American Imperialism1898 - 1917

Stages of Imperialism• Imperialism = one nation extending its

power or control over other lands/countries.•Desire for military strength: Build a larger

Navy and Military•Economic Interests: foreign trade,

unemployment solution, solution to economic depression.

•Belief in Cultural Superiority: Free market trade would lead to the survival of the fittest.

•Nationalism: love for one’s country

Seward’s Icebox

•William Seward convinces U.S. to by Alaska in 1867.

•Bought from Russia for $7.2 Million.

•Oil and gold Found there

•1959 it becomes a state.

Taking Hawaii• America goes to plant

Sugarcane• 1887 King Kalakaua tries to

kick Americans out• American Sugar growers or

the Hawaiian League makes him sign the bayonet Constitution

• Hawaiians couldn’t vote and Pearl Harbor is given to U.S. Military

• 1890 U.S. Government Revokes tax free importation of sugar from Hawaii

Taking Hawaii• 1893 Queen Liliuokalani

decides to restore power to Hawaiian Monarchy

• John L. Stevens American minister to Hawaii starts a rebellion calling in 20,000 Marines to take the island

• Sanford B. Dole a sugar tycoon becomes the new president of Hawaii

• Claims Hawaii as a protectorate of the U.S. and tries to get it annex

Taking Hawaii

•Grover Cleveland does not agree with what has happened

•William McKinley once president annex’s Hawaii in 1898

•Becomes 50th State in 1959

Trade with China•Russia, France, Germany, and

U.K. were trading with China.•Spheres of Influence =

geographic area where an outside nation exerts special economic or political control

•U.S. Secretary of State John Hay suggests the Open Door Policy or trading rights to all nations with China

Boxer Rebellion• Antiforeigner sentiments

grew because of the new competition for China

• The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists or the Boxers

• They siege the capital city of Beijing = Boxer Rebellion

• 1901 the fight was over and the Open Door Policy gains support

Spanish American War•1868 Cubans revolt

against Spanish Rule• Jose Marti a writer

pushes a revolution•General Valeriano

Weyler is sent by Spain to crush the revolution

•Locks civilians up so they couldn’t fuel the rebels

•Yellow Journalism = Style of sensational reporting.•Helped to gain support for American intervention in War and to sell papers

•William Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World started this trend

De Lome Letter•President McKinley did

not want to join in the war.•Enrique Dupuy de Lome

Spain’s Minister to the U.S. writes the de Lome Letter

•It criticizes president McKinley calling him “weak and catering to the rabble”

•McKinley in response sends the USS Maine to Havana

Remember the Maine

•Once arriving in Havana the main is sunk on Feb 15th, 1898 killing 260 sailors

•This pushed the U.S. into War.

•U.S. battle cry became “Remember the Maine”

Battle in Cuba•U.S. soldiers poorly equipped•Rough Riders = Volunteer

Calvary led by Theodore Roosevelt

•Captured Santiago and soon took Kettle and San Juan Hills

•Buffalo Soldiers = All Black Regiments led the charge

•Soon after the capture of San Juan Hill Spain surrendered

•2000 U.S. dead $250 Million cost

Fight in the Philippines

•U.S. sends George Dewey to take Philippine island from Spain.

•Emilio Aguinaldo the Filipino rebel leader helps U.S.

• U.S. wins Aug 14th 1898

Treaty for Peace•Spain gave up Cuba,

Puerto Rico, and Guam to U.S.

•U.S. buys The Philippine Islands from Spain for $20 Million

•Emilio Aguinaldo leads a rebellion against U.S. and we win

•4000 U.S. dead•220,000 Filipino’s dead

Cuban Future

•Platt Amendment = limited Cuba’s ability to sign treaties, U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs, Cuba had to lease land to the U.S. for Naval use “ Guantanamo Bay” and Coal.

•Cuba was now a Protectorate or a country under the control and protection of another country

Puerto Rico’s Future

•Foraker Act = U.S. would appoint Puerto Rico’s governor and upper house and the Puerto Rican voters would elect the lower house

•1917 U.S. gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship and their voters could elect all their legislative representatives.

Panama Canal 1904 -1914•France starts building in 1880’s•They give up due to Yellow Fever deaths•Walter Reed and Carlos Juan Finlay

worked to find a cure for Yellow Fever•U.S. in 1902 buys the building rights from

France•1903 Columbian government would not

allow U.S. to build canal•Rebellion breaks out and Roosevelt helps •After the revolution we gain land from a

fee Panama.

Monroe Doctrine

•1823 declared the Western hemisphere of the world was off limits to colonization by European Nations

•Roosevelt Corollary = “Speak softly and carry a big stick” U.S. pledged to use armed force to prevent and European country from seizing territory in the Western Hemisphere.

•Also all loans would be paid back to European countries

Taft and Wilson’s Plans

•Dollar Diplomacy = “Taft” A policy aimed at furthering the interests of the United States abroad by encouraging the investment of U.S. capital in foreign countries.

•Moral Diplomacy = “Wilson” use of persuasion and American ideas to advance the nations interests abroad.