Progressivism & Imperialism

Mr. Webster’s Class

Textbook Assignment

• For this activity, you will work with a partner, and together, you will be assigned a few pages to read from your textbook (Ch. 11). • Upon reading the text, you and your partner will

summarize your findings in the form of a children’s storybook. Your storybook should be written in a way that a young child (5-year-old) could understand, and it should include an illustration as well. It must also be based in historical fact and pertain to the reading.• In addition, since you are only summing up a single

page’s worth of findings, your story should be brief. It should contain at least 8 lines however.

Vocabulary (Ch. 10)

• Progressivism – a reform movement that responded to the pressures of industrialization and urbanization• muckraker – a writer who uncovers and exposes misconduct in politics or

business• Social Gospel – reform movement that sought to improve society by

applying Christian principles• temperance movement – the movement aimed at limiting alcohol

consumption• suffrage – the right to vote• NAACP – organization founded to abolish segregation and discrimination

and to achieve political and civil rights for African Americans• Urban League – organization that provided relief efforts for African

Americans living in cities

Vocabulary (Ch. 11)

• imperialism – political, military, and economic domination of strong nations over weaker territories• jingoism – aggressive nationalism; support for warlike

foreign policy• insurrection – rebellion• guerilla warfare – nontraditional combat methods• sphere of influence – a region dominated and controlled

by an outside power• Queen Liliuokalani – Hawaiian queen who resented the

increasing power of white planters; overthrown in 1893

William McKinley

• William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States (1897-1901).• McKinley’s presidency is often

associated with the Progressive Era and the Spanish-American War.• In 1901, Pres. McKinley was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY.

The Roots of Imperialism

• For most of its early history, America played a small role in world affairs.• In the late 1800s, this began to change.• The United States began to acquire influence and territories outside its continental borders.• The United States was

abandoning isolationism and emerging as a new power on the global stage.

Causes of Imperialism

• During the Age of Imperialism (mid-1800s through early-1900s), powerful nations attempted to extend their influence across much of the world.• One reason for the rush to grab colonies was the desire for raw materials and natural resources.• Imperial countries would extract

raw materials from colonies and ship them to the home country.

Military Strength

• To expand and protect their interests around the world, imperialist nations built up their military strength.• Alfred T. Mahan played a key role in transforming the U.S. into a naval power.• Mahan also argued that

the U.S. needed to acquire foreign bases where American ships could refuel and gather fresh supplies.

Imperialism and Social Darwinism

• Imperialists around the world used ideas of racial, national, and cultural superiority to justify imperialism.• Social Darwinists felt that certain nations and races were superior to others and therefore were destined to rule over them.• Prominent Americans worried that

if the United States remained isolated while European nations gobbled up the rest of the world, America would not survive.

First Steps toward Imperialism

• In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry negotiated a treaty that opened Japan to trade with the U.S.• In 1867, the U.S. took possession

of the Midway Islands.• In 1867, the Sec. of State William Seward brokered a deal for the U.S. to purchase Alaska from Russia.• Many referred to the purchase as “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox.”

Hawaii

• In 1778, Capt. James Cook “discovered” the Hawaiian islands.• At the beginning of the 1800s, American missionaries began settling in Hawaii and quickly gained influence and wealth. • In 1893, a group of wealthy businessmen, plantation owners, and U.S. troops helped overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy.• Five years later, Hawaii was

annexed by the United States.

Cubans Rebel Against Spain

• By the end of the 1800s, Spain was an imperial nation in decline.• Its once vast empire had dwindled

to a small number of possessions, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands.• In 1895, Cuban patriot Jose Martí launched a war for independence from Spain.• Many Americans favored the Cubans, and many were influenced by the sensationalist headlines of William Randolph Hearst’s newspaper.

Remember the Maine!

• In Jan. 1898, Pres. McKinley ordered the battleship Maine to Havana harbor to protect U.S. citizens in Cuba.• In Feb. 1898, the USS Maine

exploded in Havana harbor. Of the 350 officers and crew on board, 266 died.• While the cause of the

explosion remains unclear, many Americans blamed Spain.• War fever gripped the nation,

and “Remember the Maine!” became a rallying cry.

The Spanish-American War

• On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain.• In the Philippines, the

Americans quickly defeated Spanish forces. • In Cuba, Theodore Roosevelt led his volunteer cavalry unit, known as the Rough Riders, to victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill.• By August 1898, fighting had ceased. The United States had won!

America Becomes an Imperial Power

• Under the Treaty of Paris (1898), Spain gave up control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and sold the Philippines to the U.S.• The United States had an empire and a new stature in world affairs. • The war marked a turning point in the history of American foreign policy.

The Philippine-American War

• After the U.S. decided to maintain possession of the Philippines, many Filipinos became disillusioned with America.• During the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), Filipino insurgents rebelled against U.S. rule. • The U.S. won the conflict, but

pledged that the Philippines would ultimately gain their independence. This happened in 1946.

Puerto Rico

• When the Spanish-American War ended, Puerto Rico remained under direct U.S. military rule.• The Foraker Act (1900) authorized

the president to appoint a governor and part of the Puerto Rican legislature. • Puerto Ricans could vote for the

remaining part of the legislature.• Many Puerto Ricans were upset that they did not have the same rights as U.S. citizens.

Platt Amendment

• As a result of the Platt Amendment (1903), the United States agreed to withdraw its troops from Cuba.• In return, Cuba agreed to allow the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs, and they were required to lease land to the U.S. to be used as a naval station (Guantánamo Bay).• Cuba was also prevented from

signing treaties with other nations without American approval.

Progressivism

• Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration brought many benefits to America, but they also produced challenging social problems.• In response, a movement called Progressivism emerged in the 1890s.• Progressives believed that new ideas

and honest, efficient government could bring about social justice.• Progressives brought lasting reforms

that still affect society today.

A Variety of Issues

• Some Progressives thought that political reform was the most urgent need.• Reformers targeted city officials who built corrupt organizations, called political machines.• Other Progressive reformers sought to reduce the gap between rich and poor, and improve living conditions in America’s crowded cities.

Muckrakers

• Socially conscious journalists and other writers often dramatized the need for reform.• They were given the name “muckrakers” as they tended to focus on the ugliest side of things, such as poverty, corruption, and ruthless business practices.• A muckrake is a tool used to

clean manure and hay out of animals’ stables.

The Progressive Platform & Social Gospel• Progressive activists promoted laws to improve living conditions, public health, and schools.• They urged government to regulate businesses, and they lobbied to ban child labor.• Many reformers wanted to improve society by applying Christian principles. This movement was known as the Social Gospel.

Settlement Houses

• In cities, Progressives established settlement houses, which were community centers that provided social services for the urban poor.• Jane Addams became a leading figure in the settlement house movement. • She is known for opening Hull House,

which was a settlement house in Chicago.• Religious organizations such as the

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) also provided services for the urban poor.

Hazardous Working Conditions

• In the early 1900s, the U.S. had the highest rate of industrial accidents in the world.• Each year some 30,000

workers died on the job, while another 500,000 were injured.• In March 1911, a fire at New York’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory shocked Americans and focused attention on the need to protect workers.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

• Workers in the factory had little chance to escape the raging fire because managers had locked most of the exits.• The fire killed 146 workers, most

of them young Jewish women.• Many jumped from the windows

in desperation.• After the blaze, New York passed laws to make workplaces safer, and other cities and states followed suit.

Election Reforms

• Progressives also pushed for election reforms.• Traditionally, it was the party

leaders who picked candidates for state and local offices.• With the introduction of the direct primary, citizens themselves selected nominees for upcoming elections.• In addition, the 17th Amendment (1913) provided for direct election of senators.

Initiatives, Referendums, and Recalls• Progressives also worked for three

other political reforms: the initiative, the referendum, and the recall.• The initiative gave people the power to put a proposed new law directly on the ballot of the next election by collecting citizens’ signatures on a petition.• The referendum allowed citizens to approve or reject laws passed by a legislature.• The recall gave voters the power to remove public servants from office before their terms ended.

Women’s Rights

• By the early 1900s, a growing number of women wanted to do more than fulfill their roles as wives and mothers.• For most women however,

working outside the home meant difficult jobs with long hours and dangerous conditions.• Progressive reformers helped improve working conditions for women, including capping the workday at 10 hours.

The Temperance Movement & Family Planning• A main goal of Progressive

women was to improve family life.• Many women joined the temperance movement, which aimed to limit the consumption of alcohol. • In 1916, Margaret Sanger

opened the country’s first birth-control clinic, which provided women with information about family planning.

Women’s Suffrage

• One of the boldest goals of Progressive women was suffrage.• Since the 1860s, reformers such as

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had struggled for the cause of women’s suffrage.• In the 1890s, the women’s suffrage movement was reenergized by reformers like Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, and Florence Kelly.• Women were officially granted suffrage through the Nineteenth Amendment (ratified in 1920).

Contradictions of the Progressive Era• The Progressive Era was not so progressive for nonwhite and immigrant Americans.• They tried to make the U.S. a model society by encouraging everyone to follow white, middle-class ways of life.• They agreed with so-called

scientific theories that said dark-skinned peoples had less intelligence than whites.

Booker T. Washington v. W.E.B. DuBois• In the face of these injustices, Booker T. Washington urged patience. • Other African Americans,

like W.E.B. DuBois and William Trotter, rejected this view.• In 1905, DuBois and Trotter formed the Niagara Movement, which denounced Washington’s idea of gradual progress.

The NAACP and the Urban League

• In 1909, white reformers joined forces with the Niagara Movement to create the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).• In 1911, the Urban League was created.• The NAACP helped middle-class blacks struggle for political and social justice, and the Urban League focused on poorer workers living in cities.

Theodore Roosevelt

• Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States (1901-1909).• Roosevelt embraced Progressive ideals and expanded the powers of the presidency.• Roosevelt is often remembered for his Square Deal, which aimed to keep the wealthy and powerful from taking advantage of small business owners and the poor.• He was also the inspiration behind

the “teddy bear.”

Roosevelt’s Accomplishments

• Roosevelt’s presidency is often associated with the following laws:• Hepburn Act - promoted fairness

related to shipping costs• Meat Inspection Act – required federal

inspection of meat-processing plants• Pure Food and Drug Act – placed

controls on production of foods and medicines

• National Reclamation Act – gave federal government the power to decide where and how water should be distributed

• Roosevelt also enforced the Sherman Antitrust Act and became known as a “trustbuster.”

Roosevelt’s Love for Nature

• Roosevelt’s deep reverence for nature also shaped his policies.• Roosevelt set aside more than 100 million acres of forestland as federal forests.• Roosevelt did not believe

all wild areas should be preserved, however.• Some wild lands held

valuable resources which Roosevelt felt should be used.

“Big Stick” Diplomacy

• Roosevelt’s strategy for dealing with other nations has been dubbed as “big stick” diplomacy.• This comes from the saying:

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”• In 1903, Roosevelt sent U.S. warships to support a Panamanian rebellion against Colombia.• This helped Panama win their

independence.

The Panama Canal

• Upon achieving independence, Panama granted America control over a “canal zone,” which allowed the United States to build the Panama Canal.• The Panama Canal was

finished in 1914, and it cut some 8,000 nautical miles off the trip from the east to west coasts of the United States.

The Roosevelt Corollary

• The Roosevelt Corollary (1904) updated the Monroe Doctrine and stated that the United States would intervene in conflicts between European and Latin American countries.• Many Latin Americans

resented America’s role as the hemisphere’s police force.

The Russo-Japanese War

• In 1904, Japan attacked a Russian fleet stationed in China, which led to war between the two nations.• In 1905, Pres. Roosevelt

intervened and convinced both sides to sign a peace treaty.• For his efforts, Roosevelt

won the Nobel Peace Prize.

William Howard Taft

• William Taft was the 27th President of the United States (1909-1913).• Roosevelt’s support of Taft helped Taft win the Election of 1908.• When Taft did not continue the programs and policies of Roosevelt, Roosevelt became furious.• He began speaking out against Taft’s

policies, left the Republican Party, and ran for a 3rd term as the candidate of the newly-formed Progressive Party.

The Election of 1912

• In 1912, the Republican Party split over the issue of reform.• Those who wanted a more

active government formed the Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party) and supported Roosevelt.• Loyal Republicans

supported Taft.• The split created an

opportunity for the Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson to win the election.

Woodrow Wilson

• Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921).• Wilson shaped his ideas into a program called the New Freedom, which focused on three types of reform: tariff, business, and banking.• Wilson’s presidency is often associated with World War I.

Tariff and Banking Reform

• The Underwood Tariff Act (1913) lowered tariffs, and included a provision to create a graduated income tax.

• A graduated income tax means that wealthy people pay a higher percentage of their income than do poor people.

• The Federal Reserve Act (1913) placed national banks under the control of a Federal Reserve Board.

• The Federal Reserve Board runs regional banks that hold the reserve funds from commercial banks, sets interest rates, and supervises commercial banks.

Business Reform

• In 1914, Wilson persuaded Congress to create the Federal Trade Commission, of FTC.• The FTC monitors business practices in an effort to prevent monopolies, false advertising, and dishonest labeling.• The Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) strengthened earlier antitrust laws, and it protected labor unions from being attacked as trusts.