Imperialism

ImperialismChapter 22Honors U.S. History

What is Imperialism?Policy and Practice of taking over other nations to gain more power

Could be done through military occupation or through economic domination of resources and markets

Rationales for ImperialismRacism/Social Darwinism

Righteousness

Mahanism

EconomicsRationales for Imperialism SheetStarting at the bottom of page 581 (Ideological Arguments), read through the top of page 585

Fill out the sheet carefully as you goIdeological ArgumentsSocial Darwinism The United States is better, therefore we must conquer

Doing this for the good of the world

Imposed American ideas and cultures on the rest of the worldWhite Mans Burden

WMBColonialism U.S. rule of foreign territories

The white man must righteously assume rule and take over incompetent or barbaric races in other lands

RighteousnessThe forcing of Christianity on others

Imperialism of righteousness

Missionaries felt it was their duty to save the savages with ChristianityStrategic ConcernsThe US had to develop new policies to protect and promote its national security and interests

All about making the U.S. the biggest military power in the worldAlfred Thayer Mahanemphasized the importance of a strong Navy for national greatness in his book, The Influence of Sea Power upon History

MahanismProposed 3 main ideas that he thought would accomplish this goal

Teddy Roosevelt, as Sec of Navy, No triumph of peace is quite as great as the supreme triumph of war

They are..1.Proposed that the US build a canal across the isthmus of Panama to link its coasts

2. Acquire naval bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific to protect the canal

3.Annex Hawaii and other Pacific islands to promote trade and service the fleet

Economic ReasonsOne reason for the widespread support for a larger navy was its use to expand and protect Americas international trade

Simple idea gave the U.S. larger markets, more profits, and more jobsFirst Steps

Purchase of AlaskaWilliam Seward

Previously Lincolns Secretary of State

Purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867

Sewards FollyMost were confused as to why we wanted Alaska

Made fun of Seward for the purchase

He wanted morewanted to purchase Haiti and Dominican Republic alsoJames BlaineMain goal was a canal in PanamaPurely American waterway

Part of our coastline

He had other wants.

Hawaii

Hawaiian TakeoverThe McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 effectively closed the US market to Hawaiian sugar producers, facing them with economic ruin

The goal was to make them poor and powerless, so the U.S. could buy themQueen LiliuokalaniWanted to keep Hawaii under native controlThis was not in the interests of the United States, so they found a way to prevent it

OverthrowBehind the scenes, John Stevens, the American minister to Hawaii, ordered the Marines to help rebels overthrow the Queen

Famous QuoteAfter the Queen had been overthrown, he sent a telegram to Washington stating:

The Hawaiian pear is now fully ripe, and this is the golden hour for the United States to pluck itThe DelegationA group from the new Hawaiian government was sent to Washington to work out the details of the treaty of annexation

NO HAWAIIANS on the delegationSenate ApprovalPresident Harrison signed the pact, but could not get approval from the Senate before the end of his term

President ClevelandCleveland called for an investigation into the whole affair, and decided the undoubted sentiment of the people is for the Queen, against the provisional Government, and against annexation.

ApologyCleveland apologized for the flagrant wrong

One big problem, the provisional government refused to step downParty DifferencesMany Republicans strongly supported annexation, Democrats generally opposed annexation

Democrats the mission of our nation is to build up and make a greater country out of what we have, instead of annexing islandsNext Imperialist Move

ChileAmerican sailors on shore leave in Chile became involved in a drunken brawl

2 dead; 17 injured

President Harrison threatened military retaliation against Chile

Threatened InvasionHarrison was ready to invade Chile and make it our next American conquest

Harrison finally backed off when Chile apologized and paid the U.S.USA vs. Great Britain

Boundary DisputePresident Cleveland intervened in a boundary dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela over British Guiana

Why?The U.S. seized on this opportunity to divert public attention from a severe economic depression

Twenty-Inch GunNote was sent to Britain, a twenty inch gun demanding arbitration of the disputed territory and stoutly asserting American supremacy in the Western hemisphere

War FeverThe American population was ready to go to war with Britain over this dispute

The message was sent that the United States is in control of the Western HemisphereSpanish American War

Roots of WarCuba was the last major European colony in Latin America

America was obviously interested in it due to its economic potential

Spanish rule over the Cubans became increasingly harshRevolt!!!Cubans rebelled in 1895, rebels controlled the countryside and the Spanish army ruled the towns and cities

American ReactionAmerica felt sympathy for the Cuban insurgents because of the brutality of the Spanish

Americans sympathy was further aroused by the sensationalist yellow press

The Yellow Press

What Was It?The popular press of the day adopted bold headlines, fevered editorials, and real or exaggerated stories of violence, sex, and corruption

Attracted attention, if not truthCirculation WarA circulation war existed between William Randolph Hearst (New York Journal) and Joseph Pulitzers New York World

Both men were competing to be the best paperThey Sold the War

Growing TensionsPresident McKinley was focused on Cuba, claiming that the chronic disorder in Cuba disrupted Americas investments and agitated public opinion

Tried diplomatic efforts at first but warned would do whatever necessary

Published LetterIn early 1898, the New York Journal published a private letter from the Spanish minister to the U.S.

It mocked McKinley as weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd

Remember the Maine and to Hell with Spain

Tipping Point of WarOn Feb 15, 1898, the US battleship Maine blew up in Havana harbor, killing 260 men

TR: , it was an act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards, and told McKinley, only war was compatible with our national honor

One Small ProblemSpain had nothing to do with it

Studies done later showed that it was an internal accident

None of that mattered though

The Yellow Press WorkedThe sinking itself did not bring war, but it inflamed the public

People read the daily headlines and became more and more angryUltimatumMcKinley demanded 3 things from Spain:

he demanded an armistice in Cuba

and end to the reconcentration policy

the acceptance of American arbitration, which implied Cuban independence

Spanish ReactionSpain countered by abolishing the reconcentration camps and declaring an armistice

It was too little and too late; America was already preparing for warWar is Declared!Congress declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898

Other countries were suspicious of the United States motives behind this

Some national leaders accused the United States of blatant imperialism, so Congress added the Teller Amendment

Teller Amendmentdisclaiming any intention of annexing Cuba and promising that Cubans would govern themselves

War and EmpireThe most decisive and important battle of the war took place in the Philippines, not Cuba

This battle involved the Navy

Battle of Manila BayBattle of Manila Bay

Why Manila Bay?Strategic harbor

Close to China Economic

Close to Hawaii To maintain our flag in the Philippines, we must raise our flgag in Hawaii

Annexation of HawaiiCongress approved annexation of Hawaii soon after

Once again, native Hawaiians were not involved or allowed to have a say

Same pattern would soon follow in the PhilippinesBack to the WarVictory came rather quickly in Cuba

Both sides proved to be inept though

The United States would win, but only because they made less mistakes than the SpanishAmerican MistakesAmericans wore wool uniforms in sweltering heat

Soldiers were served poisoned food

More than 5000 died of diseases, only 379 killed in battle

Rough RidersTR fought in this warLeader of the Rough Riders

The Forgotten Unit10th Negro cavalry led final decisive charge up San Juan Hill

Who Got the Credit?Rough Riders led by TR, captured public attention, and undue credit at times

the RR got the credit because of TRs self-serving and well promoted account of the conflict

Rough Riders at San Juan Hill

Treaty of Paris

ConditionsRequired Spain to accept Cuban independence

Give up control of Puerto Rico and Guam

Allow the Americans to occupy Manila Bay until peace with Philippines is final

Imperialism AgainAcquisition of Puerto Rico and Guam indicated the expansionist nature the conflict had assumed for the US

Wasnt enough thoughAmerica Keeps the PhilippinesDecided to keep the Philippines

Spain agreed, against Filipino wishes for independence, to cede the Philippines to the USDebates RageMcKinley defended his decision in a self-righteous imperialist rhetoric, promising to extend Christian influence and American values

Sparked a huge debate over the ratification of the Treaty of Paris

Will it be Ratified?

Those in FavorEconomic Expansion

Strategic Necessity

Religious and Racial responsibilitiesReligious SupportThe conquest by force of arms must be followed up by conquest for Christ

Only one problem with this.Most Filipinos were????Catholic!

Opponents of TreatyNotable opponentsMark TwainJane AddamsAndrew Carnegie

Anti-Imperialists!

Anti-Imperialist LeagueCampaigned against the treaty, distributing pamphlets, petitioning Congress, and holding rallies

Insisted that Imperialism went against the values of the Declaration of Independence

Other Arguments AgainstOther arguments were less high minded

Many anti-imperialists objected to expansion on the racist grounds that Filipinos were inferior and uncivilized

Others feared cheap labor they could provide

TRs Feelings?Roosevelt called the anti-Imperialists little better than traitors.

RatificationFinally, on Feb 6, 1899, the Senate narrowly ratified the treaty

All but two Republicans supported the treaty

Most Democrats opposed it

Election of 1900

WJB vs. McKinleyWilliam Jennings Bryan (D)William McKinley (R)

Bryan attempted to make the election of 1900 a referendum on the paramount issue of Imperialism, promising to free the Philippines if the Democrats won

Other FactorsImperialism was not the main issue in the election

Many Anti-Imperialists were conservatives who did not like Bryans economic plan

People also supported McKinley because of how the country prospered after the hard 1890s and because he nominated the hero of San Juan Hill, TR as his VP

Filipino-American War

Emilio AguinaldoFilipino leader, Emilio Aguinaldo, welcomed U.S. naval victory as the sign of an alliance

Issued Dec. of Independence

American Reaction?But when the Americans arrived they refused to meet with those savages, and wanted them to back down from their so called government

Filipinos felt betrayed when the US officially took over after the Treaty of Paris, soon a war erupted

MismatchUS had to use nearly 4 times as many soldiers to suppress the Filipinos as to defeat Spain in Cuba

Employed many of the same brutal methods for which it had condemned Spain

American BrutalityUS crowded nearly 200,000 civilians into concentration camps; Many killed

American Soldier QuoteI am in glory when I can sight my gun on some dark skin and pull the trigger

Killed men, women, children, prisoners, and captives from age 10 and up

Colonial GovernmentThe United States established an official colonial government in 1902

William Howard Taft was the first governor generalDid Some GoodEstablished new schools and roadsPublic health system

The Panama Canal

Panama CanalTRs first priority as President

Where to build the canal was a question, some favored Nicaragua, and the rest Panama

PressureIn 1903, Roosevelt pressed Columbia to sell a canal zone to the United States for 10 million and an annual payment of $250,000

Columbia rejected the proposal

TRs ResponseTR was furious,

those contemptible little creatures in Columbia, they are imperiling their own future.

Wanted Congress to simply approve military action instead of trying to pay them

Other OptionTR decided to try and work through Philippe Bunau-Varilla

French official of the Panama Canal Company

Bloodless RevolutionTR ordered US Naval forces to Panama and Bunau-Varilla coordinated a revolt against Columbian authority directed by officials of the Panama railroad

Was a bloodless revolution and it succeeded when U.S. forces prevented Columbian troops from landing in Panama

TreatyBunau-Varilla then signed a treaty accepting Roosevelts original terms for a canal zone

US took total control of the canal zone in 1904 and completed construction of the Panama Canal in 1914

Reactions?Many were appalled at TRs decision of how to acquire the canal

Others wanted a canal so bad it didnt matter how the United States obtained itSpeak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

The Roosevelt CorollaryAttempted to justify U.S. intervention and authority in the region

The inevitable effect of our building the Canal must be to require us to police the surrounding premises

Dollar DiplomacyWhen Taft becomes President, there are changes to our approach with other nations

Dollar Diplomacy

Substituting dollars for bullets

Results?Dollar diplomacy increased American power and influence in the Caribbean and tied underdeveloped countries to the US economically and strategically

Failed to improve conditions for most Latin AmericansWilsonian Interventions

Woodrow WilsonDemocrat

Promised to never again seek one additional foot of territory by conquest and would work to promote human rights, national integrity, and opportunity

ApologiesNamed William Jennings Bryan Secretary of State and immediately signed a treaty with Columbia apologizing for TRs seizure of the Panama Canal

BUT.

Not So Fast My Friend.But he would become the most interventionist president in American History

Racist

Thought Latin Americans were inferior and needed paternalistic guidance from the United States