AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1872-

1912)In the late 1800s, many Americans wanted the United States to expand its military and economic power overseas.

• Imperialism

Main Idea

Key Terms and Names

• Protectorate • Anglo-Saxonism • Matthew C. Perry

• Queen Liliuokalani • Pan-Americanism • Alfred T. Mahan • Henry Cabot Lodge

WHY IT MATTERS

• During this era, economic & military competition from world powers convinced the United States it must be a world power. The United States became an empire when it acquired the Philippines and territory in the Caribbean. American influence in Central and South America grew as the United States took a more active role in Latin American affairs.

• America’s growing trade with the world and rivalry with European nations led to a naval buildup and a search for territory overseas.

• Events of this time continue to influence American politics. • The United States continues to use its navy to protect its overseas

interests. • The Panama Canal serves as a major route for international

commerce. • Puerto Rico remains tied to the United States as a commonwealth.

AMERICAN IMPERIALISMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acFziPoNJek

• In the years following the Civil War, most Americans showed little interest in expanding their nation’s territory and international influence. Instead, they focused on reconstructing the South, building up the nation’s industries, & settling the West.

• Beginning in the 1880s, however, American opinion began to shift. More people wanted to make the United States a world power.

• Imperialism = the economic and political domination of a strong nation over other weaker nations.

• At the time, there was eco. & mil. competition from other powerful nations (Germany, France, England, & Russia were all expanding & “imperializing” other “weaker” nations); they were all competing to become the world’s superpower & America, having just industrialized, was not about to fall behind.

BUILDING SUPPORT FOR IMPERIALISM

• Beginning in the 1880s, Americans wanted the U.S. to become a world power• Their change in attitude was a result of economic & military competition

from other nations & a growing feeling of cultural superiority• Several Eur. nations were expanding their power overseas, a development

known as the New Imperialism• Eur. factories depended on raw materials from all over the world.• To protect their investments, Eur. nations exerted control over territories

where they had invested capital/sold products

• Americans wanted to develop overseas markets to keep the economy strong• Social Darwinists argued that as nations competed, only the strongest would

survive • Anglo-Saxonism = idea that the English-speaking nations had superior

character, ideas, & systems of gov. • Americans used these ideas to justify expanding American power

overseas.

REVIEW: REASONS FOR IMPERIALISM

ECONOMIC REASONS – LIMITED RESOURCES: No 1 country has all the rubber, tin, oil, & other resources it takes to maintain a good economy. Because factories depend on raw materials to make their products, it was necessary to go out and find more and more raw materials.

• The question thus became: What countries have stuff & are they weak enough for America to politically & economically (& sometimes militarily) exploit them? Asia & the Caribbean provided the answer to that question.

• In a sense, this fed right along with the ideas of Social Darwinism: powerful nations = most adapted, weaker nations = less adapted and therefore destined to be dominated and exploited.

ECONOMIC REASONS - NEW MARKETS: Also, the US made a lot of “stuff” during the industrial era. There were only so many Americans who would buy it. In order to sell to more, American businessmen needed to go out and find more and more countries to open up trade with.

MORAL REASONS FOR IMPERIALISM - Manifest Destiny = the idea that God destined America to keep expanding and that it is America’s moral purpose to spread civilization and “American Christianity” throughout the world, especially the weaker ones who were “misfortunate” by not having these “advancements.”

EXPANSION IN THE PACIFIC

• Americans expanded across the Pacific Ocean & toward East Asia looking for overseas markets In 1854 the Japanese, impressed by Am. technology/power (PERRY), signed a treaty opening two ports to Am. Trade

• During 1872 recession in Hawaii, the U.S. exempted Hawaiian sugar from tariffs Hawaii give U.S. exclusive rights to a naval base at Pearl Harbor. McKinley Tariff in 1890 gave subsidies to sugar producers in U.S., causing the sale of Hawaiian sugar/eco. to decline 1893 a group of planters, supported by U.S. Marines, forced Queen Liliuokalani to give up her power Group of planters set up a temporary gov. & asked U.S. to annex the islands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7IBZgPnOrAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BON9nkpbg5w&feature=related

TRADE & DIPLOMACY IN LATIN AMERICA

• In 1800s, U.S. wanted to increase its influence in Lat. Am. by increasing the sale of American products in the region

• Americans wanted Eur. to realize that U.S. was the dominant power in the region

• Goals of the Pan-American conference were to create a customs union between Lat. Am. & the U.S., & to create a system for Am. nations to work out their disputes peacefully (rejected by Latin Americans)• Lat. Am. agreed to create the

Commercial Bureau of the American Republics, an organization that worked to promote cooperation among the nations of the Western Hemisphere

BUILDING A MODERN NAVY

• Americans were willing to risk war to defend Am. interests overseas led to Am. support for a large modern navy

• Mahan - The Influence of Seapower Upon History: a nation needed a large navy to protect its merchant ships & to defend its right to trade with other countries.

• By late 1890s, U.S. was on its way to becoming one of the top-ranked naval powers in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mwtldRXKE4&feature=related