America as a World Power

Imperialism and Expansion• Imperialism – building an empire by founding

colonies and conquering nations.• 1870-1914 – European countries take control of

Africa and most of Asia. Countries need raw materials

• Reasons for Imperialism:1. desire for resources

2. needed new trade markets

3. expansion of military power

4. source of national pride (Nationalism)

Africa

United States• Isolationism – avoiding involvement with foreign

countries– U.S did not begin expanding until the late 1800’s.

• 1867 – U.S. buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (wants to dominate Pacific and Carribean)– Sewards Ice Box- mocking him: annexing lands leads to

world power– “Seward’s Folly” – William H. Seward – Secretary of State:

Discover gold and now it’s a great idea

• 1893 – Hawaii – sugar planters lead a revolt against Queen Liliuokalani – U.S. annexes Hawaii in 1898.

Hawaii Cont.

• 8 large islands, own community

• Christian missionaries arrive(1820)-trade, schools, disease, intro to sugarcane

• Queen L comes to throne(resist influence of Americans) took away powers that sugar planters had white planters overthrow her

• Annex=to add

Lilioukalani

Spanish-American War• 1895 – Cuba revolts against Spanish rule

– 200,000 Cubans die in the revolt and in Spanish concentration camps.

• Joseph Pulitzer/William Randolph Hearst – newspaper publishers in New York (try to outdo each other)– Yellow Journalism – exaggerating and

twisting the news (biased, false, stirring up trouble)

• 1896 – William McKinley elected President – supported Cuban independence

Cuba

Joseph Pulitzer William Randolph Hearst

William McKinley

“Remember the Maine”• January 25, 1898 – U.S. battleship Maine arrives

in Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests• February 15 – Maine explodes – 260 American

sailors are killed – Most Americans blame Spain (Spain denies, may have been an accident)

• April 20 – Teller Amendment – tells Spain to leave Cuba – U.S. has no interest in taking overlead to war

• Rally cry for revenge= “Remember the Maine”

“Remember the Maine”

War with Spain: splendid little war• April 24 – Spain declares war on U.S. • America wins fairly easily, despite being poorly prepared

when war begins.(blockade coast)• Most Americans die of tropical diseases, not battle wounds• Theodore Roosevelt – Rough Riders(Calvary Unit, college

students, ended Spanish resistance, Battle of San Juan Hill)• U.S. 10th Cavalry – all-black unit• August 12 – Spain surrenders (armistice=peace agreement)• U.S gains the Philippines (resistance->independence in

1946), Guam, and Puerto Rico from Spain.• Platt Amendment – Cuba becomes independent, but U.S.

has final say-so on all Cuban affairs.(naval base at Guantanamo Bay

Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders

10th Cavalry

Panama Canal• Journey around South America could take up to six

weeks.• U.S. leaders wanted to cut that time by digging a canal

across Central America• Several attempts had already been made.• 1901 – Teddy Roosevelt become President after

McKinley’s assassination.• 1903 – Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty – U.S. gets a 10-mile

wide zone across Panama for 99 years - $10 million plus $250,000 a year

• Canal opens in 1914 – cost $375 million to build – 6,000 men died building it - disease

Panama Canal

Panama Canal

Latin America• Monroe Doctrine – 1823 – Europeans had to stay out

of the Americas• Many European nations had loaned money to Central

and South America. – These countries often refused to repay their debts.

• Roosevelt Corollary – The United States would force these countries to repay their debts; kept Europeans out. “Speak softly and carry a big stick”

• United States marines occupy many Central and South American nations multiple times to force debt repayment and protect American businesses and citizens

Monroe Doctrine

Roosevelt Corollary

TheodoreRoosevelt

Roosevelt as President

• Square Deal – forced companies to negotiate with workers for better conditions (arbitration)

• Trust-busting – breaking up big companies – helped the public avoid higher costs

• Conservation – greatly expanded the National Park system – doubled the number of parks and national monuments

• Progressive Movement – wanted to solve problems caused by rapid industrial and urban growth – crime, disease, poverty

• Muckrakers – investigative journalists who exposed unfair practices and problems – child labor, slum housing, food safety, worker safety

Progressive Issues

• Child Labor – almost 2 million children worked full-time – finally illegal in 1938

• Worker Safety – Triangle Shirtwaist Fire – 146 dead – led to increased safety requirements

• Food Safety – highly unclean conditions – “The Jungle” – Upton Sinclair

• Pure Food and Drug Act - 1906

Trust Busting

Dollar Diplomacy• William Howard Taft – elected President in

1909

• Believed in letting American businesses influence Latin America first.

• America invested or loaned millions to Latin American countries

• Military was last resort if they did not repay.

WilliamHowardTaft

Dollar Diplomacy

Mexican Revolution• Porfirio Diaz – Mexican dictator, worked closely with

American business and government• 1910 – Revolution begins – Francisco Madero• Breaks down into a multi-sided civil war• Victoriano Huerta – takes power in 1913• 1914 – US marines capture port of Veracruz – to keep

European arms from being delivered• Pancho Villa – March 1916 – raids across the border

into New Mexico, killing 17 US Citizens• John J. Pershing – leads US soldiers into Mexico after

Villa, never catching him• 1920 – Mexican civil war ends

Porfirio Diaz Francisco Madero

Victoriano Huerta

Pancho Villa

John J.Pershing