Stirrings of Imperialism

1. Stirrings of Imperialism • Experience of subjugating the Indian tribes established a precedent for exerting colonial control over dependent peoples, "closing of the frontier" (Turner) produced fears that resources would soon dwindle and that alternative sources must be found abroad, foreign trade became increasingly important in American economy in the late 19th century, and many powerful European nations were creating vast colonies in other countries mainly in Asia and the far East.

2. Stirrings of Imperialism • The bitter social protests of the time led some politicians to urge for a more aggressive foreign policy as an outlet for frustrations that would otherwise destabilize domestic life.

3. Stirrings of Imperialism • Foreign trade dramatically increased. In 1870 the nation’s exports was about $392 million and by 1900 totaled 1.4 billion. America began “raising more then we can consume. We are making more then we can use. Therefore we must find new markets for our produce, new occupations for our capital, new work for our labor.” (Senator Beveridge)

4. Stirrings of Imperialism • Social Darwinism provided the logic for strong nations to dominate weak ones was in accordance with laws of nature

5. Stirrings of Imperialism • John Fiske predicted that the English speaking peoples would eventually control every land that was not already the seat of "established civilization"

6. Stirrings of Imperialism • Josiah Strong wrote Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present Crisis, argued that the American race represented great ideas of civil liberty and pure Christianity “Imagine that the destinies of mankind, for centuries to come, can be seriously affected, much less determined, by the men of this generation in the United States”

7. Stirrings of Imperialism • John W. Burges, the founder of the Columbia School of Political Science, stated that Americans possessed the highest political talents, and their duty was to uplift less fortunate peoples

8. Stirrings of Imperialism • Alfred Thayer Mahan (captain in the navy) stated that countries with sea power were the great nations of history, advocated that the US construct a canal across the isthmus of Central America and join the oceans, and take possession of Hawaii

9. Stirrings of Imperialism • In 1898 the US is in 5th place among the world’s naval powers and by 1900 the US was in 3rd.

10. Stirrings of Imperialism • Blain created the Pan-America Union, which was a weak international organization that served as a clearinghouse for distributing information to member nations, not very effective

11. Stirrings of Imperialism • The Cleveland Administration supported Venezuela in its boundary dispute with Great Britain over British Guinea, resulted in a diplomatic crisis, US enforced the Monroe Doctrine, and got Britain to agree to arbitration

12. Stirrings of Imperialism • Hawaii was an important way station for American ships, the arrival of American merchants, missionaries and planters was devastating to Hawaiian society: brought infectious diseases, more than half the native population died

13. Stirrings of Imperialism • Missionaries worked to undermine the native religion while other settlers introduced liquor, firearms, and a commercial economy, all of which destroyed the native society

14. Stirrings of Imperialism • American G.P Judd became the prime minister of Hawaii under King Kamehameha who agreed to establish a constitutional monarchy which effectively allowed Judd to govern Hawaii for a decade, in 1887 a treaty was negotiated that permitted the US to set up a naval base at Pearl Harbor

15. Stirrings of Imperialism • In 1891, Queen Liliuokaliani was elevated to the throne and she set out to challenge the growing American control of the islands, the US eliminated the privileged position of Hawaiian sugar in international trade (used to be duty-free) which resulted in devastation to the Hawaiian economy, in 1893 US planters staged a revolution and called on the US for protection, resulted in the queen yielding her authority

16. Stirrings of Imperialism • A provisional government was created (dominated by Americans who were just 5% of the population) and appealed to the US for annexation in 1893, President Harrison signed an annexation agreement but the Democratic Senate would not ratify it and Cleveland refused to support it, not ratified until 1898 when Republicans returned to power

17. Stirrings of Imperialism • Great Britain, Germany and US jockeyed for dominance of Samoa and after coming dangerously close to war, finally agreed to share power over Samoa, then in 1899 the US and Germany divided the Samoan Islands between themselves, and compensated Britain with territories elsewhere in the Pacific

18. War with Spain • The Spanish-American War emerged out of events in Cuba, which along with Puerto Rico, was all that remained of Spain’s New World empire, Cubans had been resisting Spanish rule since 1868

19. War with Spain • In 1895 Cubans rose up again, this time due to the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894, which cut off sugar exports to US crippling the economy

20. War with Spain • The Spanish, commanded by General Valeriano Weyler (Butcher Weyler), confined civilians in concentration camps where they died by the thousands from disease and malnutrition

21. War with Spain • American press made it seem as though the Spanish were committing all atrocities, even though there was brutality on both sides

22. War with Spain • Yellow Journalism was a sensationalist style of reporting and writing, and a self-conscious effort to reach the masses. The reporters didn’t shy away from expressed sympathy or outrage and not always constrained by the truth

23. War with Spain • Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst used Yellow Journalism to generated significant popular support for the revolution, “You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war”

24. War with Spain • De Lome Letter was written by the Spanish minister in Washington, described McKinley as a weak man and “a bidder for the admiration of the crowd”, coming from a foreigner it aroused great anger, De Lome promptly resigned (Teddy Roosevelt described McKinley as having “no more backbone than a chocolate éclair”)

25. War with Spain • The battleship Maine sank in Havana harbor in 1898 resulting in 260 American deaths, the Americans assumed that the Spanish sunk the ship, “Remember the Maine” became the national chant, Congress appropriated $50 million for military preparations, war hysteria swept the nation

26. War with Spain • McKinley attempted to avoid conflict by negotiating with Spain, but on April 25th asked and received congressional declaration of war, John Hay called it a "splendid little war", it started in April and was over by August

27. War with Spain • Only 460 Americans were killed in battle, some 5,200 perished from disease. Difficulties faced by Americans: supply problems, shortage of modern rifles, ammunition, inadequate medical services, and racial conflicts, as black troops made their way to Florida they chafed under the Jim Crow laws

28. War with Spain • The sight of black Cuban soldiers fighting along whites as equals gave the American blacks a stronger sense of injustice

29. War with Spain • After war was declared on Cuba, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Teddy Roosevelt ordered Commodore George Dewey to sail into Manila Bay in the Philippines and destroy the Spanish fleet stationed there

30. The Spanish-American War in Cuba

31. War with Spain • Spanish surrendered the city of Manila

32. War with Spain • What had begun as a war to free Cuba was becoming a war to strip Spain of its colonies, there was no plan in place as to what the US would do with the Spanish possessions it was suddenly acquiring

33. War with Spain • American Atlantic Fleet sailed from Tampa for Cuba and attacked Santiago under the command of General Nelson Miles, the Rough Riders were a cavalry unit at the center of the fighting, commanded by General Leonard Wood, real leader was Roosevelt who led a charge up Kettle Hill into the face of Spanish guns (part of the battle for San Juan Hill) “the great day of my life”

34. War with Spain • On July 16 the commander of the Spanish ground forces in Santiago surrendered, at about the same time the US Army occupied Puerto Rico, and an armistice was signed on August 12 ending the war

35. War with Spain • Spain recognized the independence of Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the US, accepted continued American occupation of Manila

36. War with Spain • Puerto Rican society developed with a Spanish ruling class and large African work force for coffee and sugar plantations, gradually resistance developed during the 1800’s to Spanish rule

37. War with Spain • Results of growing resistance to Spanish rule was the abolition of slavery in 1873, representation in the Spanish parliament, before Spain could grant Puerto Rico it independence the US took control

38. War with Spain • The United States passed the Foraker Act (1900) which ended military rule and established a formal colonial government with an American governor and two chamber legislature - members of the upper chamber appointed by the US and members of the lower elected by Puerto Rican people, but the US could veto or amend any legislation Puerto Rico passed

39. War with Spain • The Jones Act (1917) declared Puerto Rico to be US territory and made all Puerto Ricans American citizens, the Puerto Rican sugar economy flourished, with plantations being owned by Americans and worked by natives, this reduced the land available for producing food and created instability in the economy, began to depend on foreign markets for food

40. War with Spain • Controlling nearby Caribbean islands fit in with America’s sense of itself as the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere, what to do with the Philippines was another matter

41. War with Spain • President McKinley emerged from an “agonizing night of prayer” and claimed divine guidance for his decision to accept responsibility for Manila, to return it to Spain would be cowardly, giving it to another imperial power would be bad business, and giving them independence would be irresponsible

42. War with Spain • The Filipinos were “unfit for self government”, the only solution was “to take them all and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and Christianize them, and by God’s grace do the very best we could by them”

43. War with Spain • The Treaty of Paris of 1898 brought a formal end to the war, confirmed the terms of the armistice concerning Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam, demanded the Spanish cede the Philippines to the US, the US offered $20 million in compensation and got the islands

44. War with Spain • Powerful anti-imperialistic movement rose around the country to stop the acquisition of the Philippines: Andrew Carnegie, Mark Twain, Samuel Gompers, Senator John Sherman

45. War with Spain • Anti-Imperialist Beliefs were simply that imperialism was immoral, a repudiation of America’s commitment to human freedom, some feared polluting America’s population by introducing “inferior” Asian races to it, industrial workers feared being undercut by cheap labor from the new colonies, Conservatives feared the large standing army and entangling foreign alliances that an empire would entail

46. War with Spain • The Anti-Imperialist League: established by upper-class Bostonians, New Yorkers and others, to fight against annexation developed a widespread following in the Northeast

47. War with Spain • Imperialists were in favor of ratification, Roosevelt saw it as a away to reinvigorate the nation, businessmen saw opportunities to profit, ease with which it would be accomplished, argued the Filipinos would not be considered citizens since they are like Indians

48. War with Spain • William Jennings Bryan backed ratification, he hoped to move the issue out of Senate and make it the subject of a national referendum in the presidential election of 1900, persuaded a number of anti-imperialistic Democrats to support the treaty

49. War with Spain • Election of 1900 – McKinley won, on the basis of a recovering economy, and the personality of his vice president (Roosevelt)

50. The Republic As An Empire • Hawaii (1900), Alaska (1912), and Puerto Rico (1917) received territorial status and their residents became American citizens, Guam became a possession, but Cuba was a problem