American Imperialism

Introduction to Imperialism:ENTRY # 29

• Using the maps on page 457 and 476 in the book …

• Where and in what ways was the United States active in World Affairs in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries?

• What would have been the purpose of having the US sphere of influence/imperialism extended into those places?

• Finally, based on what you now know, define Imperialism IN YOUR OWN WORDS:

What is Imperialism?• The Building of an Empire• According to your textbook, Imperialism is

“the policy by which large nations extend their political, military and/or economic control over weaker territories.” This is a more traditional definition of Imperialism.

• Also, at this time, imperialism includes “messing around” in other countries’ business, and creating spheres of (economic, military, and/or political) influence.

Boxer Rebellion 1900

(1958 statehood)

(1959 statehood)

Imperialism: Why?1. Economic Benefit: Colonies and spheres of influence are

places to extract natural resources and are markets to sell goods.

2. They also serve as refueling stations for ships, and bases for military strength to reach far and wide

3. Political power: every powerful nation is practicing Imperialism – must get a “piece of the pie” in order to be viable.

4. A “moral obligation”?:American Exceptionalism refers to the theory that the United

States occupies a special niche among the nations of the world in terms of its national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and origins. …Have we seen this type of belief before?

Back to Social Darwinism & “White Man’s Burden”

White Man’s Burden• With a single partner, read the passage and try

to write down a short summary of each stanza (on the sheet, next to the stanza)

• Then discuss, but individually answer the following Critical Thinking Question as ENTRY # 30 in your Writing Notebook:

Putting yourself into the shoes of an American politician around the year 1890… why is it morally acceptable for the United States to be building an overseas empire?

In 1890 how do you make an Empire?

• You control Colonies or spheres of Influence all around the world.

• Britain: India, Egypt, Iraq, Australia, Canada• Germany: Ghana, New Guinea, Northern

Mariana Islands• France: Algeria, Tunisia (a lot of North

Africa), Vietnam, Madagascar• Belgium: The Congo, Rwanda, Burundi• United States: ? (see maps)

Source: Wikipedia (aka…Font of Knowledge)

Imperialism: How?• The Key to Imperialism: A

Gigantic Navy• Alfred Thayer Mahan: The

Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890)

• Mahan wrote about how influential nations had to have powerful navies in order to project their power around the world.

• Argued that the US must build a modern fleet (by 1900, US had third largest Navy in the world).

American Imperialism in 1890: Why the US, & Why at This Time?

• By 1890 the American Western Frontier had closed

• Their needed to be a new “safety valve” for US expansionist impulses…

• Frederick Jackson Turner: argued in his “Frontier Thesis” that the US needs a place for rugged men to prove themselves…that “over multiple generations, the frontier [during westward migration] had produced the characteristics of informality, violence, crudeness, democracy and initiative that the world recognized as ‘American’“…it is expand or die for Americans

The Beginning of American Imperialism• 1853 - Commodore Perry in the “Land of the

Shogun”: before the Civil War Commodore Perry drove his fleet into Japan and opened Japan to trade with the US (and thus the rest of the west).

Japanese woodblock print of Perry (center) and other high-ranking American seamen

The Beginning of American Imperialism 1867 - Alaska (“Seward’s Folly”/ “Seward’s Icebox”/

“Polar Bear Garden”) Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William Seward bought Alaska from Russia. People thought he was a lunatic for doing so, but it turned out Alaska had lots of good resources (oil, gold, timber..,) and would be a strategic location from which to pursue imperialism and during the Cold War.

Original check made out to Russia for $7.2 million, or about $.02 and acre!

(Alaska became the 49th State in 1958)

The Beginning of American Imperialism

• 1889 –First International Pan-American Conference to encourage trade between the US and the 17 Latin American Countries – Led by American Secretary of State (under Grant), James Blaine.

The Pan American Highway from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina.

The Beginning of American Imperialism• Queen Liliuokalani became

queen of Hawaii in 1891 and was against the increasing power of the white plantation owners in her nation.

• 1893 the planters, along with the help of US Marines, removed her from office….

• 1898 - Hawaii was proclaimed a territory…will become the 50th State in 1959