U.S. History – Turn of the Century Imperialism
I.
Since the 1790s…
a. U.S. focus on:
i. expanding westward
ii. protecting U.S. interests abroad
iii. limiting foreign influence in the Americas
b. shift begins to occur after the Civil War (due to industry)
i. beginning to break from isolation
ii. shifting toward a world power
iii. Alaskan purchase
1. territory had been fought over by British and Russians for years
2. Congress agreed to offer Russians $7.2 million for the land in 1867
a. took Americans many years to accept Alaska as something positive
b. had been nicknamed “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox” (named
after William Seward, Secretary of State at the time)
II. Types of Imperialism
a. Colony
i. directly-ruled – send rulers from mother country
ii. indirectly-ruled – use natives (with similar ideology) to rule
b. Sphere of influence – economic influence
c. Protectorate – promise to “protect” territory in return for region’s loyalty
III. “New Imperialism”
a. phrase describing the late nineteenth/early twentieth century imperialism
b. U.S. jumped on European bandwagon
i. needing worldwide markets for industrial and agricultural markets
ii. needing sources of raw materials
iii. Social (and International) Darwinism
c. advocates of American expansionism
i. missionaries
ii. politicians
iii. military leaders (naval power!)
iv. the press
IV. More Action…
a. Spanish-American War (1890s)
i. Causes:
1. growing nationalism – competition with European countries
2. Cuban revolt (1895) wanting to overthrow Spanish colonial rule
3. yellow journalism  Pulitzer & Hearst’s “exaggerated stories”
a. “Remember the Maine” = U.S. battleship exploded in Cuban harbor
(killing 260 Americans on board)
ii. McKinley’s ultimatum to Spanish
1. demanded that Spanish ceasefire in Cuba or else…
2. explained four reasons why U.S. should intervene—
a. put an end to atrocities in Cuba
b. protect lives and property of U.S. citizens living in Cuba
c. end serious injury to the commerce, trade, and business of our people
d. end the constant menace to our peace
iii. the war
1. only lasted a few months  “a splendid little war”
2. Philippines
a. Secretary of the Navy, Teddy Roosevelt was eager to show off naval
power – sent Commodore George Dewey into Pacific to “flex muscles”
b. shortly after war began, shots were fired on Spanish ships in Manila
Bay (off coast of Philippines)
c. U.S. troops (with help from Filipino rebels) eventually captured Manila
after many months of fighting
3.
Invasion of Cuba
a. ill-prepared group force landed in Cuba – however, tropical diseases
seemed to plague U.S. troops more than Spanish bullets (5,000 vs. 500
in battle)
b. Teddy Roosevelt and his team of Rough Riders joined American and
Cuban forces against the Spanish efforts
iv. aftermath
1. peace treaty
a. signed in Paris December 10, 1898
b. provisions:
i. recognition of Cuban independence
ii. U.S. acquisition of two Spanish islands – Puerto Rico & Guam
iii. U.S. acquisition of the Philippines
c. Philippine question
i. not prepared to take over large Pacific island nation
ii. divided American public (and politicians)
iii. rebellion broke out among Filipinos (led by Emilio
Aguinaldo) – taking U.S. 3 years and thousands of lives lost
2. Hawaii?
a. history
i. American missionaries & entrepreneurs had been involved in
Hawaiian affairs long before the outbreak of war
ii. 1893  Americans had aided in the overthrow of Queen
Liliuokalani
b. annexation
i. Presidents had opposed annexation efforts until the SpanishAmerican War era
ii. complete annexation (1898); territory of U.S. (1900); fiftieth
state of U.S. in 1959
3. Anti-Imperialist League
a. emerged as a result of U.S. imperialist action
b. led by William Jennings Bryan
c. status of acquired territory? rights of citizens?
4. Platt Amendment (1901)
a. U.S. troops remained in Cuba from 1898 until 1901 – and would not be
removed until Cuba agreed to following terms:
i. never sign a treaty with a foreign power that impaired its
independence
ii. never build up excessive public debt
iii. permit the U.S. to intervene in Cuba’s affairs to preserve its
independence and maintain law and order
iv. allow the U.S. to maintain naval bases in Cuba, including one
at Guantanamo Bay
b. accepted by the Cubans, this amendment made Cuba a U.S.
protectorate
5. U.S. nationalism? Global recognition?
V. Global Policies
a. Open Door Policy in China
i. history of European spheres of influence
ii. Secretary of State John Hay
1. Open Door Policy = allow all nations to have equal trading privileges in China
2. no one rejected Hay’s idea … he then declared that all had accepted and it hit
the presses
iii. Hay’s “follow-up”
1. wrote a second note
2. U.S. committed to: preserving China’s territorial integrity AND safeguard
“equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese empire”
b. Roosevelt’s “Big-Stick” Policy
i. meaning … “speak softly and carry a big stick”
c.
d.
ii. construction of the Panama Canal
1. Colombian reaction?
2. British involvement?
3. construction of the canal began in 1904 and finished in 1914
iii. Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
1. U.S. “police force” for Latin American countries (especially interested in
economic dealings)
2. would allow for “intervention” in necessary cases
iv. Japan as imperial rival…
1. “gentleman’s agreement” between TR & Japanese government
2. Great White Fleet sent
Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy
i. promotion of private American financial investments – believing they would allow for
greater stability in foreign territory
ii. Lodge Corollary = excluded non-European powers (Japan!) from owning territory in the
Western Hemisphere
Wilson’s Moral Diplomacy (New Freedom)
i. “righting past wrongs”
1. improved relations with Philippines & guaranteed independence once stable
gov’t was in place
2. U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans & limited self-government
3. Panama Canal tolls for all
4. attempts at international peace (international commissions set up and urged for
“cooling-off periods,” etc.)
ii. conflict with Mexico
1. Wilson openly denounced dictatorship of General Victoriano Huerta (who had
seized power in Mexico after assassinating the democratically elected president)
2. U.S. blockaded shipment of arms being sent to Mexico
3. Trouble emerged between U.S. & Mexico – eventually “mediated” by
Argentina, Brazil, & Chile
4. however, instability existed within Mexican government and plagued MexicanAmerican border for many months, prompting U.S. to want to capture rebels
5. eventually, WWI shifted U.S. focus