Imperialism

Unit 6

Imperialism

• Imperialism (also called Expansionism) is a policy by which stronger nations attempt to create empires by dominating weaker nations politically, economically, or with their military.

• In the 1890’s and early 1900’s many countries wanted to expand their empires.

Reasons for Imperialism

1. Territorial expansion.2. Made for a stronger navy.3. Increased foreign trade.

• 1895 – Revolts in Cuba due to frustration of falling sugar prices and hatred of Spanish rule.

• Spain reacts by badly mistreating the Cubans.• Americans hear of this policy and become

outraged over the human conditions.

Trouble in Cuba

Trouble in Cuba

• Yellow Journalism : Newspaper coverage that sensationalizes stories to increase sales is started by William Randolph Hearst. He writes of supporting a Cuban revolution.

“The evil spirits of the modern daily press.”

Joseph Pulitzer William Randolph Hearst

Outcault

“The Yellow Kid”

90 Miles

Sacagawea

c. 1788- December 20, 1812

Teddy Roosevelt

October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919

• February 15, 1898 – The Battleship Maine explodes killing 260 sailors. Americans blame Spain and call for war.

“Remember the Maine” becomes the battle cry for war.

Trouble in Cuba

“There is an intense difference of opinion as to the cause of the blowing up of the Maine. In this, as in everything else, the opinion of the individual is determined by his original bias. If he is a conservative, he is sure that it was an accident; if he is a jingo, he is equally sure that it was by design.”

-Secretary of the Navy John Long

“I don’t propose to be swept off my feet by the catastrophe. My duty is plain. We must learn the truth and endeavor, if possible, to fix the responsibility. The country can afford to withhold its judgment and not strike an avenging blow until the truth is known. The Administration will go on preparing for war, but still hoping to avert it.”

-President William McKinley

“The Maine was sunk by an act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards I believe.”-Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt

“The cause of the blowing up of the ship will not be known until divers go down and examine the wreck. If their investigation shows that the indentation of the hull is inward, the conclusion that the magazine (ammunition storage room) was exploded by a bomb or torpedo placed beneath the vessel is inevitable. If the indentation is outward, it will be indicated that the first explosion was in the magazine.”

-New York World Reporter Sylvester Scovel

“I have no knowledge as to what the findings of this court will be but I do not fear anything which will reflect on the Maine.”

-Captain Charles Sigsbee, Captain of the Maine

Trouble in Cuba• President McKinley opposes war and offers a

peace plan to Spain but Spain rejects it.

Trouble in Cuba• In April of 1898, Congress recognized Cuban

independence from Spain. Spain then declares war on the U.S. – The next day the U. S. declares war on Spain.

The Spanish – American War begins.

The Spanish – American WarApril 1898 – December 1898

Fighting will take place in the

Pacificand

Atlantic.

The Spanish – American WarApril 1898 – December 1898

The PacificMay 1, 1898 – Commodore George Dewey sinks

the entire Spanish Fleet in Manila Bay, the Philippines. There is just one American casualty.

August 13, 1898 – Emilio Aguinaldo (a Philippines rebel leader) and U. S. troops take Manila.

Commodore George Dewey

Emilio Aguinaldo

The Spanish – American WarApril 1898 – December 1898

The AtlanticTheodore Roosevelt helps form The Rough

Riders. They are made up of cowboys, college students and adventures.

In July of 1898, Roosevelt led a charge up San Juan Hill and wins the battle. This is the most famous incident of the war.

The Spanish – American WarApril 1898 – December 1898

The AtlanticSpanish resistance ends in Cuba.

Later in July, America takes Puerto Rico.On August 12, 1898 the Spanish sign a truce.

The Peace Treaty is signed on December 10th, 1898.

1.Cuba becomes an independent nation.2.The U. S. will get Guam, Puerto Rico and the

Philippine Islands.

Results of the War

• The Philippines want to be an independent nation but the U. S. wants it to become an American colony. Bitter fighting takes place.

• More Americans die fighting the Filipino rebels than did against the Spanish in the war.

• The revolt ends in 1901 and the U. S. annexed the Philippines.

• Also in 1898 the U. S. annexed Hawaii.

Captain James Cook

Discovered Hawaiian Islands

The Panama CanalThe U. S. helped Panama gain independence

from Colombia in exchange for the rights to build a canal.

The Panama Canal

• William C. Gorgas got yellow Fever, Malaria, and the Bubonic Plague.

• Control in the Canal Zone.

The Panama Canal

• George W. Goethals is in charge of construction.

The Panama Canal• 43,400 men moved 211 million cubic yards of

earth to dig the canal.*The U. S. greatly expanded our influence in the

Western Hemisphere by digging and owning the Panama Canal.

*The U. S. now linked the Atlantic and Pacific making for faster trade and faster movement of war ships giving the U. S. great sea power.