The Pressure to Expand

Why did the United States join the imperialist club at the end of the 19th century?

Imperialism

• Strong nations attempt to create empires by dominating weaker nations

Economic Factors

• Increased need for natural resources• New markets to sell manufactured

goods

Nationalistic Factors

• Rise of nationalism– Devotion to one’s country

• Believed themselves, ideas, goals superior to those of other nations

Military Factors

• New technology make European armies and navies superior to Asian and African

• Growing navies need bases for refueling and restocking

Humanitarian Factors

• Missionaries and doctors believe had duty to spread Western civilization

Monroe Doctrine

• Main principle of US foreign policy since the 1820s

• US declare self neutral in European wars

• Warned other countries not to interfere in the W. hemisphere

Manifest Destiny• Justified US policy toward Mexico

• Annexation of Texas, acquisition of California and southwestern territory

• All early steps toward imperialism

William Seward

• Secretary of State

• Purchased Alaska– Hope US presence

on both sides of Canada force the British out of North America

Commodore Matthew C. Perry

• 1853 sailed fleet into Tokyo bay

• Forced Japanese to start trading with the US

The Pacific

• US want control of some islands to use as refueling and repair stations

• Seward want annexation of uninhabited Midway Islands in 1867

• US Treaty with Hawaii 1875– Hawaiians sell sugar to US duty-free– Couldn’t sell/lease territory to any foreign

power

Promote Economic Growth • Overproduction of food and

goods– Financial panics– Frequent economic

depressions

• US must secure markets abroad

• US businessmen invest in foreign economies– Banana Republics = Central

American nations dominated by US business interests

Promote American Security • Alfred T. Mahan

– The Influence of Sea Power Upon History

– Nations economic future tied to gaining new markets abroad

• Need powerful navy to protect markets from foreign rivals– Congress need to

build modern steam-powered, steel-hulled ships

Preserve American Spirit• Fear US lose vitality

– Closing frontier sap nation’s energy

– Quest for empire restore pioneer spirit

• Social Darwinism– Certain racial and

ethnic groups superior to others

– Expansionism is nation’s destiny and noble pursuit

Americans Lean Toward Expansion

• Want new markets abroad• Want favorable trade relations• Political and military entanglements

follow• Difficult, bloody, painful foreign conflicts

– Hawaii– Spanish-American War– Philippines