American Imperialism and Foreign Policy

1. American Imperialism and Foreign Policy Late 19th – Early 20th c.

2. Definitions! • Imperialism (a.k.a. COLONIALISM) = quest to build territorial empire • Control by powerful nation(s) over a less advanced or less “civilized” area • Powerful Nation = • Advanced (industrial) economy • Strong Government • Considerable military strength • “Less Advanced” Nation/Area = • Primitive (pre-Industrial) economy • Underdeveloped natural resources • Weak government • Limited military power

3. Background! • Why U.S. Imperialism? • Response to European Imperialism • Why? INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION • Industrialized Nations =Colonies. Why? • Cheap raw materials • Market • Large profits w/ minimum risk on investment of surplus capital.

4. Background! • NATIONALIST arguments for Imperialism (aka Empire Buildingi) • Gain Glory • Secure essential military bases & war materials • Provide outlet for surplus pop. • Provide safety (Christian missionaries) • Bring “blessings of civilized culture” (aka the West [Europe & USA])to the “backward” areas*

5. The “white man’s Burden” • Title comes from poem by Rudyard Kipling “Take up the White Man’s burden— Send forth the best ye breed— Go send your sons to exile To serve your captives' need To wait in heavy harness On fluttered folk and wild— Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half devil and half childTake up the White Man’s burden In patience to abide To veil the threat of terror And check the show of pride; By open speech and simple An hundred times made plain To seek another’s profit And work another’s gain 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 hosts ye humour (Ah slowly) to the light: "Why brought ye us from bondage, “Our loved Egyptian night?” Take up the White Man’s burden- Have done with childish days- The lightly proffered laurel, The easy, ungrudged praise. Comes now, to search your manhood Through all the thankless years, Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers!

7. Reasons for U.S. Imperialism • Industrial Revolution • Closing of the Frontier • Imperialist Examples • American Nationalism

8. British Imperialism

9. British Achievements

10. Spanish-American War (1898) • Builds American Nationalism • Causes 1. Despotic Spanish rule of Cuba • Spain denied civil liberties & political rights • Levied heavy taxes & restricted foreign trade • Ruthlessly suppressed rebellions • Finally abolished slavery in 1886 • Economic depression brings anotherCuban revolt for Independence

11. Spanish-American War (1898) 2. American Humanitarianism & sympathy • Sympathy • 200,000+ Cubans died in concentration camps

12. Spanish-American War (1898) 3. Economic Interests • American trade w/ Cuba = +$100 mil/year • Investors place $50 mil in sugar & tobacco plantations

13. Spanish-American War (1898) 4. “Yellow Journalism” • William Randolph Hearst (NY Journal) & Joseph Pulitzer (New York World) • Sensationalizednew stories • Hearst’s Journal printed the Delome Letter (the Spanish Ambassador called President McKinley “weak” – America outraged)

15. Spanish-American War (1898) 5. Sinking of the Maine (Feb 1898) • 260Americans killed • Cause: (most likely) fire in a coal bin • American public blames SPAIN • Battle Cry “Remember the Maine, to HELL with Spain!”

16. Spanish-American War (1898) • POTUS McKinley demands Spain end camps & negotiate w/ rebels • April 11, 1898: McKinley > Congress > Cuba • Congress approves 4-20, recognizes Cuba’s independence from Spain • Congress adopts the Teller Amendment (1898) • Made before the Span-Am War! • U.S. could not annex Cuba • U.S. must “leave control of island to its People”

17. Spanish-American War (1898) • (John Hay – Open Door Policy) “a splendid little war.” • Several Months long • #1 killer of U.S. Troops = Disease, Bad Food • End Result = U.S. has global “empire”

18. Spanish-American War (1898) • Major Military Events • Commodore George Dewey destroys one Spanish fleet in Manila Bay (Philippines) on June 1st, 1898 • Manila (capital) captured 2 days later • (Despite losing thousands to malaria & otherdiseases) American & Cuban forces wear down Spanish • San Jan Hill (most famous land battle) made popularby charge of Rough Riders on Spanish forces, led byTheodore Roosevelt • Fighting ends on July 3 w/ destruction of Spanish fleet@ Santiago Bay

21. Spanish-American War (1898) • U.S. annexes Hawaii • Treaty of Paris 1898 ends Span-Am War. • Terms: • Cuba Independent • Puerto Rico & Guam “given” to U.S. • Philippines sold to U.S. for $20 mil.

22. Spanish-American War (1898) • Platt Amendment (supersedes the Teller Amendment) – Post War • Cuba must accept P.A. for the U.S. to withdraw • Cuba could not allow foreign powers to control it • U.S. could lease land for naval base, Guantanamo Bay

23. Spanish-American War (1898) • Cuba = protectorate of the US

24. Philippines PRO-Annexation ANTI-Annexation Educate Filipinos “Uplift” Filipinos “Civilize” Filipinos Violated the D.o.I Denied Self-Government to new territories Introduced more racial tension

26. Philippines • Filipinos - guerilla war for independence • The “Bolo War” • The Filipino Rebellion • Philippine-American War • Lasts 3 years. Led by Emilio Aguinaldo. • Philippines independence not recognized by U.S. until Treaty of Manila in 1946.

27. Panama • Isthmus • Originally part of Colombia, U.S. naval help • Canal Permission • Original canal site: Nicaragua • French attempt (bankruptcy)

28. Panama • Why build canal? • Reduced NY—San Francisco trip by over 50% • 13,000 mi to 5,200 mi

29. Panama • Canal Stats.: • 51 mi. long • Avg. width 492 ft • 6 locks • Canal Zone: 10 mi • 27,500 workers died(mostly from disease)

30. Roosevelt Corollary • Attempted to put some “teeth” in the Monroe Doctrine • U.S. will use military to enforce the Monroe Doctrine • To “police” the W. Hemisphere

32. Two Types of Diplomacy Gunboat Diplomacy Dollar Diplomacy AKA “Big Stick” Diplomacy Pursuit of nation’s interests with implied use of force Using nation’s economic power to influence other countries Associated with Taft & subsequent presidents

33. U.S. Interventions in Latin America • Cuba – occupied from 1898-1902, intervened again militarily in 1906, 1909, 1917, and 1961 • Dominican Republic – occupied from 1916-1924, U.S. protectorate from 1905-1940. U.S. later sent troops to D.R. in 1965. • Nicaragua – military & political interventions in 1909, 1912-1925, 1927-1933, and in the 1970s & 1980s • Mexico – military interventions during the Mexican Civil War (1916) • Colombia – 1903, est. secessionist movement in N.W. Colombia (Panama), which came under U.S. control (later: site of Panama Canal)

34. Wilson’s Foreign Policies • Panama Canals Tolls Act of 1912: • U.S. ships use Panama Canal toll-free. • Wilson convinced Congress to repeal Act • Nationalists (like Roosevelt) angered • British approved • Jones Act of 1916: • Provided for eventual Filipino independence • Philippines a full-fledged U.S. territory • Universal male suffrage • Jones Act of 1917: • Citizenship rights to all Puerto Ricans • Democratic improvement to P.R. legislative system