American Frontier & Empire Building

• The presentation discusses imperialism as the new American "frontier."

Closing the Frontier: The Turner Thesis (1893)

• The existence of free land, its recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development.
• Coarseness, strength, acuteness, acquisitiveness, inventiveness, a grasp of material things, restless energy, and individualism are attributed to the frontier's influence.
• Four centuries after America's discovery, after 100 years under the Constitution, the frontier is closed, concluding the first phase of American history.

America Builds an Empire

• Several factors contributed to American empire-building, including the closure of the frontier and the need to seek larger markets.
• Social Darwinism and European competition played significant roles.
• Enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine, driven by the "Big Sister Policy," was a key motivation.
• Alfred Thayer Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" (1890) drove naval expansion.
• Yellow Journalism and popular opinion influenced policy, as well as Lenin's theory of capitalism's "dying stages".

Annexation of Hawaii (1898)

• American "sugar lords" dominated Hawaii's economy using Asian labor by the late 19th century.
• The arrival of missionaries began in 1820.
• After the McKinley Tariff of 1890, planters sought annexation, opposed by Queen Liliuokalani.
• A revolt by a white planter minority deposed the Queen in 1893, but Cleveland refused annexation.
• Hawaii was annexed in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, amid fears other nations would seize the islands.
• President McKinley's foreign policy was generally cautious but swayed by the press and public opinion.

Relations with Asia

• The Open Door Policy of 1899, sent to the European powers, sought to maintain fair competition and was opposed by China's Boxer Rebellion of 1900.
• Theodore Roosevelt brokered negotiations between Russia and Japan after the Russo-Japanese War (1906).
• To limit immigration from Japan, a "gentleman's agreement" was signed to withhold passports in order to avoid a “Japanese Exclusion Act".

The Spanish-American War

• The U.S. supported Cuba against Spain due to yellow journalism.
• The USS Maine explosion was blamed on Spain, initiating the Spanish-American War in 1898.
• Congress declared war.
• Fighting occurred first in Cuba and then in the Philippines.
• Jingoism fueled ultra-patriotic rhetoric to justify the involvement of the U.S.
• "Rough Riders," a volunteer regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt, rushed to Cuba.
• The Treaty of Paris was the end result: a "splendid little war".
• The United States' prestige grew worldwide, but hypocrisy was apparent.

The US & The Philippines

• Emilio Aguinaldo led a revolt against Spain and later the U.S.
• The Anti-Imperialist League, including Mark Twain, Samuel Gompers, and Andrew Carnegie, opposed imperialism.
• Rudyard Kipling wrote about "The White Man's Burden," urging America to keep the Philippines and civilize its inhabitants.

Foreign Policy of the Progressive Presidents

• Roosevelt's foreign policy was to "speak softly, but carry a big stick".
• Roosevelt built the Great White Fleet.
• The Roosevelt Corollary allowed the U.S. to intervene in Latin America on behalf of Europe.
• The Open Door Policy was Roosevelt's idea.
• The U.S. had control over the Panama Canal and the Philippines during Roosevelt's presidency.
• Taft used "Dollar Diplomacy" to make countries dependent on the U.S. by investing in their economies.
• Money was pumped into Honduras, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua to "prevent economic and political instability."
• Wilson practiced "Moral Diplomacy," encouraging countries to adopt democratic ideals; he refused to recognize countries that did not align with US ideals.
• Wilson sent marines to Haiti, undermining "anti-imperialist" ideals, and opposed Huerta in Mexico by aiding rivals.

Legal Complexities of Empire

• The Insular Cases (1901) determined that Puerto Ricans and Cubans were U.S. subjects but without the rights of citizens.
• In 1902, the U.S. left Cuba, but encouraged it to pass the Platt Amendment.
• The Platt Amendment allowed the U.S. to intervene in case of “anarchy" and protected free trade with the U.S.
• It also established two naval bases, including Guantanamo Bay.
• Furthermore, it modified the Teller Amendment.