Imperialism and
Teddy Roosevelt
C. Rebuilding a Nation (ca. 1877-ca.
1914)
2.Increasing Influence and Challenges
d. Evaluate, take, and defend positions
on the various U.S. foreign policies in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries
e. Analyze the causes and consequences
of the Spanish-American War
Imperialism
-In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many
European nations and the USA began to
conquer various areas around the world.
-The goal of these pursuits was to control raw
resources and wealth of weaker regions.
-For instance, the USA took Hawaii from
Queen Liliuokalani partially to control the sugar
market in the area.
Queen Liliuokalani
controlled Hawaii
until the USA took
over the region to
control the sugar
market.
The USA and Imperialism
-Admiral Alfred Mahan and others urged the
USA to build up its military might to compete
with the trend of imperialism coming out of
Europe.
-In the USA, imperialism was partially fueled by
ideologies that asserted that American culture
was “superior” to others.
-The USA also expanded by purchasing
Alaska from Russia. Secretary of State
William Seward led this effort in 1867.
Spain’s Original Territorial
Claims Around the World
By 1898, Spain’s territorial claims had shrunk
dramatically. Many in the USA did not like that Spain
controlled Cuba and Puerto Rico, areas close to the
mainland of America.
Spain controlled
Cuba as a territory in
1898. Many
Americans did not
like that a European
power was
controlling an area
so close the
mainland of the USA.
Spain controlled Puerto Rico, which was
also close to the mainland of the USA.
The Spanish American War of 1898
-In this conflict, the USA wanted Spain to give
Cuba independence.
-America was cautious to use force to assist
Cuba, until the USS Maine was allegedly
“attacked” by Spain.
-The USS Maine was sunk, nobody knows how,
but Spain was held responsible. After this, the
USA declared war against Spain and began to
use force to help Cuba achieve independence.
The USS Maine
was sunk near
Cuba. Many
speculated it
was an accident;
yet, the USA
blamed Spain
and declared war
against them
due to this
incident.
Wreckage from
the explosion
of the USS
Maine.
TR and the Spanish American War
-The Rough Riders group was a horse cavalry led by
Teddy Roosevelt and they fought in the Spanish
American War in Cuba.
-The Rough Riders won the famous Battle at San
Juan Hill in Cuba. This made TR famous as the leader
of the group.
-The USA won the war and gained the Philippines,
Guam, and Puerto Rico. Many felt this was
inconsistent of America because the USA wanted
Cuba to gain independence, but took other territories
from Spain.
The Rough Riders with Teddy Roosevelt
Depiction of Teddy Roosevelt leading the Rough
Riders in the Spanish American War
After the Spanish American War, America gained
The Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico from
Spain. This contributed to the USA becoming an
imperial power.
After the Spanish American War
-Cuba was allowed to be independent; yet, it
remained a protectorate of the USA, meaning
the USA had great influence in the area.
-The Platt Amendment laid out the guidelines of
this arrangement between the USA and Cuba.
-The USA took control over the Philippines and
Emilio Aguinaldo tried to lead a Filipino
rebellion against the USA. This failed rebellion
was called the Philippine-American War.
Imperialism and Teddy Roosevelt
-TR pursued many actions as President
that got the USA involved in international
affairs.
-During the Russo-Japanese War, Russia
and Japan went to war to control Korea.
-TR got Russia and Japan to sign the
Treaty of Portsmouth and end their war.
Russia allowed Japan to control Korea.
The Panama Canal
was endorsed by
Teddy Roosevelt. It
radically reduced
the amount of time
that ships had to
travel from the East
Coast to the West
Coast.
The Panama Canal and Roosevelt Corollary
-TR led the USA to fund a canal in Central America.
The USA supported the Panama rebellion against
Columbia to have an ally that would support the canal.
-TR also issued the Roosevelt Corollary, which
continued the Monroe Doctrine. He said he would,
“Speak softly, but carry a big stick.” This meant he
wanted peace, but would use force.
-The Roosevelt Corollary insisted that European
powers must not interfere in the Western Hemisphere
and that the USA would use force to protect
interests in Latin America.
The
End
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.