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US History
Notes
Chapter 18
Questions, to address while reading.
1. What led US leaders to the policy of imperialism?
2. Why was the US interested in Cuba? How did the US remain an influence on Cuba?
3. How did the US accomplish its goals of expansion?
Section 1.
The United States was intent during the mid 1800’s on expanding the country through ‘manifest destiny’
to the reaches of the natural borders of the land. During the turn of the century, politicians believe that the
US should follow the example of European powers and begin to set up colonies. Africa and Asia were
being divided amongst the European powers as a race was initiated for world dominance. It was this idea
that led to the US becoming an Imperial power during this time.
American Imperialism
American Imperialists used 3 factors to fuel there exploits.
1. American colonies will improve the US economy through trade
2. Imperialism will lead to increase in US military strength
3. Anglo-Saxon cultural superiority
American Imperialist believed the US needed to expand to compete in the world market. Colonization
would solve the problems of unemployment and economic depression. The raw materials from colonies
would continue to fuel the US industry base.
Military expansion was advocated by Alfred T. Mahan and his book The Influence of Sea Power upon
History 1660-1783. Mahan argued the US needed a strong Navy to patrol the international shipping lanes.
Mahan wanted the US to build a large navy, build naval bases around the world and construct a canal
across Panama, while acquiring other lands such as Hawaii.
In his writings and speeches, Mahan stated:
1. Surplus production requires commercial colonies
2. Oceans should be highways, not barriers
3. A powerful navy is essential for commerce
Mahan wrote:
"War now not only occurs more rarely, but is an occasional excess,
from which recovery is easy."
Although imperialist believed that through the expansion of the country geographically the spreading of
‘dominant’ Anglo-Saxon culture would also occur, there were some who believed that the US should not
undertake a policy of expansionism. These reasons included: immoral grounds – there was no
justification for dominating another sovereign land, territories taken by US not given constitutional
protections, and the economic cost for this policy was too high.
Hawaii
Since the 1790’s Hawaii had been important to US merchants who traded with the islands. Sugar was the
commodity that was a staple of the economy. American owned plantations accounted for a large portion of
the islands wealth and the plantation owners brought in many immigrants from Asia to work the fields.
Business leaders in Hawaii from the US in fact had law changed in Hawaii to allow white business owners
the right to vote. This change in policy allowed for the US to become a more influential force in the
islands, and eventually led to the US building a naval base.
US planters, not wanting to pay high tariffs on there sugar, called for the US to annex Hawaii. However,
the US president Grover Cleveland opposed annexation. Instead plantation owners, with the help of US
Ambassador John Stevens, organized a revolution against the Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani. With the
help of US naval and Marine forces a provisional government was formed with Sanford B. Dole as
president. After President McKinley was elected, a pro-imperialist, Hawaii was formerly annexed by the
US without native Hawaiians having their voice heard.
Section 2
As the Spanish empire became less influential in the world, the US began to pay more attention to the
island off the coast of Florida. The US government actually entertained the idea of buying Cuba from
Spain during President Polk’s administration and during the 1860 election period, the Democrats advocated
adding Cuba as a slave state. Cuba would eventually become part of America’s growing domination
through war with Spain.
Cuban Instability
Towards the end of Spain control of the island, Cubans began to revolt against Spanish rule. Slavery was
abolished in Cuba in 1886. This abolition led to US investors to look toward Cuba as support for the
burgeoning US economy. The main crop that fueled the Cuban economy was sugar cane. The US
became Cuba’s main market for sugar and in 1884 abolished a tariff on Cuban sugar. This elimination
allowed the Cuban economy to grow quickly. However, in 1894, the tariff was restored and the Cuban
economy was ruined.
2nd War for Independence
Anti-Spanish sentiment in Cuba led to another attempt for Cuban independence. One of the leaders of the
movement was Jose Marti, a Cuban journalist living in NY. He helps to launch a guerilla campaign
against industries and factories, specifically US owned industry, to help bring the US to the Cuban’s aid.
The public in the US was split on the Cuba issue.
Yellow Journalism
In response to the Cuban revolt, Spanish General Valerian Weyler moved 30,000 Cubans into
concentration camps were thousands died of disease. Hearing of these actions American newspaper
owners, William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, printed exaggerated stories on the problems in Cuba.
De Lome Letter
More anti-Spanish sentiment was rooted in the US after the publishing of a private letter of the Spanish
minister to the US. The letter stated that the minister believed that President McKinley was weak
executive.
USS Maine
The battleship USS Maine was sent by President McKinley to Cuba to protect American citizens and
property. In February 1898 the ship exploded while in port in Cuba. There was no clear reason why the
Maine exploded (mine, internal explosion), however yellow journalists took advantage of the situation and
blamed the Spanish for the destruction. With this incident the US was on its way to war.
Battleship Maine
War with Spain
With the cry “Remember the Maine” the US public was ready for war with Spain. However, President
McKinley, a Civil War veteran, was reluctant to ask for a declaration of war immediately. The Spanish not
willing to go to war, attempted to avoid war with the US by agreeing to a six month cease-fire. Congress
declared war in April 1898.
The first battle of the Spanish-American War was in the Philippines, an island chain Spanish colony in
the Pacific. Admiral George Dewey, sailed into Manila and destroyed the Spanish fleet. For the next two
months Americans joined the Filipino rebel leader, Emilio Aguinaldo, and defeated the Spanish in the
Pacific.
The US landed forces in Cuba in June 1898. The army lacked a large force but was supplemented by many
ill-prepared troops. Over 100,000 Americans volunteered to fight creating a fever pitch of pro-US
sentiment. One of the all volunteer groups that fought in Cuba was the Rough Riders, a cavalry unit.
Commanded by Teddy Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, the Rough Riders were declared heroes by the US
press. The major battle of the war was fought near Santiago in July of 1898. The war lasted only four
months and was called ‘a splendid little war’ by the US Secretary of State.
The Treaty of Paris 1898
In ending the war the US and Spain came to an agreement with the following terms:
1. Cuba would be independent
2. Spain would give Puerto Rico and Guam (Pacific) to the US
3. the US would pay $20 million to Spain to annex the Philippines.
Many groups argued against the annexation of the Philippines. They believed that
1. it went against the Declaration of Independence, denying self-government to others
2. the US should take care of race relations at home first
3. Filipino immigrants may take away jobs from Americans
Results of the Spanish-American War
The United States easily and swiftly won the war and this outcome left a lasting legacy on both domestic
and foreign policy.
1. The United States became more like European countries
2. The nation was no longer a republic equal in all of its parts
3. America's quick victory had lasting psychological effects on many people
Section 3
As a result of the Spanish-American War, the US came into possession of Puerto Rico. However, some
Puerto Ricans did not want US protection and conflict rose between. After being freed from Spanish rule
some Puerto Ricans wanted statehood, some complete independence.
Knowing the strategic importance of Puerto Rico to the US lawmakers went about to pass the Foraker Act.
This act did the following:
1. denied US citizenship to Puerto Ricans
2. gave the president the power to appoint PR governor
3. gave the president power to appoint members of PR upper house
Puerto Ricans only had the power to elect member to the lower house of their legislature. The Supreme
Court ruled that the Constitution did not automatically apply to people in acquired territories. Congress
eventually gave rights to the Puerto Rican people.
After the Spanish-American War the resolution that concluded the war included a provision known as the
Teller Amendment. According to the amendment the US would not annex or control Cuba. However, the
US governed the island for four years after the war. Cubans worried that the US would replace Spain as
the ruling country, but the US continued to give aid to the Cubans by building school, farm land, and
improve health conditions on the island.
When the Cubans formed their own government in 1901, there was no provision that stated the relations of
the US and Cuba. Therefore the US wanted an amendment to clarify the relationship between the two
nations. This became known as the Platt Amendment and provided for the following:
1. Cuba could not make any treaties that might limit its independence or allow a foreign country
to control its territory
2. Cuba could not go into debt
3. The US was allowed to intervene in Cuba to maintain independence
4. the US may buy or lease land on the island for naval bases
Cuba essentially became a US protectorate, whose affairs were partially controlled by another country.
In the Philippines after the US took over the island the US government appointed a Filipino government.
However, natives feared that the US was acting in Spain’s place and that the Philippines were not actually
independent. This led to an uprising which became the Philippine-American War and lasted three years.
At the war’s end the Philippines situation was much like the Puerto Rican and the Philippines became
completely independent in 1946.
As in Africa, China was becoming a burgeoning market for European powers. By 1899 England, France,
Germany, Japan, and Russian had spheres of influence in China. This led to the controlling of railroads
and mining expedition within the Chinese landscape.
The US had no spheres of influence and wanted to be sure that the Chinese ports would be kept open for
trade. Fearing that the Asian and European powers would possibly close of ports to the US, the
government sent a policy statement to these nations asking to keep and Open Door Policy in China. This
would, in effect, keep China’s coastal ports open to trade with the US.
This foreign influence in China led to many natives becoming upset with China becoming a harbor for
foreign powers. A group of Chinese opposed to the spread of foreign influence created a secret society
known as the Boxers and led an uprising against the foreign countries. Troops from the US, Britain,
Germany, France and Japan joined together to put down the uprising.
Section 4
In the past couple of chapters Teddy Roosevelt’s domestic policy was discussed. Know we will turn to his
foreign policy. There are two major components that make up Roosevelt’s foreign policy. They are the
construction of the Panama Canal and the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
For a long time, the United States had been interested in a canal that would make transportation between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans more efficient. This was crucial not only for trade, but for the growing
United States Navy. Roosevelt was prepared to pay the New Panama Canal Company $40 million for
access to the canal and $10 million to Columbia for the land, but Columbia refused, hoping for a higher
price. At the same time, there was a growing independence movement in Panama. The United States
promptly recognized the new Republic of Panama. With the help of the United States, Panama got its
independence and a cool $10 million, the canal company got $40 million, Columbia got nothing, and the
United States, after a decade of construction and the death of nearly 6,000 canal builders, got its sea
passage.
As the US continued to expand, TR realized the need to keep American interests around the globe safe. To
this end TR presented his corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. Extending the thoughts of President Monroe
that European powers stay away from colonizing the western hemisphere, TR announced that if US
interests were threatened he would not hesitate to use military force to keep those interests safe. This
was a bold step for the United States and helped to usher the coming military power of the US.
People, Events, Terms
Anti-Imperialist League - A group including such luminaries as William James and Mark Twain that
argued against to combat American imperialism. Disliked the American annexation of Spanish territories.
Coaling Station - Coaling Stations were necessary in the late 19th century so that steamships that burned
coal could refuel en route. A worldwide navy (that could protect worldwide trade interests) required
worldwide coaling stations. The need for coaling stations was one of the reasons the US annexed several
islands during and after the Spanish American War, especially Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines.
Wilson-Gorman Tariff - This tariff passed by Congress in 1894 restricted US sugar imports. The tariff led
to an economic downturn in Cuba, and in turn helped to increase the anger of Cuban natives against
colonial Spain.
Walter Reed - US Army bacteriologist and pathologist sent to Cuba. He was the first to link yellow fever
to mosquito bites, helping to eliminate the disease.
Leonard Wood - Colonel and commander of the volunteer Rough Riders. Wood remained in Cuba as the
governor during the brief US occupation following the war. As governor, Wood oversaw the improvement
of sanitation, the building of schools and roads, and the deepening of Havana harbor.