The United States

The Colonized Become Colonizers

John Green: Crash Course in Imperialism

America Expands

The Rise of an Imperial Power

What Factors Contributed to the Rise of the United States as an

Imperial Power?

John Green: Crash Course in Imperialism

Imperialism:The economic and political domination of a strong nation over weaker nations.

Factors Contributing to US Imperialism

• Industrialization– Mass Production (Over-supply)– Economic Recession of 1893

• Desire Overseas Markets (Dollars)– Protect Overseas Investments– Industry and Farmers look for new markets; Open New Markets– Access to Raw Materials

• Desire Overseas Naval Base; Military Power (Defense)– Naval Superiority; Great White Fleet

• Promote “American-Friendly” governments

Factors Contributing to American Imperialism

• Anglo-Saxonism/Manifest Destiny – Whites: “superior” race; “White Man’s Burden”– must Christianize the uncivilized world

• Social Darwinism– Survival of the Fittest

• Jingoism/Aggressive Nationalism– U.S. growing industry, wealth, population– Jingoism: Extreme Patriotism → Aggressive Foreign Policy

– Spurred by Yellow Journalism

• Competition—prestige/power…who were we competing with?

Factors Contributing to American Imperialism

• What connections can you draw between the Progressive Movement and a rise in American

Imperialism?

Diplomacy in Latin America• Goals:

– Rising Pan-Americanism:• Belief that the U.S. and Latin America should “work

together”…why? What’s U.S. motivations?– Remove European Influence

» Get L.A. to buy American, not European goods» Control Latin American Debt to European Nations

– Protect/Expand Economic Investments in Region– New Markets for Amer. Manufacturers– Access to Raw Materials– Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Spanish-American War• Causes:

– Protect Major US investments in Cuba (esp. Sugar Interests)– Cuban Rebellion…

• What role did tariffs play?• Destruction of U.S. Property by Cuban Rebels

– U.S. Desire to remove European influence…Spain last European power in the W. Hemisphere

– Cuba: Strategic Location (route to Panama)– USS Maine explosion– Yellow Journalism

• Joseph Pulitzer/William Randolph Hearst• Journalism based on sensationalism, mass exaggerations, and often falsehoods• Sells more newspapers…but also good for propaganda• Report on Spanish atrocities; Spanish General Valeriano Weyler

– What was the goal?

Spanish-American War

"Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!"“You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war.”—William Randolph Hearst to his photographer in Cuba

• April 1898: Pres. William McKinley calls Congress to declare war

Spanish American War-Impact• Result: American Victory & an

Empire is Built– Annex Puerto Rico– Cuban Occupation (1898-1902),

followed by…– Platt Amendment (Cuba)

• US Naval Base in Cuba (Guantanamo)• U.S. has right to intervene to protect

and keep order• Cuba must minimize its debt to Europe• U.S. can block treaties Cuba makes w/

other states

Spanish American War: Impact in the Pacific

• U.S. Already Acquired Samoan Islands (1898)– Sign Treaty of Berlin w/

Germany

• Spanish American War Pacific Acquisitions– Buy the Philippines – Annex Guam– Leads to formal annexation

of Hawaii… why?

• Annex Wake Islands (1899)

An American Empire

Spanish American War:Effects on the U.S.

• “A Splendid Little War”– America emerges as a World Power– Increased world respect/prestige– Imperial powerhouse

• Caribbean/Latin America: “America’s Lake”• Unified the nation (North & South)• After effects of war furthers growing image in

Latin America of U.S. as “Bully to the North”

Anti-Imperialist League

• Anti-Imperialist League– Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie– Arguments:

• Imperialism violation of America’s values/foundations– Declaration of Independence– Constitution

• Defies concept of popular sovereignty– Government can only rule with people’s consent

– Actions in the Philippines and Cuba were in direct conflict with ideals

U.S. Growing Stakes in Latin America

• U.S. Massive Economic Stake in L. America– Agriculture, commodities, mining, oil, govt. securities– 1880s-1914 (start of WWI), U.S. investment ↑

• Cuba: 7x• C. America: 4x• Mexico: over $1.1 billion

• Investment in L. America esp. spurred by U.S. economic recession in 1893…why?

• 1898-1934 U.S. would intervene in L. America 34 times…what was primary motivation for most?

Monroe Doctrine

• Who: – Pres. James Monroe

(1823)-McKinley (1898)

• What:– Stated further efforts by

Europe to colonize territory/interfere in W. Hemisphere (N./S. Amer) would be viewed as act of aggression… potentially garnering U.S. response

• Goal:– Promote U.S. influence in region

and trade ties throughout region– Who posed biggest threat to this?

• Application:– 1852: Ostend Manifesto (Cuba)– 1866 Mexico– 1888 Haiti– 1894 Brazil– 1890s Nicaragua (Zelaya…will later

overthrow 1909)– 1895 Venezuela (Turning Pt.)– 1898 Sp. American War (transition)

Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine/“Big Stick Diplomacy”

• Who:– Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

• What:– U.S. as “civilized” nation had right

to end “chronic wrongdoing” and thus had right to intervene in Caribbean to maintain order

– If any nation in L. Amer. Appeared so politically and financially unstable as to be vulnerable to European control, U.S. had an obligation to intervene

• Is this diff. than Monroe Doctrine? Why? Why not?

• Goal: – Estbl. U.S. as

predominant power in L. America

• Application– Sp. Amer. War (1898)– Colombia/Panama

(1903-1914)– Dom. Republic (1903-

1905)– Cuba (1906)

Dollar Diplomacy

• Who:– President Taft (1909-

1913)

• What:– “Substitute dollars for

bullets”…in theory– Use of commercial

interests/investments to secure U.S. influence abroad.

• Goal:– Attempt to garner good will

with L. Amer. Nations w/ less militaristic approach… not as effective in practice

• Application:– China– Honduras– Haiti– Nicaragua (Zelaya)– Mexico

Moral Diplomacy

• Who:– Pres. Woodrow Wilson

(1913-1921)

• What:– Foreign policy which

advocated only offering support to countries whose “moral beliefs” and democratic values were similar to the U.S. ideology

• Goal:– Promote friendly

“democratic” governments in L. America (in theory)

• Application:– Mexico: 1910s– Nicaragua (1912-1925)– Haiti (1915-1934)– Dominican Republic (1916-

1924)– Virgin Islands (1917)