US Expansion in the Late 1800s

US Expansion in the Late 1800s

• The US joined the race for overseas territories in the late 1800s.
• This shift marked the end of the US policy of Isolationism, and a new era of imperial expansion

Key Terms

• Imperialism: Building an empire by founding colonies or conquering other nations
• Isolationism: Avoiding involvement in the affairs of other countries
• Spheres of influence: Areas where countries could control trade and natural resources in China

America's Policy Shifts

• Some Americans wanted to end isolationism to strengthen the economy
• Protecting economic interests involved building a strong navy with overseas bases
• The US began building an empire in the late 1800s.

Territorial Gains

• William H. Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867
• Midway Island annexed in 1867
• Samoa annexed in 1899
• Congress annexed Hawaii in 1898 (became a state in 1959)

Hawaii

• By the 1840s, Americans held much of the ownership of shops and shipyards in Hawaii
• Sugar was a leading export
• Planters forced the Hawaiian king to sign a new constitution that granted them more legislative power
• Queen Liliuokalani's plans for a new constitution led to a planter revolt supported by the US

Trade with Japan

• Japan was isolated from the rest of the world
• The US sought to open Japan's markets before Europeans arrived
• Commodore Matthew Perry's mission to Japan in 1853 did not secure friendship and commerce
• Perry returned to Japan in 1854 with a show of power and many gifts
• A commercial treaty was negotiated in 1858
• By the 1890s, Japan had become and imperial power

Foreign Powers in China

• Japan defeated China in the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95)
• Nations sought spheres of influence to control trade and resources

Open Door Policy

• U.S. Secretary of State John Hay set forth the Open Door Policy
• The Open Door Policy ensured equal trade access for all nations in China

Boxer Rebellion

• China opposed foreign entities
• Nationalists attacked foreign settlements in Beijing in 1900
• The Boxers were defeated, China was fined, however the Open Door policy remained

The Spanish-American War

• The US expanded its reach into new parts of the world as a result of the conflict

Yellow Journalism

• Sensational, exaggerated news stories was used to garner public support for military action

Key Events of the War

• In the late 1890s, Cubans rebelled against Spain
• President William McKinley, backed Cuban independence, was elected in 1896
• January 1898: USS Maine sent to Havana Harbor
• February 15, 1898: USS Maine sunk; newspapers blamed Spain
• April 20, 1898: Congress recognized Cuba's independence and demanded Spain leave
• The Teller Amendment stated the U.S. had no intention of controlling Cuba
• April 20, 1898: Spain declared war on the U.S.

War in the Philippines

• Commodore George Dewey led the U.S. Navy to victory over the Spanish Pacific fleet on May 1, 1898
• On August 13, U.S. troops and Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo took control of Manila
• None of Dewey’s men were killed in battle

Caribbean Front

• The U.S. Army was unprepared for the Spanish-American War with troops and supplies
• 400 Americans were killed in battle, 2,000 died of disease
• The Rough Riders, a volunteer group commanded by Theodore Roosevelt, contributed to U.S. victories
• The Spanish Caribbean fleet was destroyed on July 3, 1898
• U.S. troops invaded Puerto Rico in mid-July
• A cease-fire for war was signed on August 12, 1898

Gained Territories

• The US gained territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific
• Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines were placed under American control through a peace treaty
• The Anti-Imperialist League opposed the treaty as well as the creation of an American colonial empire
• The treaty was approved in the Senate by one vote more than two-thirds majority

US and Latin America

• In the early 1900s, there was a change of US foreign policy and role in Latin America

The Panama Canal

• The U.S. constructed the Panama Canal in the early 1900s
• It was made to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the US Navy
• This cut 8,000 miles off the sea voyage from the east to west coasts of the U.S.
• The US supported Panamanian revolutionaries against Colombia
• The new Panamanian government leased a 10-mile wide strip of land to the U.S. for $10 million plus $250,000 annually for 99 years
• Around 6,000 workers died during Panama Canal construction
• The Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914, costing $375 million and took 10 years

US Policy Toward Latin America

• The Panama Canal led to greater U.S. involvement in Latin America
• American military power grew, and the U.S. enforced the Monroe Doctrine
• The Roosevelt Corollary allowed US intervention in Latin American countries

U.S. Interests in Latin America

• President William Howard Taft used "dollar diplomacy" to protect U.S. interests
• The U.S. loaned money to Nicaragua in exchange for control of their bank and railway
• U.S. Marines were deployed to Nicaragua in 1911
• Woodrow Wilson sent troops to promote democracy and prevent foreign intervention

The Mexican Revolution

• Mexicans revolted against dictator Porfirio Díaz in 1910
• U.S. business leaders feared losing investments worth over $1 billion
• The U.S. Navy seized Veracruz in 1914
• In 1916, General John J. Pershing was sent to capture Francisco "Pancho" Villa after he killed 17 Americans
• A new constitution was written to bring order to Mexico in 1917

Changes in U.S. Foreign Policy

• Washington’s Farewell Address meant that The United States was not to get involved in European affairs
• The Monroe Doctrine protected U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere by keeping European powers out
• The Roosevelt Corollary acted as police, correcting wrongdoing by nations in Western Hemisphere.
• Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy would use economic means to increase U.S. interests in Latin America
• By the use of Wilson and Democracy the US wished to promote and protect democracy in the Western Hemisphere