– Yellow journalism—Stirred up emotions in
US. Stirred up excessive Patriotism. Jingoism.
– Imperialist attitudes- US drawn towards idea
of helping the rebels.
Spanish Misrule in Cuba
Valeriano Weyler’s
“Reconcentration” Policy
“Yellow Journalism” & Jingoism
Joseph Pulitzer
William Randolph Hearst
Hearst to Frederick Remington:
You furnish the pictures,
and I’ll furnish the war!
McKinley’s Ultimatum and War Decision
• Sept. 1897 US Minister insists that conflict in Cuba
be brought to an end.
– Make peace or the US will step in.
– A new Spanish govt. recalled Gen. Weyler and
harsh treatment of Cubans.
– Offered Cubans a degree of self-rule, but not
independence.
– Cubans encouraged by US involvement- held
out for independence.
• McKinley orders Maine to Havana to show US
interest in end to war
McKinley’s Ultimatum and War Decision
• Feb. 9, 1898- William Randolph Hearst’s
New York Journal released a copy of
Spanish Minister de Lome’s letter
criticizing Pres. McKinley as weak.
• Feb. 15- Maine explodes—266 men killed.
• Unclear the cause, but in public mind de
Lome letter and explosion linked. Spain
responsible.
• “Remember the Maine”
De Lôme Letter
Dupuy de Lôme, Spanish
Ambassador to the U.S.
Criticized President
McKinley as weak and a
bidder for the admiration
of the crowd, besides
being a would-be politician
who tries to leave a door
open behind himself while
keeping on good terms
with the jingoes of his
party.
McKinley’s Ultimatum and War Decision
• March 27, 1898, McKinley sends ultimatum;
– Immediate armistice
– Abandon reconcentration
– Have US as mediator
– End of mediation would result in Cuban
independence.
• Spain made concessions, but resisted
independence.
• April 11: McKinley says continued negotiations
will not work, asks Congress for authorization
for war.
• Motives: humanitarian, secure US
property/trade, opportunity for US
expansion/empire
USS Maine
USS Maine Post-Explosion
Maine Post-Explosion
Artist’s Rendering of Maine Explosion
Remember the Maine
and to Hell with Spain!
Funeral for Maine
victims in Havana
Theodore Roosevelt
Assistant Secretary of
the Navy in the
McKinley
administration.
Imperialist and
American nationalist.
Criticized President
McKinley as having
the backbone of a
chocolate éclair!
Resigns his position
to fight in Cuba.
The
“Rough
Riders”
Spanish-American-CubanFilipino War
• Only 379 of 5462 US deaths from combat;
most die from yellow fever/typhoid in US
• First US victory in war in Philippines via
new navy; imperialists see islands as key
to US expansion in Pacific/Asia
• Spanish, already weakened, lose quickly
Treaty of Paris (1898)
• Cuba gains independence
• US gets Puerto Rico, Guam, and Philippines
from Spain
– Pay $20M for Philippines
• Teller Amendment (in war declaration)
blocks US annexation of Cuba, but
McKinley assumes Cuba needs US tutelage
• McKinley annexes Hawai‘i and Wake
Island, gaining more colonies/bases in
Pacific
• Senate debates treaty and empire (1899)
The Spanish-American War (1898):
“That Splendid Little War”
Dewey Captures Manila!
Is He To Be a Despot?
What to do w/ the Philippines?
• Grant the Philippines independence?
• Sen. Lodge: “We hold the other side of the
Pacific and the value to this country is
almost beyond imagination.”
• Naval strategists coveted a base in Asia.
• Could be key to maintaining influence in
China- competition w/ European powers
for China market.
What to do w/ the Philippines?
• McKinley to a group of ministers (p. 313 Zinn):
“I sought counsel from all sides… but got little
help…. I went down on my knees and prayed
Almighty God for guidance…. [I]t came:
1. We could not give them back to Spain…
2. We could not turn them over to [our rivals]
3. We could not leave them to themselves- they
were unfit for self-government
4. There was nothing left for us to do but to take
them all and to educate… uplift… civilize… and
Christianize them.
And then I went to bed and slept soundly.”
Emilio Aguinaldo
Leader of the Filipino
Uprising.
July 4, 1946:
Philippine independence
Emilio Aguinaldo
• Had been brought back to the Philippines
by the US from China to help in the fight
against Spain.
• Now fought against the Americans.
Leader of the insurrectos.
• It took the US 3 years and 70,000 troops to
crush the rebellion.
– War ended in the Philippines, with more than
4,200 U.S. soldiers, 20,000 Filipino soldiers,
and 200,000 Filipino civilians dead.
Use quotes, p. 315+, Zinn
William H. Taft, 1st
Gov.-General of the Philippines
Our “Sphere of Influence”
The American Anti-Imperialist
League
Founded in 1899.
Mark Twain, Andrew
Carnegie, William
James, and William
Jennings Bryan among
the leaders.
Campaigned against the
annexation of the
Philippines and other
acts of imperialism.
Cuban Independence?
Senator
Orville Platt
Platt Amendment (1903)
1. Cuba was not to enter into any agreements with
foreign powers that would endanger its independence.
2. The U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs if
necessary to maintain an efficient, independent govt.
3. Cuba must lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for
naval and coaling station.
4. Cuba must not build up an excessive public debt.
Puerto Rico
1900 - Foraker Act: civil law that established a
civilian government in Puerto Rico.
1901-1903-the Insular Cases: Essentially, the
Supreme Court said that full constitutional rights did
not automatically extend to all areas under American
control.
1917 – Jones Act: This law gave Puerto Ricans U.S.
citizenship. However, the Governor and the President
of the United States had the power to veto any law
passed by the legislature. Also, the United States
Congress had the power to stop any action taken by
the legislature in Puerto Rico. The U.S. maintained
control over fiscal and economic matters and exercised
authority over mail services, immigration, defense and
other basic governmental matters.
Panama: The King’s Crown
1850 Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
Signed in 1850 by the United
States and the United Kingdom,
the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was
an agreement that both nations
were not to colonize or control
any Central American republic.
The purpose was to prevent one
country from building a canal
across Central America that the
other would not be able to use
Panama Canal
TR in Panama
(Construction begins in
1904)
Panama:
• US wanted a canal across Central America
to avoid shipping goods and naval vessels
around tip of South America
• Nicaragua a logical place. Panama too.
• French had started a canal in Panama,
which was then under control of
Colombia. US bought French interest,
then Colombia wanted more money.
Panama:
• US supported a revolt by a pro-US group
willing to allow the canal to be built by
Americans. US ships blocked Colombia
from putting down the rebellion. US
quickly recognized the independent
Panama. Bought rights to canal for $10M.
Panama:
1903 Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty. the
United States was to receive rights to a
canal zone which was to extend ten miles
on either side of the canal route in
perpetuity; Panama was to receive a
payment from US up to $10 million and an
annual rental payments of $250,000.
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe
Doctrine: 1905
Chronic wrongdoing…
may in America, as
elsewhere, ultimately
require intervention by
some civilized nation, and
in the Western
Hemisphere the adherence
of the United States to the
Monroe Doctrine may
force the United States,
however reluctantly, in
flagrant cases of such
wrongdoing or impotence,
to the exercise of an
international police
power .
Speak Softly,
But Carry a Big Stick!
The Roosevelt Corollary to the
Monroe Doctrine: 1905
• Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine—
Not only would US act if European
powers intervened in the Americas
(Monroe Doctrine), but the US could
intervene first in order to prevent that
possibility.
Stereotypes of the Chinese
Immigrant
Oriental [Chinese]
Exclusion Act, 1887
The Open Door Policy
Secretary John Hay.
Give all nations equal
access to trade in China.
Guaranteed that China would NOT be taken
over by any one foreign power.
The
Open Door
Policy
America as a Pacific Power
The Cares of a Growing Family
Constable of the World
Treaty of Portsmouth: 1905
Nobel Peace Prize for TR
The Great White Fleet: 1907
Taft’s “Dollar
Diplomacy”
Improve financial
opportunities for
American businesses.
Use private capital to
further U. S. interests
overseas.
Therefore, the U.S.
should create stability and
order abroad that would
best promote America’s
commercial interests.
The Mexican Revolution: 1910s
Victoriano Huerta seizes control of Mexico
and puts Madero in prison where he was
murdered.
Venustiano Carranza, Pancho Villa, Emiliano
Zapata, and Alvaro Obregon fought against
Huerta.
The U.S. also got involved by occupying
Veracruz and Huerta fled the country.
Eventually Carranza would gain power in
Mexico.
The Mexican Revolution: 1910s
Emiliano Zapata
Venustiano Carranza
Pancho Villa
Porfirio
Diaz
Francisco I Madero
Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”
The U. S. should
be the conscience
of the world.
Spread democracy.
Promote peace.
Condemn colonialism.
Searching for Banditos
General John J. Pershing with Pancho
Villa in 1914.
U. S. Global Investments &
Investments in Latin America, 1914
U. S. Interventions in
Latin America: 1898-1920s
Uncle Sam: One of the “Boys?”
What the U. S. Has Fought For