Imperialism and The United

States, 1890-1914
Introduction…
With your neighbor…
• You are a leader of a • Why then would you
country that has a feel the need (or be
considerable amount pressured to) seek
of land, relatively small out territory beyond
population in your own?
proportion to land size,
natural resources, and
a stabilized
government.
 What is Imperialism?
• Exerting control over
another nation
• By means of economic,
political, and/or
military control
• Can be connected with
Jingoism (extreme
nationalism led by a
pro-war foreign policy)
Prior to the 1890’s the US was not
interested in expansion…Why?

• The Civil War

• Expanding westward (Manifest Destiny!)

• Staying away from foreign alliances and

wars
By the 1890’s the US was ready to
expand…why?

1. End of the frontier (1890 census)

• Many believed U.S. had to expand or
explode
a. Increased demand for raw
materials and resources
b. “Safety valve” thesis
Reasons…
2. Increased importance of international trade for
the U.S. economy
a. The U.S. became the world’s leading
industrial power in the 1890s
b. Some Americans sought new
colonies to expand markets further
3. U.S. sought to compete with Europe for
overseas empires
a. Some American leaders sought
“great power” status for the U.S.
b. By 1914, Europe controlled 84% of
the world’s land
 “The World’s
Plunderers,” Thomas
Nast, 1885”
Reasons for expansion…
4. Proponents of U.S. expansion overseas
1. Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan:
The Influence of Sea Power upon
History, 1660-1783 (1890)
a. Thesis: naval power was the key
to world dominance
b. Stimulated a naval arms race
among the “great powers”
c. U.S. sought defensive naval bases
and refueling stations
d. By 1900, U.S. had
the world’s 3rd largest navy
Reasons…
2. Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge
a. Social Darwinism (“survival of the
fittest”)
b. Roosevelt also sought a canal in Central
America to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
3. Senator Albert Beveridge stated U.S. was part of a
worldwide movement of the superior white race and
imperialism was ordained by God
4. Josiah Strong, Our Country (1885)
-- Advocated superiority of Anglo-Saxon
civilization
Welcome Back!

• Bell Ringer… • 5 reasons the US

began to imperialize?
• Who did the United
States overthrow to
claim Hawaii?
• Why did the US go to
war with Spain?
• Bring Textbooks to
class tomorrow!
American interests in Imperialism

• Samoa • Became a
protectorate in
the 1870’s
• A weak country under
the protection and
partial control of a
strong country.
Hawaii
 Hawaii

• Early missionaries • Many wanted US out,

bought large amounts including Queen
of land for sugar Liliuokalani. Was
plantations overthrown in 1893
• By 1880’s, US using • Became a Republic
Pearl Harbor as a with Sanford Dole as
naval base first Governor.
The Spanish American War

• US concerned about
Spanish control in
Cuba
• Wanted to protect
American owned
sugar plantations
• US against Spanish
atrocities towards
Cubans
 WAR FEVER!!

• Yellow Journalism
• News that exploits,
distorts, or
exaggerates events in
order to attract
readers
In effort to gain support for the Cubans
many newspapers ran stories that were
exaggerated and untrue…
• The two most famous “You furnish the
editors of the time pictures…I’ll supply
the War”
were Joseph Pulitzer…
• …and William
Randolph Hearst
 WAR FEVER!!
• In 1898 Hearst’s New • Spanish ambassador
York Journal Enrique Dupuy de
published what was Lôme wrote a personal
know as the “De Lome letter to his friend
Letter.” José Canalejas who
was in Cuba. The
letter contained
• What was the content derogatory comments
in the letter? about President
McKinley and his
policies concerning
Cuba.
• “...Besides the ingrained and inevitable
bluntness with which is repeated all that the
press and public opinion in Spain have said
about Weyler, it once more shows what
McKinley is, 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.”
 WAR FEVER!!
• In Feb. 1898 While
protecting Americans
in Cuba, the USS
Battleship Maine
exploded in Havana
Harbor killing 260
men.
• “Remember the
Maine” became a war
slogan.
WAR!!
 WAR!!
• A reluctant William
McKinley asked
Congress for a
declaration of war
in April 1898
 “The Splendid Little War”
The Battle of the
• First action of war Philippines
• Fight for
independence against
Spain
• Was helped by Filipino
Patriot Emilio
Aguinaldo
• Destroyed Spanish
Fleet at Manila Bay led
by Adm. Dewey
Welcome Back!

• For Tomorrow: Come • Bell Ringer…1.

prepared to discuss Discuss the Cuban
the last section of campaign and 2. what
your study guide was the outcome of
the Treaty of Paris?
 The Cuban Campaign

• US Army had a
tougher time…
why?
• Heat and wool
uniforms
• Spread of disease
• Ill prepared and ill
trained
 The Cuban Campaign

• Object was to capture • On land, the goal of

port city of Santiago the Army was to take
where Spanish Fleet military installations
was anchored above Santiago…
• Navy was able to sink including San Juan
the fleet Heights and El Caney
 The Rough Riders

• Led by former
Secretary of Navy
Theodore
Roosevelt, this rag
tag Calvary unit led
the charge up San
Juan Hill
• Or did they?

They actually attacked Kettle Hill!

 Buffalo Soldiers
• 2,000 African American
soldiers comprised of
Regular Army regiments,
the 9th and 10th Cavalry
and the 24th and 25th
Infantry.
• Joined the Rough Riders for
the battle of San Juan and
Kettle Hills
 The End of the War
August 12, 1898
(114 days!)
• Treaty of Paris, • Cuba gained
Dec. 1898 Independence
• US received Puerto
Rico and Guam
• Spain sold the
Philippines to the US
for 20 million
• US became a colonial
Power…new problems
and responsibilities.
Welcome Back!

• Bell Ringer….What • Agenda and

are the outcomes of Objective: Through
the Treaty of Paris! notes and discussion
students will identify
Roosevelt’s Foreign
policy.

• Quiz tomorrow!
 Issues with Cuba in the
aftermath of War…
• At the start of War, US • Promised Cuban
issues Teller independence after
Amendment war
• Gave US the right to • With the country on
intervene to maintain the verge of
stable government; economic/political
Cuba was not allowed collapse Congress
foreign agreements; passes Platt
US controlled Amendment
Guantanamo Bay
Issues with the Philippines in
the aftermath of War…
• US felt the right to
take control of the
Islands; Filipinos
thought differently
• Three year rebellion
led by Aguinaldo; ends
with 200,000 dead;
7,000 US soldiers
• Becomes a republic in
1946
 Problems with Puerto Rico
after the War…
• Became a US • However, were
possession after the citizens of PR but not
war. US saw it as a the United States.
Colony. • Led to Jones Act of
• In 1900 Foraker Act is 1917
passed. Gave PR a • Became a
form of self- commonwealth in
government 1952
United States Imperialism
Part II
1900-1914

Kathleen Krall
Spring Grove Area High School
Focus of US foreign policy shifts to
Central America after the War
• Was premised by the • That US would stay
Monroe Doctrine of out of Europe and
1823 would oppose
European intervention
in the Western
Hemisphere
US was also interested in
expanding in the Far East
• Interested in China • A weak country
who was carved up
into “spheres of
• American influence” by
merchants feared Europe
they would be left
out of trade
markets
In response, Secretary of State
John Hay authored the “open door
policy”
Sent Diplomatic notes
to Russia, France,
Germany, Britain, and
Japan asking them
for equal trading
rights and
transportation
facilities in China
However, many Chinese did not
want Westerns in China…
• In 1900 a secret
society known as the
“Boxers” tried to
overthrow the
imperial government
and expel foreigners
• Did not succeed

“…destroy the foreigner!"

Meanwhile back in the Western
Hemisphere…
Foreign Policy Of Theodore
Roosevelt
The United States has
• Extended the the chief responsibility
Monroe Doctrine for adjudicating any
into what was conflicts between
known as the Europe and Latin
“Roosevelt America…became known
Corollary” as the “Big Stick Policy.”

The first test to the Corollary

occurred in the Venezuelan
Crisis of 1902
 The Panama Canal
Granted the US the
• When TR became • sole
Build a Canal across
right to build
President he Central America
and control a canal.
wanted to… •Was
Keep toEurope
remain out
freeof
• To do this the US Latinopen
and American
to ships
agreed to the Hay- affairs.
from all nations.
Pauncefote Treaty
with the French
Why would a Canal be
important?
But where should the Canal be
Built?
• First place • However in 1902 a
considered was volcano exploded
Nicaragua. Was on the island of
free of disease and Martinique. US
only had about 50 believed to be
miles to dig… unsafe
Option number two…
Panama
However Panama was
controlled by Columbia…
• Knowing that Panama • Roosevelt supported
was unhappy under “I took the Canal”
the revolution,
Columbian rule, a sending navy to
revolution was staged ensure victory
with the help of the • US quickly recognized
French Canal agent Panama and
Philippe Bunau-Varilla negotiated a treaty
• the new Foreign with…
Minister Bunau-
Varilla!
Building the Canal…
• Had to deal with
disease. Over 5,600
workers died

• Army Physician,
William Gorgas was
able to wipe out
yellow fever by
draining local water
areas
 More than 43,000 laborers
worked on the Canal. Were
divided into Gold and Silver Star
Workers

Most work was done with pick

ax, shovel, and dynamite. Work
ended in 1914 with the cost of
352 million
 Traveling through the
canal takes approximately
10-12 hours

The water route from

New York to San
Francisco was 8,000 miles
shorter Allowed Navy to
move quicker

On December 31, 1999 the canal

was returned to the government
of Panama

“The land divided, the world

united”
Latin America and William
Howard Taft
• Turned away from
“big stick” diplomacy
and supported “Dollar
Diplomacy”
• Urged American
banks and businesses
to invest in Latin
America
Woodrow Wilson and Latin
America
• Was weary of dollar
diplomacy
• Believed that heavy
investment would
actually harm weak
nations
• Feared that investors
would take all profits
and influence local
governments
One area of concern for Wilson
was Mexico…
• Ruled by dictator • In the revolution of
Porfilio Diaz who was 1911, Diaz was
a friend of the United overthrown by
States Francisco Madero

• However Madero was

executed, allowing
Victoriano Huerta to
proclaim himself
ruler of Mexico
Shift in American Foreign
Policy!!
• Wilson refused to recognize new
government set up by Huerta…
• Government now must be based on free
elections before US will recognize…
• In response, Heurta arrested Americans in
Mexico. US sent Navy to port city of Vera
Cruz…
• The United States
supported two
local
revolutionaries to
help overthrow
Heurta…
• Venustiano
Carranza
• And Pancho Villa
 Huerta was eventually
overthrown in 1916 with the
United States supporting
Carranza… US troops
Wilson were
threatened
never abletroops.
by sending to
findVilla wentEnds
Villa. on a
killing spree across
Villa was determined to gain up being
control by attacking a train the Rio Grande
assassinated in
killing 3 soldiers
in Northern Mexico, killing
1923.
and a boy
12 Americans

But Wilson had other worries…

WORLD WAR I