Unit 2- History Notes

The Big Stick America and the World

10/11/16
Imperialism and the Spanish- American War.
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Imperialism- When powerful nations created empires by dominating

other lands.
Manifest Destiny- The idea (prevalent esp. in the 1840s & 50s) that it
was Americas obvious (manifest) and inevitable fate to occupy the
entire continent.
Monroe Doctrine- Declaration by President Monroe in 1823 that the
united states would oppose efforts by an outside power to control a
nation in the Western Hemisphere.

The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

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Speak softly and carry a big stick

The US would police areas of the Caribbean and Central America.
US did not want Europe interfering with the Americas.
Under this policy, the US would intervene in many of these countries.

Reasons for Imperialism:

1. Public Support
- Future prosperity depended on access to world markets.
- Territorial expansion and expansion of trade.
2. Military Strength
- Naval bases and coaling stations throughout the world.
- This helped the U.S. with expansion.
3. Economic Pressure
- World trade would lessen the threat of economic depressions.
10/13/16
Causes for the Spanish-American War.
1. Spanish Misrule in Cuba
- 1895- Cuban Revolt- Fueled by Spanish rule and falling sugar prices.
- Spain- sent General Valeriano Weyler- ruthless governor.
- Reconcentration- Spanish Policy- Cuban villagers in concentration camps.
(concentration camps- containing people- cant revolt)
o Many died from hunger and neglect.
2. Yellow Journalism
- A style of newspaper writing in the late 1890s that featured sensational
headlines and stories.

Newspapers fed the Anti-Spanish hysteria, and downplayed brutal deeds

of the rebels.
3. Remember the Maine
- U.S.S. Maine- 1898- Sent to Havanas harbor to protect U.S. citizens and
property.
- February 15, 1898- Explosion destroyed U.S.S. Maine- 266 sailors dead.
- Many U.S. citizens now favored war.
- But, Spanish didnt blow this up, it was an accident.
4. Spanish Concessions
- President McKinley- Supported Cuban independence
- President McKinley- Presented Spain with demands, including the
withdraw of Spain from Cuba.
- deLome Letter- Spanish Ambassador to the US whose letter described
McKinley as weak.
o Printed in the NY Journal and Infuriated the American Public
- Spain refused- McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war.
- Granted- April 25, 1898
Military Operations of the Spanish-American War
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Dewey at Manila Bay:

o First fighting took place in Philippines.
o In Philippines because they were ready, Cuba wasnt ready.
Commodore George Dewey- Commander of U.S. fleet based in Hong Kong.
Deweys fleet sunk or captured the entire Spanish fleet at Manila Bay.
U.S. troops took Manila.

Land Warfare in Cuba

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Poor Preparation: Army- Not equipped to launch an invasion of Cuba.

Rough Riders- Mixed crew of cowboys, college students, adventurers.
o Theodore Roosevelt- Promoted to leader of the group.
The rough Riders charged and took San Juan Hill.
The black soldiers of the 9th and 10th regiments assisted the Rough Riders.
Buffalo Soldiers*- led by a guy with the nickname of nickname- Black Jack.
Most deaths were a result of Yellow Fever and food poisoning, not battle
o Battle deaths- 385
o YF&FP- 2061
Yellow fever going to have a huge impact on something in the future
around Cuba.

Aftermath of the War:

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Treaty of Paris- Dec. 10, 1898

o Peace Treaty that ended Spanish-American War.
o This committed the U.S. to the responsibility of being a world power.
Guam and Puerto Rico are territories.

Territorial gains of the US

1. Puerto Rico
2. Guam- South Pacific

3. Philippines:
- American occupation of the Philippines met bitter opposition from the
Filipinos.
- Philippine insurrection lasted longer than the Spanish-American War.
Divided public opinion
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Most Americans agreed with McKinley- Govern Philippines.

Some felt colonialism was wrong.
Violated Americans belief in liberty, and might drag U.S. in to foreign
wars.

Platt Amendment
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Stipulated that the Cuban govt. could not enter any foreign
agreements, must allow the US to est. naval bases as needed on the
island, and must give the US the right to intervene whenever
necessary.
(We were the big brother to Cuba- a protectorate)

Far East Foreign Policy

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Open Door Policy:

U.S.- Open China (to trading) to all nations on an equal basis.
Secretary of State John Hay- Sent Open Door to notes to nations
involved in China.

Boxer Rebellion
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1900- Secret Chinese society, known as the Boxers, rose up to expel

the foreign devils.
Uprising lasted 2 months- Europe and U.S. broke the siege.
U.S. believed in the maintaining an independent China- Sent another
Open Door note.

Panama Canal- The Big Ditch

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Roosevelt wanted to move the military quickly between the Atlantic and
Pacific.
1902- US bought the canal rights for 40$ million from a French company.
The US still had to lease the canal route; Panama was a province of
Columbia.
1903- Panama Revolution- The Rep. of Panama was created, and they
leased the canal zone to the US.
1904- Work begun, but was halted the next year due to yellow fever.
Dr. William Gorgas- Helped destroy mosquitos and yellow fever.
This allowed work to resume- Ships were passing through by 1914.

Peacemaker in the Russo-Japanese War (1905)

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Russia and japan fought for control over Manchuria.

Roosevelt helped bring peace; Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
US- wanted to maintain the Open Door Policy in China.

Battleship diplomacy, 1907- 1909

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1907- Sent the USs Great White Fleet of 16 battleships around the
world.
Mainly done to impress Japan.

Part 2- 10/28/16
The United States Enters the First World War
Background for War
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Competing Alliances:
1. Triple Alliance
a. Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy
b. Began in 1882
2. Triple Entente:
a. France, Great Britain, Russia. (1907)
b. The system of alliances played an important part in
turning the assassination into war.

Nationalism in Europe was strong.

Imperialist rivalries threatened peace in Europe.
Assassination
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June 28, 1914- Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of AustriaHungary, was assassinated in Sarajevo.
Killer: Gavrilo Princip; A Serbian Nationalist.

Mobilization and Invasion of Belgium

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Central Powers: Austria-Hungary and Germany.

o Anticipated a swift victory.
o Marched through Belgium to France; August 3 rd invasion.
200000 Belgium troops could not stop Germany, but did not slow them as
the other allies mobilized.
Eastern and Western battlefronts- Opposing armies dug trenches from
which to fire on the enemy lines.
o Most extensive trench warfare took place in France.

American Neutrality
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Proclamation of Neutrality
o Wilson- Thought the allies could win without U.S. involvement.
o The U.S. adopted a Neutral position.
o Americans had a tough time remaining uninvolved

Propaganda
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Both sides used propaganda to try to influence public opinion.

Most major Americans papers backed the Allies.

Immigrant papers- Supported Central Powers.

Allied Propaganda- Had greatest impact.
Germans were portrayed as the aggressors.
New German Weapons: Submarine and Poison gas.

Effects of Poison Gas

Economic Ties
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Economic ties to the Allies made strict neutrality impossible.

Military orders from the Allies created an economic boom.
Trade with Allies grew: $500 million in 1914, $3.5 billion in 1917.
British set up a naval blockade to keep military contraband from
reaching Germany.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

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1914-1915- German submarines began attacking Allied ships.

International Law- Required ships to warn that it was about to sink an
enemy vessel.
o Subs could not do this.
1915- Germans- Ships risked attack in war zone around Britain.
May 1915- Lusitania- British passenger ship; torpedoed and sunk- 1200
dead, 128 Americans.

Pressures for Preparedness

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Sussex Pledge- Germany promised, with certain conditions, to sink no

more merchant ships without warning.
Roosevelt criticized Wilson for not preparing for war.
o Resisted building up military.
1916- Could not ignore the possibility of war- Doubled army, built a larger
navy.

Election of 1916
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Nation favored peace.

Republican nominee: Charles Evans Hughes.
Labeled as a war candidate by democrats.
Democrat nominee: Woodrow Wilson.
Democrats portrayed Wilson as the man who would keep the U.S. out of
war.
Wilson won the close election.

Renewed effort at Mediation

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1917- Germany unleashed its submarines to sink ALL ships in the war
zone.
Wilson then broke off relations with Germany. (very bad)
Zimmerman Telegram- Germany was trying to lure Mexico and Japan to its
side.
o Mexico may gain land back from the U.S.
April 6, 1917- U.S. declared war on Germany.

November 1917- Russia drops out of the war- Bolshevik Revolution.

American Participation
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By June 5, 1917, almost 10 million men between the ages of 21-31 had
registered for the war.
American Mobilizationo America was caught short on supplies.
o Needed to make adjustments to prepare.

Wartime Agencies:
1. War Industries Board (WIB)
- Spur production and coordinate war industries.
- Similar efforts brought order to the shipping and railroad industries.
- Led by Bernard Baruch- Prepared industry.
2. Food Administration
- Increasing American food production became a top priority.
- The country came together to raise the food.
- Victory gardens- Promoted by Hoover.
- Wheat, Pork, and Sugar were top priorities.
3. Committee on Public Information (CPI)
- 150,000 citizen lecturers.
- Said the war was fought for freedom and democracy.
- Helped spur the sale of Liberty Bonds.
American Preparation
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2 million soldiers were sent to France.

Slow mobilization: fewer than 300,000 fighting troops within a year.
The U.S. used convoys to get ships safely to Europe.

The American Expeditionary Force

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American Expeditionary Force (AEF)- American troops involved in WWILed by General John J. Pershing.
Wanted to keep U.S. troops together.
Battle of Belleau Woods- US troops distinguished themselves.
o Stooped the Germans, drove them back, broke through the line.
Battle of the Argonne Forest- Massive American counterattack.
Allies pressed on to victory- November 11, 1918.
American troops and supplies helped turn the tide of battle.

Wilsons Fourteen Points

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Wilsons proposal for peace in WWI

First five points: Open treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arm
reduction, and important adjustment of colonial claims.
Points six- thirteen: National self-determination and realignment of
borders.
Point fourteen: An establishment of an international organization to settle
disputes between nations and prevent future wars.

Peace Making
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Big Four
o Leaders of US, Great Britian, France, and Italy.
o Dominated the peace negotiations at Versailles.

The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

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European leaders- wanted the treaty to be more selfish and vengeful.

Wilson wanted the treaty to be more just and noble.
Victors- Received land in secret treaties.

The Us Senate and the Treaty

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The US did not accept the Versailles Treaty.

The US Senate most strongly opposed setting up the League of Nations.
US- Never joined the League of Nations.