XI. AMERICAN IMPERIALISM

1. XI. AMERICAN IMPERIALISM A. Ever since Europeans came to this Continent they expanded B. After Civil War 1. Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward 2. Sought commercial expansion in the Pacific a. 1867 purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 mil. b. Gained refueling bases in Midway Islands 3. Seward tried to annex Cuba and other West Indies Is. a. believed in American domination of whole continent b. tried to negotiate a treaty with Columbia for Panama C. Grant's administration 1. Attempts to annex Santo Domingo a. good source of raw materials

2. b. market for American goods c. strategic military outpost d. opponents argued i. not self-determination ii. inhabitants people of color spoke French and Spanish iii. annexation might anger European governments a. necessitate a navel buildup b. increase in government spending for defense c. higher taxes 2. American business interest grew a. markets expanded to Latin America & the Pacific i. American sugar in Hawaii grew to Is. primary industry b. 1875 sugar interests influenced the Hawaiian monarchy i. placed prominent lobbyists in palace ii. eliminated import duty to U.S. on Hawaiian sugar 2

3. 3 c. 1877 permission for naval base, Pearl Harbor on Oahu d. Hawaiian resentment grew i. sugar companies imported Japanese workers ii. 1891 Queen Liliuokalani assumed throne a. abolished constitution b. led nativeist movement against white domination c. 1893 Americans & U.S. gunboats stage coupe d. Grover Cleveland in office, stopped annexation e. McKinley annexed the islands in 1898 D. American expanded behind business interests 1. new markets in Asia & Latin America looked profitable a. sources for coffee, fruits, tea, silk, rubber & minerals b. wanted government protection in case of trouble i. strong navy, embassies, & trade agreements

4. 4 2. Some large profits exploiting foreign markets a. Clayton Anderson Co. survey most of Mexico i. given percentage of all the land they surveyed. b. United Fruit Co. i. large investments throughout Latin America ii. imported exotic tropical fruit (bananas & coconuts) iii. paid workers slave wages with no benefits c. Singer sewing machines found world wide market 3. some companies resisted expanse in new markets a. wanted traditional markets b. worried about expense of government protection c. as depressions hit i. expansion looks better than alternatives ii. cut wages, cut prices or lay off workers

5. 5 E. American patriotism another factor for expansion 1. European powers were expanding into foreign markets 2. belief in Social Darwinism 3. belief in supremacy of their political system a. moral prerogative b. democracy & capitalism make successful c. American character superior d. American technology superior e. all these things needed to be shared i. American obligation to educate ii. Christianize iii. democratize all under developed nations F. Spanish American War 1. Cubans sought some autonomy

6. 7 a. one of few colonies in Western Hemisphere b. several attempts to gain independence again in 1890s c. Spanish sent in Gen. Weyler “the Butcher“ & 50,000 troops 2. American press a. U.S. papers sent reporters to Cuba b. tried to out do each other with sensational headlines i. days of yellow journalism ii. the World run by Joseph Pulitzer iii. the Journal run by William Randolph Hearst a. Hearst told reporters to bring back pictures of war b. reporters told him there was no war c. "just bring back the pictures and I'll print you a war." 3. American people sympathetic to Cuban resistance a. Americans always had interest in Cuba

7. i. southerners wanted to expand slavery into Cuba ii. good source of sugar, tobacco and a good navel port iii. independence from European power similar to U.S. b. Presidents Cleveland and McKinley urged peace. 4. 1898 matters worsened a. Depuy De Lôme letter (Spanish minister to U.S.) i. Spanish minister in Cuba wrote letter intercepted by spy ii. letter called McKinley a weak hypocritical politician iii. Hearst called it the worst insult in U.S. history b. riots in Havana increased c. McKinley sent U.S.S. Maine to Havana to protect U.S. citizens d. Feb. 15, 1898 explosion went off on Maine i. killed 262 men & sunk ship a. publishers offered reward for information ii. The Spanish claiming U.S. should get out ? 7

8. iii. rebels may have hoped to get U.S. involved ? iv. an accident in the boiler room ? e. Theodore Roosevelt wanted McKinley to retaliate i. president ordered official board of inquiry ii. claimed a submarine mine caused the damage iii. Under Sec. of Navy Roosevelt felt war was inevitable a. while Sec.of Navy, John D. Long gone took action. b. ordered Com. Dewey to attack Philippines if war 5. McKinley could no longer control public opinion a. Republicans felt U.S. should intervene or loose election b. President tried to exert pressure on Spain but rebuffed c. 4/11/1898 sent message to congress seemed like call for war i. Congress authorizes use of troops against Spain ii. recognizes Cuban independence iii. not a declaration of war but almost the same thing 8

9. iv. passed the Teller Amendment a. U.S. has no intention of annexing Cuba b. Cubans have right to self determination 6. War begins a. Roosevelt resigns post to join cavalry i. arrived late only saw a few battles ii. claimed he led charge up San Juan hill iii. really Kettle Hill and already conquered twice iv. popularized phrase "a splendid little war" b. one of shortest in American history i. all battles won in a few weeks ii. started in middle of April, ended in middle of July iii. 385 Americans died from combat iv. over 5,000 Americans died from disease v. in 2 sea battles 2 Americans killed (1 heat prostration) 9

10. 10 c. Islands of Guam and Puerto Rico taken without a shot d. Dewey's Pacific Fleet trapped the Spanish in Manila i. sunk large portion and the rest remained in Spain e. Treaty of Paris i. U.S. gave Spain $20 million for Philippines G. Philippine War 1. Once U.S. gains Philippines, inhabitants seek freedom 2. Aguinaldo a guerilla fought with U.S. against Spain a. hoped to gain independence 3. Many Americans liked idea of territorial gains in Pacific a. new business opportunity b. missionary activity in Philippines i. for democracy ii. for Protestantism

11. 11 4. Some Americans opposed annexation a. annexation without statehood unconstitutional b. occupation without consent violates self determination c. America needed social reform at home d. others argued on basis of bigotry against annexation i. non-white, Catholic, shorter, etc. e. U.S. should not get involved protecting these people i. U.S. might need more territory to keep Philippines ii. expand navy, send in more troops & raise taxes 5. War lasted four years a. over 1/4 million Americans served in War b. 4,234 Americans died, 2,800 wounded c. cost $400 million d. 18,000 Filipinos killed, 200,000 died of famine & disease

12. 12 6. Americans as brutal as any other conquering nation a. destroyed villages, crops and livestock b. tortured prisoners c. dragged on at tremendous expense d. did little to change American feelings i. patriotism continued to rise ii. most Americans supported the war H. War became a political issue 1. Democrats wanted to challenge President a. William Jennings Bryan ran as Democrat i. most Americans supported the war ii. equated anti-war with anti-American iii. gave up on issue last few weeks of campaign b. Gold discovered in Alaska & economy improves

13. 2. Theodore Roosevelt won governor of New York a. popular because of his war record b. He could threaten McKinley for the Presidential candidacy c. Republicans worried, offered Vice-Presidency i. took care of his ambition ii. got him out of the way d. McKinley shot 6 months later i. 42 Roosevelt youngest President ii. "that damn cowboy's president" I. Roosevelt's Administration 1. World order & Civilization a. America & other advanced nations were civilized b. sometime they to go to war with uncivilized nations i. Win & impart culture and technology to vanquished c. two civilized nations should never fight 13

14. 2. his philosophy did have positive side a. negotiated a treaty between Russia and Japan in long war b. 1906 awarded Nobel Peace Prize 1st U.S. president to win c. 1906 also prevented war between France and Germany i. Germans wanted French North African market ii. start war between France & England iv. French upset over intervention v. Roosevelt intervened & averted war 3. Roosevelt let on one stand in his way a. Panama Canal i. 1901 canceled 1850 treaty with G.B. over canal project ii. U.S. can build canal if anyone can use iii. French building a canal in Panama iv. Americans wanted to build in Nicaragua v. French firm went out of business 14

15. vi. Americans wanted to take over contract vii. 1903 Colombia rejects offer viii. French engineer, Bunau-Varilla came to U.S. for aid ix. U.S. stationed gun boat off coast of Columbia x. Colombian troops cannot respond in time xi. 11/4/1903 Panama declared independence xii. U.S. recognized country two days later xiii. 11/18/1903 Panama gives U.S. rights build canal b. Roosevelt exerted his influence over most of Caribbean i. 1902, Cuba allowed to elect own government ii. U.S. demanded the Platt Amendment in constitution a. gave favorable trade status to U.S. b. U.S. can protect Cuban government c. U.S. given base at Guantanamo Bay d. 1906 U.S. stops Civil War in Cuba 15

16. c. "Gunboat Diplomacy" i. Roosevelt had large new navy ii. wanted to send navy around world iii. congress would not approve funds v. Roosevelt sent them half way vi. congress had to give the money to return d. "Roosevelt Corollary“ to Monroe Doctrine i. economic instability allowed U.S. intervention ii. Dominican Rep., Guatemala, Nicaragua & Honduras e. Sought American markets in China i. Manchu dynasty crumbling & can’t keep foreigners out ii. 1900 Chinese Boxer Rebellion a. Nationalist revolt to remove foreigners from China b. The Empress behind revolt c. believed Chinese Boxing could protect from bullets 16

17. d. 242 foreigners killed & besieged western quarter e. multi-national force of 19,000 ended rebellion iii. France, Germany, Russia & Britain gained privileges a. Special zones of influence v. most Americans had prejudice against Chinese vi. 1888 stop legal immigration from China f. Japanese started immigrating to U.S. i. Japanese treated same as Chinese ii. San Francisco segregated Japanese iii. ambassador wants federal intervention iv. local matter president helpless v. "Gentleman's Agreement“ 1906 a. Japanese promised to limit immigration to skilled workers b. U.S. would give immigrants same civil rights as citizens 17