America Becomes a World Power

Mr. Phipps

U.S. History

Objectives

11.1.4. Examine the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction and of the industrial revolution, including demographic shifts and the emergence in the late nineteenth century of the United States as a world power.

11.4 Trace the rise of the United States to its role as a world power in the twentieth century.

Imperialism: A Primer Imperialism: To expand, to take over another country, to extend

positive/negative influence into another country, to exploit another country for resources.

Isolationism: To withdraw from foreign affairs, to focus on domestic issues.

Foreign Policy: The way one country interacts with another country, diplomacy, working out economic, militaristic, and cultural exchange; usually focuses on war, border disputes, immigration, and trade.

Domestic Policy: The way one country deals with itself and its own people; usually deals with employment, education, elderly care, crime, civil rights, cultural issues.

Nationalism: The feeling of pride in one’s own country, extreme patriotism; usually denotes the idea that one’s country is infallible and better than any alternative.

Self-Determination: The ability for one country to decide its own fate, conduct, behavior, and diplomacy with the intervention of a foreign government.

Why would one country take over another country?

What are the benefits of taking over another country?

What are the downsides of taking over another country?

What reactions would the natives of that other country have to being taken over?

Arguments For Imperialism

Arguments For

Imperialism

Make Money

Spread Democracy

Acquire Raw

Materials

Acquire Terr itory

and Spread Population

Sell Finished

Product/New Markets

Social Darwinism

Revenge

Ensure Defense

White Man’s Burden

Take Foreign Ports

Become World Power

Liberate a

Country/Human Rights

Trade Opportunities

Show Power

Arguments Against Imperialism

ARGUMENTS AGAINST

IMPERIALISM

Encourage More

Immigration

Too Expensive

Difficult to Defend a

Large Empire

Too Many Non-White Immigrants Fundamentally

Un-Democratic

Responsibility for Success or Failure

The U.S. Takes Sides

PRO-IMPERIALISTS Big Business: Looking for

new markets to sell manufactured items; find cheap labor

War Hawks: Congressmen looking to spread U.S. influence overseas

Executive Branch: President seeking to define the U.S. as a “world power”

ANTI-IMPERIALISTS Minorities: Marginalized

groups who want domestic security before foreign involvement

Isolationists: Congressmen who consider the U.S. unprepared for full-scale foreign involvement

Nativists: Americans who find no reason to participate with “foreigners”

A Timeline of Territorial Expansion

Becoming the “United” States

1776: The Declaration of Independence 1783: The Treaty of Paris --Great Britain cedes lands up to the Miss.

River 1803: The Louisiana Purchase --Doubles the size of the U.S.,

purchased for $15 million 1830: Oklahoma and Michigan Territories --Aquired after the Indian

Wars, through genocide and relocation 1848: The Mexican Cession --Won after the Mexican-American War,

included the Southwest, California, and Texas 1853: The Gadsden Purchase --Bought from Mexico, the last piece of

the continental U.S. 1867: Alaska --Purchased by William Seward for $7.2 million from

Russia, called “Seward’s Icebox” and “Seward’s Folly”, later to yield some of the riches oil reserves in the U.S.

1893: Hawaii --Taken as a “protectorate” after the U.S. started a civil war

So What?

Benefits of Territorial Expansion

Expand American influence Provide land to a growing

population Gain rich agricultural lands

and natural resources Secure borders against

foreigners (Britain, Spain, Russia, etc)

Gain needed ports for further expansion

Problems of Territorial Expansion

Territorial expansion caused slavery to spread (and Civil War to start)

Difficult to manage large territory (enforce laws, communicate, send mail, trade, etc.,)

Caused intense friction between the U.S. and other nations (including Native Indians)

The Friction

The War of 1812

The Indian Wars 1810-1831

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are needed to see this picture.

The Mexican-American War1846-1848

The American Civil War1861-1865

Is there such a thing as a “just war”? Under what conditions is war O.K.?

WAR WOUNDED DEAD COST

Revolutionary War 6,100 4,500 $3.2 Billion

War of 1812 4,500 2,300 $1 Billion

Mexican-American War 4,100 13,200 $1.8 Billion

Civil War 413,000 553,600 $72 Billion (combined)

Spanish-American War 1,700 2,500 $6.5 Billion

World War I 204,000 116,500 $588 Billion

World War II 671,000 408,000 $4.8 Trillion

What is it good for?

A Comparative Look

What accounts for the difference in wounded, dead, and cost of war? Identify 3 factors.

Another Look