Seeking Empire

Tara Fredenburg, Kevin Randle, Stuart Thompson, Samuel Xiao

Early Stirrings

In post-Civil War times settlement slowed significantly

However, Industrial growth caused a want for expansion across the Pacific

The purchase of Alaska was proposed by William Seward in 1867

The Senate was more occupied with reconstruction of the Union and settlement of the West.

The purchase was postponed a year because of this

The ownership of the Samoan islands was almost a cause conflict between Germany, the United States, and Britain

Also, there were conflicts about hunting rights around the Alaska

During the 1890s-1920s 4 million Italian immigrants came to the United States

⅘ were from Southern parts of Italy

In New Orleans, 11 Sicilians were killed causing tension between the USA and Italy

Hawaiian Annexation● American relations with Hawaii

acquired foothold with sugar trade○ however in 1890, the Mckinley

Tariff raised the price of foreign sugar

● Most upper class Hawaiians were businessmen from America

● The annexation of Hawaii would cause the tariff to disappear

● The King was forced to sign a “Bayonet Constitution” removing most of the power from the monarchy before his death

● Queen Liliuokalani was against foreign culture in Hawaii

● In 1893 the American Ambassador in Hawaii and the upper-class planters announced their intentions to overthrow the Queen’s government entirely

○ They were backed by the military

Liliuokalani● Born on September 2, 1898

○ She was a daughter of a high-ranking chieftess

● Educated at the Missionary-Run Royal School

○ She learned how to fluently speak english there

○ She also learned musical skills there■ She produced more than 160

songs and poems in her life● Her older brother David Kalakaua was

named king in 1874○ When her younger brother died, she

was named the heir to the monarchy● She served as regent during the king’s tour

of the world● In 1891 King Kalakaua died and Liliuokalani

became the first female monarch of Hawaii● She attempted to restore power to the

monarchy, however the Missionary party declared Hawaii a republic two years later

.

The Cuban revolution● During the late 1800s, U.S. was eager to obtain new land.

○ They set their attention on Spain, who at that time, was weak.

● The Cuban War for Independence began in 1895.

● To stop the rebels, Spain sended General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau to Cuba.

○ Weyler send more than 300,000 civilians to concentration camps to isolate them from the rebels.

○ The condition was very poor, and more than 30% of the civilians died from diseases and malnutrition.

The story of the crisis in Cuba reached U.S. and increased the public’s negativity toward Spain.

“Remember the Maine” During 1898, Spanish ambassador: Dupuy de Lôme sent a letter

criticizing the U.S. president: William McKinley to Foreign Minister of Spain: Don José Canelejas.

The Cuban rebels seized the letter, and gave it to the Hearst press. After publishing it on public newspaper, tension between Spain and U.S. worsened.

On February 18, the USS Maine, located in the Havana Harbour, exploded at 9:40pm, killing over 260 men.

The Yellow Press, after receiving the information, used the statement: ”REMEMBER THE MAINE” to cause hostility towards Spain.

De Lôme Letter

The Spanish-American War

Both Spain and the US were severely underprepared for war, though America had an advantage in warship technology.

The US Navy ranked 12th in the world by 1880 and 5th by 1890.

Before war was officially declared, Commodore George Dewey attacked Spain’s Pacific Fleet in the Philippines. It was hugely successful.

In Cuba, the American army was largely outnumbered. The Rough Riders were a voluntary cavalry organized by Theodore Roosevelt in 1896 and made up of cowboys, miners, law enforcement officials, ex-convicts, college students, and Native Americans.

Spain admitted defeat in the Cuban conflict after the fall of Santiago on July 17th.

The Treaty of Paris granted the US ownership of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, allowed Cuba to become independent of Spain, and gave Spain $20 million for its losses.

Commodore George Dewey

.

● born in Montpelier, Vermont. ● studied at the U.S. Naval

Academy/served with Union naval forces during the U.S. Civil War.

● assigned to the U.S. Asiatic squadron the year before the war begins.

● (April 30, 1898) attack on the Spanish Fleet in Philippines’ Manila Bay with his squadron.

● Dewey was the only officer of the US navy made Admiral of the Navy.

Image- legendaryauctions.com//Americana October 2001

Emilio Aguinald

o● born into the local elite of Cavite on

the Island of Luzon in the Philippines● After his father’s death, he joined

Katipunan, a secret brotherhood interested in overthrowing Spanish rule.

● the U.S. hoped Aguinaldo would aid in the effort against Spain, but when he began to believe the US had no interest in liberating the Philippines, his own forces stayed separate from those of the US.

● Following the constitutional convention, Aguinaldo was declared President of the Philippine Republic, but the US would not recognize his authority.

○ in 1899, he declared war on the US’s forces in the islands.

Image- the Presidential Museum and Library (PH)

The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America

●Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican politician who served as the United States of America President from 1901-1909

○ Reasserted Monroe’s old declaration

○ Roosevelt Corollary

○ Platt Amendment

●The United States established a protectorate over Cuba and annexed Hawaii. For the first time in its history, the United States had acquired an overseas empire.

○ Roosevelt was convinced that all of Latin America was vulnerable to European attacks

○ Put the Monroe Doctrine aside and created his own corollary that took it a step further.

○ Financial crisis prompts first use of Roosevelt Corollary (1904-1905)

The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America cont.Teddy Roosevelt had a motto: "SPEAK

SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK."

Latin Americans did not look upon the corollary favorably.

United States would send troops of invasion to establish an undisputed sphere of influence.

The Platt Amendment

The United States occupied Cuba for five years after 1898.

In following years, the United States used the amendment several times to send troops to maintain or place friendly governments in power and to protect investments. The amendment was abrogated in 1934.

The Panama CanalA canal was inevitable. A trip by boat from

New York to San Francisco forced a luckless crew to sail around the tip of South America — a journey amounting to some 12,000 miles.

Construction on the canal was extremely difficult.

Feared the United States or Great Britain would use the canal for national advantage. (The Hay-Pauncefote Treaty)

The 1903 Hay-Herran Treaty permitted the United States to lease a six-mile wide strip of land at an annual fee.

The United States became the first nation in the world to recognize the new government of Panama.

Panama Canal cont.

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Textbook</i>.

Ushistory.org, 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.

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04 Dec. 2015.

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Television, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

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McKinley.

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Questions1. What caused the delay of the purchase of

Alaska from Russia?a. reconstruction of the Unionb. the compromise of 1877c. settlement of the West.d. both a and c

2. Who did not want possession of the Samoan Islands

a. Germanyb. Britainc. Franced. United States of America

3. What was not an effect of the Mckinley Tarriffa. The price of foreign sugar was raisedb. American-Hawaiians wanted annexationc. Liliuokalani was named Queen in 1880d. King Kalakaua was forced to sign a

“bayonet contract” removing the power from the monarchy

4. Which statement best describes President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy position toward Latin America in the early 1900’s?

a. The United States should reduce involvement in Latin American affairs

b. The Monroe Doctrine permits the United States to intervene actively in the affairs of Latin American nations

c. Latin American nations should form an organization to help them achieve political and economic stability

d. The United States should give large amounts of financial aid to help the poor of Latin America

5. What was the total cost of the Panama Canal cost?e. $145 millionf. $450 milliong. $345 millionh. $200 million

Questions6. How did the United States respond to Emilio

Aguinaldo’s presidency in the Philippines?a. The US refused to recognize his

authority.b. The US recruited him for the next war

effort following the Spanish-American War.

c. The US promoted Aguinaldo, granting him the title “Admiral of the Navy.”

d. The US admired his work with Katipunan and requested his help in the construction of the Panama Canal.

7. How did Spain and the US match up at the beginning of the Spanish-American War?

a. Spain was well-prepared to take on battle and the US was relatively vulnerable in the fight.

b. Spain was poorly prepared and the US was perfectly adapted to take on a new war.

c. Both Spain and America were severely unprepared, but the US ultimately had an advantage.

d. Both countries were struggling, but Spain had better, more industrialized ships.

8. True or False: Italian immigrants came primarily from the southern half of the country9. What president during this time was notably anti-imperialist

a. Grover Clevelandb. Rutherford B. Hayesc. Ulysses S. Grantd. William McKinley

10. Which was not a product of the Treaty of Paris?

e. US ownership of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico

f. Cuba becoming independent of Spaing. Spain getting $20 million for its losses.h. Samoan islands was almost a cause

conflict between Germany, the United States, and Britain