Chapter 10

America Claims an Empire

Objectives:

• To describe and evaluate growing American Imperialism at the turn of the century.

Imperialism – when nations extend their economic, political or military control over weaker territories.

By early 1900’s, due to European imperialism, only 2 countries in Africa remained independent. (Ethiopia and Liberia)

Asia was also an area for imperialistic expansion.

American Imperialism:

1. Manifest Destiny

2. Need for new markets (overproduction)

3. Feeling of superiority (Social Darwinism)

4. Desire for military power

• Alfred Mahan, advised US to build naval power, to establish naval bases around the world, and to construct a canal across Panama.

• We built the Great White Fleet.

• (TR sent around the world.)

Sec. of State William Seward led US to buy Alaska. It was called “Seward’s Folly”. ($7.2 million)

Became a state in 1959. Rich in timber, minerals and oil.

US took Hawaii in 1898; it became 50th state in 1959.

• US looked toward Cuba…

• After Spain abolished slavery in Cuba, Americans began investing heavily in Cuban sugar plantations.

• Spain controlled Cuba in the late 1800’s.

Jose Marti – poet, 1895, used guerrilla warfare to fight for Cuban independence.

• Spanish General Weyler restored order by herding the rebels into concentration camps where many died of hunger and disease.

• Yellow journalism (Hearst and Pulitzer) wrote of Spanish atrocities in the camps urging US to go to war to liberate Cuba. (Cuba Libre!).

• Neither side wanted war.

• Sp. gave some self-rule to Cuba.

• A letter was leaked to the press in which (Sp. Foreign Minister) De Lome called McKinley “weak”.

• The US sent the USS Maine to bring American citizens home from Cuba.

• On Feb. 15, 1898, the ship blew up in harbor of Havana…260 men killed.

• “Remember the Maine!”

• Spanish denied involvement, but apologized and agreed to our concessions.

• We still don’t know for sure who did it.

• Public opinion favored war (yellow journalism).

• US declared war April 20, 1898.

• American Imperialism?

• 1st Act of war: US Commodore George Dewey attacked the Philippines and helped Filipino rebels defeat the Spanish.

• The US Navy blockaded Cuba; the US army had many problems.

• The Army depended on volunteers like the “Rough Riders” (Teddy Roosevelt)

• Battle of San Juan Hill opened the way for US to defeat the Spanish and to attack Puerto Rico.

Teddy Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill……

• This “splendid little war” only lasted 15 weeks.

• Dec. 10, 1898, Treaty of Paris –

1. Cuba independent

2. US got Guam and Puerto Rico

3. US bought Philippines (20 million)

• What happened to Cuba?

• US passed the Teller Amendment saying it would not take over Cuba – even though US military control remained after the war.

• But, the Platt Amendment – 1901, was added to the Cuban Constitution making Cuba like a protectorate.

1. Cuba could pass no treaties to limit independence

2. US could intervene if needed

3. Cuba couldn’t get in debt

4. US could buy or lease land for bases

Cuba basically became a protectorate…

What was our justification fortaking the Philippines?

• Outraged by the Treaty, Filipinos vowed to fight for independence.

• 1899 – Aquinaldo led the revolt..

• The US responded the same way the Spanish had in Cuba.

• African-Am. soldiers often deserted to the Filipino side due to discrimination against the Filipinos.

• Took 3 yrs. to end the war.

• Ironically, the US did to the Filipinos what they fought against in Cuba, the war cost the US $400 million (20 times what we paid for the country), 20,000 Filipino rebels died fighting for independence.

• US appointed a governor of the Philippines …

• We did not give them their independence until July 4, 1946.

What happened to Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico:

1. First had military rule

2. 1900, Foraker Act – gave US President right to appt. governor, etc.

3. 1901, Supreme Court ruled in the Insular Cases that the Constitution did not apply to acquired territories

4. 1917, PR got rights to US citizenship and right to elect their gov’t.

5. 1952, PR became a commonwealth.

• Can be drafted, but cannot vote for president, can move freely to US and back.

• China was the “sick man of Asia”

• Foreign countries had taken spheres of influence on the Chinese coast.

• Open Door Policy, 1899, John Hay – foreign powers agreed to share Chinese market.

• Boxer Rebellion – 1900, Chinese rebelled against foreigners. 1000’s died.

• US kept Open Door Policy…

US Foreign Policy:

1. Believed growth depended on foreign exports.

2. Believed we must keep markets open to our goods.

3. Feared the closing of an area to our ideas.

• The foreign policies of the Progressive Presidents in South and Central America:

Teddy Roosevelt used the policyof “Speak softly and carry a BigStick”.

• Roosevelt Corollary: TR restated the Monroe Doctrine.

• TR considered the Panama Canal the greatest achievement of his presidency.

• TR encouraged a Panamanian Rebellion against Colombia (with US warships sitting in nearby waters). Panama declared independence and signed a treaty with US.

• We paid the Panama ten million plus $250,000 annually in rent.

• Construction of the canal ranks as one of the world’s greatest engineering feats.

• Total cost – $380 million, hundreds of lives lost to accidents and disease.

• Canal opened in 1914 and over 1000 merchant ships passed through the first year.

• To gain better relations, the US paid Colombia $25 for Panama.

• 1904, T. Roosevelt mediated a peace agreement in the Russo-Japanese War leading him to win the Nobel Prize.

• Russia and Japan fought over Korea and Manchuria.

• Taft’s policy in South and Central America was called Dollar Diplomacy - use money to gain power.

• Woodrow Wilson’s policy was “Missionary Diplomacy” – the US would not recognize any gov’t that was oppressive, undemocratic or hostile to US interests.

• In other words, it pushed the idea of democracy….sound familiar?

• Lots of Mexican revolutions led the US to support the leaders that were good to us.

• Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata opposed the Mexican gov’t. that we supported. (it did not help the poor)

• Zapata, “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

• Pancho Villa attacked Americans across the US border.

• US sent John J. Pershing to catch him; he failed.

• War in Europe forced Wilson to call Pershing home in 1917.

Policy goals going into 20th Century:

1. Expand foreign market

2. Build a great navy to protect it

3. Police the western hemisphere to keep dominance