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Hawaii
Use textbook pg548-51
On December 18, 1893, President Grover Cleveland said to Congress, “Thus it
appears that Hawaii was taken possession of by the United States forces without the
consent or wish of the government of the islands, or of anybody else so far as
shown, except the United States minister.” President Cleveland was referring to the
overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, led by Queen Liliuokalani.
Local residents, largely of American or European origin had revolted, led by
business leaders, such as plantation owners, who complained of corruption and
incompetence. U.S. troops landed to prevent violence, effectively blocking the
Hawaiian government from preventing the takeover of the government building in
Honolulu. The new republic wanted American annexation but had to wait until
1898, after the end of the Cleveland administration, to bring this about. Plantation
owners gained much, but the impact on the Hawaiian language, culture and society
was far-reaching. In 1959, the residents of Hawaii voted to become the 50th state.
What were the United States’ motivations for expansion into the Pacific
Ocean?
o Increased trade with China and Japan led to increased need for a Pacific
trading port.
o Hawaii had a favorable climate for growing sugar cane, a product not easily
grown on mainland United States.
Imperialism
Imperialism is a practice by which a foreign power extends political and economic
influence or control over another country. Following Reconstruction, in a period
known as the Age of Imperialism, European countries and the United States sought
to extend their political and economic influence throughout the world. Even as the
United States was halting immigration from China through the Chinese Exclusion
Act of 1882, and anti-Asian sentiment in the western region of the United States
was on the rise, the United States still looked to Asia as a potential region for
economic gain. The United States believed it was its destiny to expand overseas and
spread its civilization to other people, particularly to countries with abundant
resources.
European countries searched for raw materials and markets in countries in Asia,
Latin America, and Africa. They competed for economic power and influence in
areas across the world. For example, in the late 19th century, European powers and
Japan divided China into spheres of influence. These were areas where Germany,
France, Great Britain, Russia and Japan held positions of influence. Each country
controlled trade within its sphere.
The Spanish-American War
Use textbook pg 553-55
An uprising against Spanish ruled Cuba occurred in 1895. Though President
Cleveland declared United States neutrality, many in Congress wanted to
intervene. Interest in Cuba was bolstered by the yellow journalism of newspaper
publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Both men sensationalized
events in Cuba as a way to boost sales and incite public opinion.
Pulitzer
Hearst
In 1898, the USS Maine, stationed in Spanish-controlled waters off the coast of
Cuba, inexplicably blew up. Some 266 American sailors died. Though an
investigation found that Spain had not attacked the ship, Hearst and Pulitzer jumped
at the chance to capitalize. Pro-war legislators saw a free Cuba as an opportunity for
economic development. Proponents of a large American navy and overseas
expansion saw war with Spain as an opportunity to extend influence and gain
territories.
The Spanish-American War erupted two months after the sinking of the USS
Maine. During what Secretary of State John Hay described as “a splendid little
war,” future President Theodore Roosevelt led his calvary unit, the Rough Riders, at
the Battle of San Juan. In 1901, the United States granted Cuba independence,
providing Cubans agreed to the Platt Amendment to Cuba’s news constitution.
This said that Cuba would not make treaties with other nations that were against
America’s interests and gave America control of the naval base at Guantanamo
Bay. It was canceled in 1934.
The first shots of the Spanish-American War occurred in the far-off Spanish-ruled
Philippines. There the U.S. defeated the Spanish navy and took over the city of
Manila. Filipino rebels seized the island of Luzon. The Americans captured the city
of Manila with rebel help. The rebels declared the Philippines independent of Spain.
A failed revolt against American rule followed. The Philippines eventually achieved
complete independence in 1946.
Panama Canal
Use textbook pg 566-67
From 1881 to 1887, France attempted to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama
to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Eager to take over the project, in 1903
the United States signed a treaty that granted it a permanent lease over a 10-milewide swathe across the isthmus for $10 million and an annual rent of $250,000.
Work on the Panama Canal began the next year. Over 40,000 people worked on
the canal, which opened on August 15, 1914. The canal reduced the voyage of a
ship traveling from New York to San Francisco by almost 8,000 miles. The building
of the Panama Canal was part of an American foreign policy whose intent was to
extend American influence throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Use textbook pg 568
In 1904, President Roosevelt issued his Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The
policy established the United States as the policing power of the Western
Hemisphere. President Roosevelt and his political and military advisors believed
that United States should intervene in order to stabilize the political and economic
affairs of small countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Roosevelt wanted
these countries to be able to collect tariffs and taxes so they could pay their
international debts, and especially wanted to keep Europeans from interfering.
“In asserting the Monroe Doctrine, in taking such steps as we have
taken in regard to Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama, and in endeavoring
to circumscribe the theater of war in the Far East, and to secure the
open door in China, we have acted in our own interest as well as in the
interest of humanity at large…”
Theodore Roosevelt, Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine 1904
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”
President Theodore Roosevelt applied this proverb to American foreign policy.
How does this cartoon explain American imperialism in the early 1900s?
Immigration Restrictions
Use the textbook pages 464-65
Many native-born Americans thought of their country as a melting pot, a mixture
of people of different cultures and races who blended together by abandoning their
native languages and customs. Many new immigrants, however, did not wish to
give up their cultural identities. As immigration increased, strong anti-immigrant
feelings emerged. One response to the growth in immigration was nativism, or
overt favoritism toward native-born Americans. This idea gave rise to antiimmigrant groups & led to a demand for immigration restrictions.
A large number of Chinese immigrants began entering the United States during the
1800s through Angel Island on the west coast. Many worked on railroads and were
willing to take lower wages for jobs. This created an anti-Asian sentiment among
native-born Americans who feared that jobs would go to Chinese immigrants.
In 1882, Congress slammed the door on Chinese immigration for ten years by
passing the Chinese Exclusion Act. This banned entry to all Chinese except
students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials. In 1892, Congress
extended the law for another ten years. In 1902, Chinese immigration was
restricted indefinitely; the law was not repealed until 1943.