BASED ON THESE CARTOONS, WHAT DO YOU THINK “AMERICAN IMPERIALISM” MEANS?

Imperialism

Policy in which stronger nations extend their power – political, economic and military – over weaker nations

Factors that Promoted Imperialism(1) Need for New Markets

By the late 19th century, American industries are producing more than they can use.

American leaders felt that new foreign markets would allow us to sell our surplus goods, get raw materials for production and help alleviate the economic depression and lack of job opportunities.

Today we are raising more than we can consume. Today we are making more than we can use... Therefore we must find new markets for our produce, new occupation for our capital, new work for our labor... Ah! As our commerce spreads, the flag of liberty will circle the globe and the highway of the ocean - carrying trade to all mankind - will be guarded by the guns of the republic. And as their thunders salute the flag, benighted (ignorant) peoples will know that the voice of liberty is speaking, at last, for them... that civilization is dawning at last, for them.

--Senator Alfred Beveridge, 1898

Factors that Promoted Imperialism(2) Belief in Cultural Superiority

Some American leaders believed that America had a duty to civilize the “uncivilized nations.”

Mixture of Social Darwinism and Angl0-Saxon racism

Take up the white man's burden, Send forth the best ye breed- Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives needTo wait, in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild-You new-caught sullen peoples, Half devil and half child. Take up the white man's burden, And reap his old reward-The blame of those ye better. The hate of those ye guard-The cry of those ye humorAh, slowly toward the light:"Why brought ye us from bondage,Our loved Egyptian (heathen) night?

--Rudyard Kipling, "The White Man's Burden"

Factors that Promoted Imperialism (3) Desire for Military Strength

Other nations were establishing a global presence; therefore, American leaders believed that America needed to establish themselves as well Alfred T. Mahan: Admiral of the US Navy who urged

government officials to build up American naval power in order to compete with other powerful nations. This led the US to build huge cruisers between 1883 and 1890, which made us the world’s 3rd largest naval power.

Early American Imperialism - Alaska

United States bought Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million dollars in 1867.

Arranged by William Seward who was Secretary of State under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson

William Seward had to work hard to get this purchase approved because people thought it was foolish to buy this expanse of cold land

Turned out to have a great wealth of natural resources including timber, minerals and oil

Early American Imperialism – Hawaii

White Americans owned many sugar plantations in Hawaii. The McKinley Tariff made it so plantation owners had to pay a tax

to sell their goods to America They urged the US government to annex Hawaii so they wouldn’t

have to pay this tax Annex (verb): to incorporate (include) territory into the

existing country or state Queen Liliuokalani: Last Hawaiian monarch

She had a “Hawaii for Hawains” agenda. In 1893, white business men staged a revolution, overthrew her and made Sanford B. Dole president President Cleveland disagreed but when William McKinley

became president after him in he annexed Hawaii in 1898 Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959

The Jungle

Read CH 24 in class and answer questions.

Homework

Finish reading CH 25 of the Jungle and complete the questions.