US Imperialism in the Late 1800s

• In the late 1800s, the United States sought to control overseas territories

End of Isolation

• The United States abandoned isolationism and began expanding its empire
• Western powers built naval bases to safeguard trade routes in the 1800s
  • This reflected imperialism, building an empire by establishing colonies or conquering nations
  • From 1870-1914, Europeans grew their colonial empires to control most of Africa and Southeast Asia
• European nations desired raw materials, new markets, and heightened national prestige
• The United States previously followed a limited policy of isolationism by avoiding involvement in other countries' affairs

America's Policy Shifts

• By the late 1800s, some Americans wanted to end isolationism
  • To strengthen and expand the economy
  • To protect economic interests by building a strong navy with many overseas bases
• The United States started building its empire in the late 1800s
  • Secretary of State William H. Seward arranged the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867
• The United States annexed Pacific Ocean territories such as Midway Island in 1867, and Samoa in 1899

Hawaii Becomes a Territory

• By the 1840s, Americans had a strong presence in Hawaii's shops and shipyards
• Sugar became a prominent export, boosting the industry
• Planters compelled the Hawaiian king to sign a new constitution, granting them more power
• After Liliuokalani became queen, planters revolted, establishing their own government supported by the United States
• Congress annexed Hawaii in 1898, but it became the 50th state in 1959

United States Seeks Trade with Japan and China

• Japan was an isolated island nation
• The United States wanted to access Japan's markets before European powers did.
• Commodore Matthew Perry failed to establish friendship and commerce with Japan in 1853
• Perry returned in 1854 and successfully negotiated a commercial treaty in 1858
• By the 1890s, Japan had become an imperial power

Foreign Powers in China

• Japan defeated China in Sino-Japanese War from 1894-1895
• Other countries wanted to establish spheres of influence in China to control trade and natural resources

Open Door Policy

• U.S. Secretary of State John Hay introduced the Open Door Policy
• The policy stated that all nations should have equal trade access in China

Boxer Rebellion

• China showed resentment to foreign control
• Nationalists attacked foreign settlements in Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900
• The Boxers were defeated, China paid a fine, and the Open Door policy remained.

The Spanish-American War

• As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States expanded its world influence

War with Spain

• In the late 1890s, Cubans revolted against Spain
• Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst widely covered conflict in newspapers
  • They printed sensational and exaggerated news stories in a technique called yellow journalism
  • These stories increased public support for military action
• William McKinley was elected in 1896 and was a supporter of Cuban independence

Events Leading to the War

• In January 1898, the United States sent the battleship USS Maine to Havana Harbor to protect U.S. citizens and economic interests in Cuba
• On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine sunk and newspapers blamed Spain
• On April 20, 1898, Congress recognized Cuba's independence and demanded Spain leave.
  • The Teller Amendment stated that the United States did not intend to control Cuba
• On April 20, 1898, Spain declared war on the United States

War in the Philippines

• On May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey led the U.S. Navy to beat the Spanish Pacific fleet in the Philippines
  • None of Dewey's men died
  • He waited for additional troops to secure the Philippines
• On August 13, Emilio Aguinaldo led U.S. troops and Filipino rebels to take control of the Philippine capital of Manila

War in the Caribbean

• The U.S. Army unprepared for the Spanish-American War
  • Troops increased from 28,000 to 280,000
  • They did not have enough rifles, bullets, or uniforms
  • Faced harsh living conditions
  • 400 died in battle with 2,000 dying from disease
• Theodore Roosevelt commanded the Rough Riders, a volunteer group
  • They were admired for heroism
  • They helped the U.S. win at Cuba's Santiago and Kettle Hill
• The Spanish Caribbean fleet was destroyed on July 3, 1898
• U.S. troops invaded Puerto Rico in mid-July
• Spain signed a cease-fire on August 12, 1898

United States Gains Territories

• The United States gained territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific
• Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines under U.S. control through a peace treaty
• Some Americans formed the Anti-Imperialist League to oppose the treaty and American imperialism
• The Senate approved the treaty by one vote

The United States and Latin America

• The United States expanded its role in Latin America in the early 1900s with new foreign policy

Building the Panama Canal

• The United States constructed the Panama Canal in the early 1900's
• The goal was to build a canal across the narrow neck of Central America
  • To link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
  • To cut 8,000 miles off the sea voyage from the West to the East coasts of the United States
  • To allow the U.S. Navy to quickly link Atlantic and Pacific fleets
• Panamanian revolutionaries planned a successful revolt against Colombia with the help of the United States
  • The United States then recognized Panama as an independent country
• The new Panamanian government made a lease agreement with the United States
  • Consisting of $10 million plus $250,000 a year for a 99-year lease on a 10-mile wide strip of land across the isthmus
• The canal faced difficult building conditions
  • Workers faced tropical diseases reduced by William Gorgas efforts to eliminate mosquitoes
  • Working in the high mountains with explosives was dangerous
  • About 6,000 people died
• The Panama Canal, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, opened on August 15, 1914
  • It took ten years at a cost of $375 million

U.S. Policy Toward Latin America

• The Panama Canal gave the United States a greater role in Latin America
• The American military was strengthened to allow the United States to enforce the Monroe Doctrine
• President Roosevelt created the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
  • The United States would intervene in any “wrongdoing" by Latin American countries to force debtor nations to repay loans to Europe
• The United States became the “international police power" in the Western Hemisphere

U.S. Interests in Latin America

• President William Howard Taft wanted to protect U.S. interests in Latin America
  • He used dollar diplomacy to influence governments through economic, not military, intervention
  • He loaned money to Nicaragua in exchange for control of the National Bank of Nicaragua and the railway
  • Sent U.S. Marines to Nicaragua in 1911 to protect American interests
• Woodrow Wilson believed that the United States had a moral obligation to promote democracy
  • He often sent troops into Latin America to prevent foreign intervention or political unrest
  • He sent troops to assist Mexico's government in the Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution

• In 1910, Mexicans revolted against the rule of Porfirio Díaz
• War affected U.S. interests
  • Business leaders feared they would lose their investments worth over $1 billion
• The United States entered the war
  • in 1914, U.S. Navy sized Veracruz to prevent weapons from reaching rebels
  • in 1916, General John J. Pershing and 15,000 U.S. soldiers were sent to catch Francisco “Pancho” Villa who killed 17 Americans in New Mexic0
• In 1917, a new constitution began to bring order to Mexico

Changes in U.S. Foreign Policy

• Washington's Farewell Address
  • The United States will not become involved in European affairs
• Monroe Doctrine
  • The United States will defend its interests in the Western Hemisphere and keep European powers out
• Roosevelt Corollary
  • The United States will police wrongdoing by nations in the Western Hemisphere
• Taft's Dollar Diplomacy
  • The United States will use economic means to and its interests in Latin America
• Wilson and Democracy
  • The United States will promote and protect democracy in the Western Hemisphere