Unit 5: America Builds an Empire

1. Unit 5: America Builds an Empire

2. What is foreign policy? • A nation’s policies toward other countries

3. Elements of Foreign Relations • International Anarchy: the idea that while citizens in each country are subject to law, the governments of nations are not subject to international laws in all cases • Balance of Power: when one nation becomes too powerful, other nations band together to protect themselves or make sure that the one nation does not over-throw them

4. More Elements of Foreign Relations • Control of US Foreign Policy: the Constitution divides this power between Congress and the President • President negotiates treaties/Senate ratifies • President commands troops/ Congress pays • Congress declares war/President commands troops

5. More Elements of Foreign Relations • Traditional Foreign Policy: America felt protected by the 2 oceans; Washington warned us to stay out of other nations’ problems and remain isolated • National Interests: American interests include: • Security from attack • Protecting American investment • Promoting American democracy

6. The Spanish-American War, 1898 • Origins: (Cuba is a Spanish colony) • In 1894, the US raised it’s tariff (tax) on the sugar imported from Cuba • This lead to a decline in Cuban revenues and increased unemployment and unrest • Cuban refugees, living in the US, are led by Jose Marti to sail back to Cuba and begin a revolution • Marti declared Cuba independent in 1895 • Spain sent troops to put down the rebellion

8. Spanish-American War • Spain’s attempts to end the rebellion were brutal • Entire villages and towns in Cuba were forced into camps surrounded by barbed wire and starved into submission • These events raised humanitarian concerns in the United States

9. Spanish-American War • Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Heart’s New York Journal were 2 of the major newspapers that covered the story • These papers deliberately sensationalized the news • They depicted the Spanish as murderous brutes in order to sell more papers

10. Spanish-American War • Yellow Journalism: unbalanced, sensationalized reporting intended to sell more papers • This type of news reporting gave Americans an unrealistic view of the events in Cuba • Americans believed that it was important to intervene to protect the Cubans

14. Triggering Events: the De Lome Letter • De Lome is the Spanish Ambassador to the US • A letter he wrote to a friend in Havana was stolen by Cuban rebels and sent to US newspapers • The letter was critical of the US and specifically called President McKinley “weak” • De Lome resigned from office

16. U.S.S. Maine • American naval vessel was sent to Cuba to protect American lives and property during the revolution • While in port in Havana, the ship exploded • The Maine sunk and 258 U.S. sailors died and more were severely injured • Hearst and Pulitzer both blamed the Spanish for the explosion • Heart offered $50,000 reward for capture of the Spaniards responsible • The cause of the explosion is still unknown today

23. Spanish-American War • Public outcry against Spain as a result of the Maine grew • “Remember the Maine” • Spain agreed to US demands for a cease fire with Cuban rebels • April 20, 1898 McKinley asks Congress to declare war on Spain • Congress votes to declare war on April 21, 1898

24. War in the Pacific • The first battles in the Spanish-American war were fought in the Philippines • Commodore George Dewey sailed the US fleet into Manila harbor and opened fire on the capital city • Dewey destroyed the entire Spanish fleet in Manila • 11,000 US forces and Filipino rebels fought Spain for the next two months • Spanish troops surrendered the Philippines in August

25. Caribbean War • Admiral Sampson blockades Cuba preventing the Spanish fleet from escaping • A small number of professional Army officers were sent into Cuba with 125,000 volunteers • The volunteers were inexperienced, poorly trained, provided with inadequate weapons, and old woolen uniforms from the Civil War

26. Teddy Roosevelt • TR serves as Asst Secretary of the Navy • Believes that for America to become a world power, we must improve our navy • Resigns from War Dept to form an all volunteer cavalry unit to fight in the S-A War • “The Rough Riders” are under the command of General Leonard Wood and TD • Along with regular army troops, they defeat the Spanish at the Battle of San Juan Hill

29. Spanish-American War • July 1st: Rough Riders, 2 regiments of African-American troops, and the 9th and 10th cavalries charged up Kettle Hill and defeat Spanish troops • Infantry and Rough Riders attach San Juan Hill next day, defeat Spain again • 4 days later, Spanish Navy tries to break the blockade • Naval battle along the Cuban coast lasts a week. • Spanish fleet is destroyed • American troops invade Puerto Rico the next week

30. Spanish-American War • Problems: • Yellow Fever (malaria) • Poor training • Old weapons • Unsuitable uniforms • Old officers who were more interested in telling Civil War stories than fighting (General Wheeler) • Delay in getting ships from Atlantic to Pacific and Caribbean….We need a CANAL!

31. Treaty of Paris • The US and Spain sign an armistice resulting in a cease-fire on August 12th • December 10th, US and Spain meet to discuss terms in Paris • Treaty is signed on December 15th • The US Senate will have to ratify

33. Terms of the Treaty of Paris • Spain agrees to give Cuba independence from Spanish rule • Guam and Puerto Rico will be given to the U.S. • Spain will sell the Philippines to the U.S. for $20 million • Thus ends what Secretary of State, John Hay, called “a splendid little war”

35. Is this a turning point in American History? • US no longer isolationist • US gains territories • US naval and military power and influence grow • US enters into international trade • US defeats European power (again) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urtm4GpjFu4

36. Does this event make the US into a world power? • Probably • America viewed as having both economic and military strength • Naval power essential for both and US navy is now the 3rd largest

37. What is Imperialism? • The policy of extending a nation’s authority over other countries by economic, political, or military means

38. Reasons for American Colonial Expansion • Need for Raw Materials: industrial expansion requires coal, oil, rubber, steel, etc… • Need for Markets: increasing production requires new places to sell our stuff • Nationalism: expansion show that the US is a world power to be admired and respected • Strategic Reasons: the need for naval bases around the world to refuel and resupply • Attitudes toward other people: belief that Americans were superior to other people and that we needed to educate/train them to be more like us

39. Alfred Thayer Mahan • Admiral and President of the Naval War College • Wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History • Argued that for a nation to become a world power, a powerful navy was required • Colonies and naval bases around the world would be necessary to support merchant ships as well as naval vessels

40. Mahan • Because the US is competing with other nations for supremacy, we should seize control of Pacific trade routes, construct a canal through Central America, and dominate the Caribbean • These things would give us geographic dominance over Atlantic and Pacific trade • T. Roosevelt was one of his followers

41. American Anti-Imperialist League • People like Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Moorefield Storey, and Henry Ford opposed colonialism • They felt that the United States was based on the ideals of democracy and self-government and that to impose our rule on others was hypocrisy • They opposed America acquiring colonies

42. Moorefield Storey • First President of the NAACP • Spokesman for the Anti-Imperialist League • Gave dramatic speech in Boston warning against US colonization

43. Results of Spanish-American War • US wins! • US becomes a world power • US acquires a colonial empire consisting of : • The Philippines • Guam • Hawaii • Puerto Rico • Samoa • Midway

44. The Platt Amendment • A congressional resolution passed in the U.S. Congress prior to the S-A War had guaranteed independence of Cuba • At the end of the war, Cubans were forced to agree to the Platt Amendment to their constitution • This gave the US the right to intervene in Cuban affairs at any time

45. The Philippines • Filipinos were disappointed that the US Congress decided to annex them instead of granting independence • Rebels fought until their defeat in 1902

46. Hawaii • Hawaiian Islands had proved refueling stations for American ships for many years • American settlers built sugar and pineapple plantations on Hawaii • Missionaries were sent to convert the natives to Christianity

47. Stanford Dole • Queen Liliuokalani attempted to take land and power back from American planters • American lawyer and plantation owner in Hawaii led American landowners to over-throw Hawaii’s Queen in 1887 • President Cleveland refused to annex Hawaii because of Dole’s actions • Dole became President of Hawaii

48. Guam • An important re-fueling stop for US ships • US won as part of the treaty ending the S-A War • Guam is still a territory of the United States

49. Samoa • A Pacific Island group that was divided between the United States and Germany • Provided a valuable naval bases and re-fueling stations for American shipping • American Samoa is still a U.S. territory

50. Midway • Became a US possession in 1867 (before the S-A War) • Midway is still an important military base for the U.S. Navy