American Imperialism

President McKinley (1896-1901) & the Spanish-American War (1898) & America’s Rise as a World Power

Presidential Election of 1896

William McKinley• Republican Candidate• Support of big business

and the East• Gold standard

– because prevented inflation-> rise in prices of goods and services

• Won with 7.1 million votes

William Jennings Bryan• Democrat/Populist

Candidate• Morality (Cross of Gold

Speech• bimetallism• Support of farmers and

working class• Lost with 6.5 million votes

William Jennings Bryan

What happens to problems of Gilded Age?

• Remained in society, but largely ignored by McKinley Administration and previous presidents (Harrison and Cleveland)

• Populism’s death causes society to temporarily ignore issues in America.

McKinley Administration (1896-1901)

• Concentrated on Imperialism– Inspired by America’s rapid

economic and social growth which made America a world power

• Imperialism = the policy in which stronger nations extend control over weaker nations– Resulted in many foreign

colonies

WHY IMPERIALISM?

• 1) Desire for Military strength – Mahan advised strong navy

• 2) Thirst for new markets – to spur economy & trade– to sell surplus of

American goods• 3) Belief in Cultural

Superiority – a belief that Anglo-Saxons were superior (eugenics)

Imperialism: America Builds a Navy

• Benefits of a strong navy?– Protection– Conquest– Economy/shipping

• Admiral Alfred Mahan– Most powerful navy will control the globe

• Early 1900’s = America 3rd Largest Navy

Admiral Mahan

Imperialism: America Gets Land Hungry

• Alaska in 1867

• Hawaii in 1898

• Then turn attention to Caribbean– Roots of Spanish-American War

THE U.S. ACQUIRES ALASKA

• In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward arranged for the United States to buy Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million

• Some thought it was a silly idea and called it “Seward’s Icebox”

• Time has shown how smart it was to buy Alaska for 2 cents an acre– Became a state in 1959

• Alaska is rich in timber, minerals and oil

Alaska

America gets…what America wants: HAWAII

• Sugar industry booms in Hawaii during Civil War

• American citizens go buy land in Hawaii during Gilded Age

• “Bayonet Constitution”-1887-took away most of monarch power and emphasized interests of American business

• King Kalakaua died in January 1891, his sister, Queen Liliuokalani ascended the throne.

America gets…what America wants: HAWAII

• Queen Liliuokalani supported “Hawaii of Hawaiians”– Removing property owning requirement for voting (to

include Asians as well)– This would hurt American land owners in Hawaii

• Pearl Harbor built in 1887– US realizes strategic and economic importance of

Hawaii– US convinces Hawaii monarch to allow construction

of naval base– Best port in Hawaii

THE U.S. ACQUIRES HAWAII

• McKinley Tariff of 1890 – Previously Hawaii was duty free with sugar– This tariff made it expensive for Americans to import

Hawaiian sugar– Thus many American businessmen in Hawaii call for

annexation

• America and Sanford Dole overthrow queen in 1893 – Cleveland refused to annex– McKinley after election in 1896 agrees to annex– In 1959 became 50th US state

Political Cartoon from 1898. McKinley marrying Uncle Sam and Hawaii with Senator John Tyler Morgan watching over the ceremony.

American Turns attention to the Caribbean…

• Spanish power decreases by end of 1800’s and thus unable to control its colonies

• One such colony, Cuba revolts!– Had several unsuccessful revolts in mid to late 1800’s– In 1886 revolt ended slavery in Cuba– As a result, American businessmen invest in Cuban

sugar plantations

Cuba Libre and José Martí

– Cuban refugee, poet and journalist

– Active guerilla warfare: on American-owned sugar mills and plantations to spike American awareness of Cuba

– American public split over Cuban independence issue

• Businessmen support Spain

• Most others support native Cubans and cries of Cuba Libre spread throughout America

Yellow Journalism Aids the Cuban Revolt

• Spain sends Valeriano Weyler to quell revolt in Cuba.– Puts 300,000 Cubans in concentration camps

• Journalists in America cash in on Weyler’s cruelty and exaggerate the situation in Cuba.– Yellow journalism- sensationalizing events to sell

newspapers– William Randolph Hurst’s New York Journal– Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World

Portrayal of rivals Pulitzer and Hurst competing to sell newspapers and inspire war sentiments in the American public.

McKinley fails to settle Cuban conflict peacefully

• 1896 McKinley becomes President– Tries to mediate issue

between Spain and Cubans

• De Lôme Letter offends America– Letter from De Lôme, the

Spanish Foreign Minister to the U.S.

– NY Journal makes public this private letter

– Letter calls McKinley “weak and bitter”

USS Maine Explodes= War Begins

• McKinley sends USS Maine to Cuba to retrieve American citizens in danger

• February 15, 1898 the ship explodes in the Havana Harbor

• Newspaper yellow journalists blame Spain and call for war.– Americans angered and call for war– April 20, 1898 America declared war on Spain

USS Maine Explosion

Why did the USS Maine Explode?

• Most historians believe it was an accident– US investigation biased– Spanish investigation probably correct (likely

caused by an internal fire)

“That Splendid Little War”

The Spanish-American War (1898)

THE WAR IN THE PHILIPPINES

• U.S. forces surprised Spain by attacking the Spanish colony of the Philippines

• American fleet led by Commodore George Dewey

• 11,000 Americans joined forces with Filipino rebel leader Emilo Aguinaldo

• By August, 1898 Spain had surrendered to the U.S. in Manila

THE WAR IN THE CARIBBEAN

• A naval blockade of Cuba after victory in Philippines

• Followed by a land invasion of Cuba with victory at San Juan Hill

Meet the Rough Riders

• Led by Teddy Roosevelt• Volunteer cavalry

regiment– Necessary b/c army weak

and archaic despite strong navy

• Rough Riders became famous for victory at the important San Juan Hill

• Results of San Juan Hill: 1. Roosevelt is a war hero2. Helped America defeat

Spanish in Cuba

THE WAR IN THE CARIBBEAN

• After victory at San Juan Hill, America attacks Spanish fleet off coast of Cuba

• The American Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet and paved the way for an invasion of Puerto Rico (Spanish colony)

U.S. WINS:SIGNS TREATY OF PARIS

• The U.S. and Spain signed an armistice on August 12, 1898, ending what Secretary of State John Hay called “a splendid little war”

• The war lasted only 16 weeks (113 days)

• Cuba was now independent

• U.S. receives Guam, Puerto Rico, and “bought” the Philippines for $20 million

Treaty of Paris, 1898

Debate over Treaty of Paris (1898)?

• Right of US to annex territories taken from Spain sparks a debate in America– McKinley justifies this with Christianity– Booker T. Washington ->American needs to

concentrate on race problems at home before involvement in other countries

• Tensions created as America just replaced Spanish rule in many of these territories– Nevertheless treaty ratified on February 6, 1899– Results: America now owns Guam, Puerto Rico and

the Philippines

SECTION 3: ACQUIRING NEW LANDS

• The U.S had to decide how to rule the new lands

• Puerto Rico wanted their independence– but the U.S. had other plans

• Puerto Rico was important to the U.S. strategically

• Foraker Act: U.S. set up a civil government, full citizenship, and a bicameral system

CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES

• The Treaty of Paris granted full independence to Cuba

• The U.S signed an agreement with Cuba known as the Platt Amendment 19031. U.S. to maintain naval

stations on the island2. US had right to intervene in

Cuban affairs3. Cuba could make no treaties

with other counties• Cuba had become a

“protectorate” of the U.S.Today the US has a prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/03/06/last.word.03.06.2009.cnn?iref=videosearch

FILIPINOS REBEL

• Filipinos reacted with rage to the American annexation

• Rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo vowed to fight for freedom and in 1899 he led a rebellion

• The 3-year war claimed 20,000 Filipino rebels, 4,000 American lives and $400,000,000 (20x the price the U.S. paid for the land)U.S. troops fire on rebels

FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN CHINA

• China was a vast potential market for American products

• Weakened by war and foreign intervention, many European countries had colonized in China

• In 1889, John Hay, U.S. Secretary of State, issued the Open Door Policy which outlined his plan for free trade among nations in China

Foreign nations were opening the door to China’s trade

AMERICANS PROTECT RIGHTS IN ASIA

• After the Boxer Rebellion, John Hay again issued a series of Open Door Policies

• These policies reflected American beliefs in:

1. importance of exports

2. right of America to intervene to keep foreign markets open

3. belief that America’s survival depended on access to foreign markets

McKinley and Roosevelt :1900

• McKinley easily reelected in 1900 due to success of Spanish-American War– Showed most Americans supported imperialism– Chooses war hero, Teddy Roosevelt as his Vice President– Roosevelt chosen by McKinley to limit Roosevelt’s political

power

• McKinley shot in 1901– Every president elected in 0 year up until Reagan died in office– By 28-year-old anarchist Leon Czolgosz – Teddy Roosevelt becomes president– "Now look! That damned cowboy is President of the United

States!"– Mark Hanna (McKinley Campaign Manager)

Teddy Roosevelt as President

• At age 43 became 26th President

• Served from 1901-1908

• “Speak softly, but carry a big stick” foreign policy

• Reformer of American domestic issues

• Teddy Bear named after him

Theodore and Edith Roosevelt with family in 1903

SECTION 4: AMERICA AS A WORLD POWER

• Two events signaled America’s continued climb toward being the #1 world power

• 1) Roosevelt negotiated a settlement between Russia and Japan who had been at War – his successful efforts in negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth won Roosevelt the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize

• 2) Construction of Panama Canal

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually

THE PANAMA CANAL

• By the early 20th century, many Americans understood the advantages of a canal through Panama

• It would greatly reduce travel times for commercial and military ships by providing a short cut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans “The shortcut”

BUILDING THE PANAMA CANAL: The Big Ditch 1904-1914

• The French had already unsuccessfully attempted to build a canal through Panama

• America first had to help Panama win their independence from Colombia – which it did

• Construction of the Canal stands as one of the greatest engineering feats of all-time

Cost- $380 million Workers– Over 40,000 (5,600 died) Time – Construction took 10 years

This view, provided by NASA, shows the thin blue line

(canal) cutting across the middle of Panama

Almost 1,000,000 ships have passed through the canal, which became sole property of Panama in the year 2000