Foreign Policy Intro

Early Republic to 1890s

Washington’s Farewell Address (1796)

• Advised Americans to “steer clear of permanent alliances”

• For 100 years, Americans generally followed his advice– Rapid economic growth– Plentiful resources to the West

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

• Former Spanish colonies gaining independence

• Attempts by Europe to colonize in the Americas would be viewed as aggression

• U.S. would stay out of European wars

(Over time, M.D. would be broadened to support American Imperialism)

Manifest Destiny (1830s-1850s)

• Used to justify policies toward Mexico

• Texas and California territory annexed

Monroe Doctrine After Civil War…

…in the south:

• 1866, France placed emperor on Mexican throne

• Sec. of state William Seward sent 50,000 troops to Mexican border

• French abandoned attempts to colonize Mexico

…and in the north:

• 1867, Seward bought Alaska from Russia

• Paid $7.2 million (1.9c/acre)

Interest in the Pacific

• In 1853, American fleet under Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay

• Show of force to convince opening of trade w/ U.S.

• By 1860s, U.S. and several European countries were trading with Japan

More in the Pacific…

• U.S. wanted islands for refueling and repair stations

• 1867, U.S. annexed uninhabited Midway Island

• 1875, signed treaty w/ Hawaii– Hawaiians could sell sugar duty-free in U.S.– Hawaii would not lease/sell territory to any

foreign power

Arguments for Expansion: 1) Economic

• Secure markets abroad to offset overproduction– Standard Oil, AT&T

• Some U.S. business leaders invested directly in foreign countries– Minor Keith in Costa Rica, influence govt.

heavily– United Fruit Company exported 50 million

bunches of bananas in 1913– Controlled lands and railroads in Costa Rica,

Guatemala, Honduras - “Banana Republics”

2. National Security • By 1900, the U.S. had one of the most

powerful navies in the world• Required refueling and repair stations to

protect international shipping trade

3. Preserving American Spirit– After the closing of the frontier, what’s next?– Social Darwinism, “White Man’s Burden”– Spreading Christianity– (Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis)

The Spanish-American War

1898

The Cuban Rebellion

• First rebelled against Spain in 1868– 10 years of fighting, Spain made some

concessions

• In 1895, Cubans rebelled again– (Followed years of economic hardships)– Spain sent 150,000 troops and its best

general (Valeriano Weyler)– Forced Cubans into guarded camps– In 2 years, 200,000 died

Reasons for U.S. Intervention

• Cuban exiles urged the U.S. to intervene

• Both Presidents Cleveland and McKinley refused– Did not want to spend the money– Did not want colonial responsibilities

• Frustrated Cuban guerillas/rebels destroyed American plantations/mills– Business leaders then pressured U.S. govt

Yellow Journalism

• 1890s, fierce competition between the New York World (Pulitzer) and the New York Morning Journal (William R. Hearst)– Both newspapers included exaggerated &

false stories about Cuba to increase circ.– Portrayed Weyler as “the butcher”

The Yellow Kid

The Road to War

• Early 1898, riots erupted in Havana, prompted McKinley to move U.S.S. Maine there to protect U.S. citizens/property

• Early February, a letter from Spanish Ambassador in D.C. created an uproar

• February 15, the U.S.S. Maine exploded– Killed over 250 U.S. sailors– American public put blame on Spain

McKinley’s demands… (late March)

• Spain must:– pay compensation for the Maine– end the use of the reconcentration camps– agree to a truce with Cuba– grant Cuba independence

• Spain agreed to all but the last

War between U.S. and Spain

• Late April, Congress declared war

• May 1, Battle of Manila Bay– In 7 hrs, Spain’s entire Pacific fleet destroyed– Only 9 U.S. sailors wounded

• By June, most of Philippines were under U.S. control– August 13th, U.S. forces captured Manila

“a splendid little war”

• 2,500 Americans died, only 400 in battle

• Future Secretary of State John Hay captured the mood when he wrote his friend Teddy Roosevelt that it had been “a splendid little war.”

Aftermath

• Treaty of Paris (Dec. 1898)– Spain recognized Cuba’s independence– Spain received $20 Million– U.S. received the Philippines, Puerto Rico,

and Guam as “unincorporated territories”

Dilemma in the Philippines

“We could not leave them to themselves -they were unfit for self-government, and they would soon have anarchy and misrule worse than Spain’s was…There was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them…”

- President McKinley

• McKinley believed if U.S. didn’t act first, Europeans might try to seize the islands

• Filipino rebels fought alongside Americans believing that victory would bring independence

• When rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines a republic in Jan. of 1899, the U.S. ignored him

• By February 1899, war had erupted

Rudyard Kipling

• English Poet

• “White Man’s Burden”• -1899

Emilio Aguinaldo

1898

Philippine-American War (1899-1902)

• American Casualties• Over 4,000 killed and 3,000 wounded

• Filipino Casualties• 20,000 Filipino soldiers and as many as

200,000 civilians killed

• Occasional fighting continued for years until the Philippines granted independence in 1946

Aguinaldo’s Capture, 1901

The Fate of Cuba

• Supporters of Cuban independence attached Teller Amendment to Congress’s 1898 War Resolution– Promised the U.S. would not annex Cuba

• McKinley installed military govt. to protect American business interests for 3 years

• Organized schools and restored economic stability

Many Cubans felt betrayed

• Spanish rule replaced w/ U.S. rule• In 1900, U.S. authorized Cuba to draft a

constitution– Modeled on U.S. constitution– Did not allow for continued U.S. occupation

• U.S. agreed, but only after Cubans agreed to the Platt Amendment– Cuba could not enter into foreign agreements– Must allow the U.S. to establish naval bases– U.S. would maintain right to intervene

Fate of Puerto Rico

• Unlike Cuba, did not gain independence

• U.S. military govt until 1900

• Foraker Act in 1900– U.S. removed military control– Established civilian govt. (under U.S. control)

• In response to growing independence movement, granted American citizenship to Puerto Ricans (Jones Act of 1917)

Puerto Rico Continued…

• In 1947, granted right to elect governor• In 1952, ratified own constitution– Established Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

• Remains an unincorporated territory of the U.S.– Do pay some fed. taxes (duties, tariffs)– Do pay payroll taxes (SS, Medicare, Medicaid)– Do not pay federal income taxes– Have served in all major U.S. wars