Post on 27-Mar-2015
transcript
American ImperialismAmerican Imperialism
American Activism Abroad
Frederick Jackson Turner: The Significance of the Frontier in American History, 1893
America’s unique development rooted in the frontier past
Vast expanse of “free” land
Reaching Pacific meant looking overseas for “frontier”
Attacked immigration from S. & E. Europe
Alfred Thayer Mahan: The Influence of Seapower upon History
Seapower essential to national greatness
Britain a prime example
McKinley & Roosevelt
Expand overseas – bases for navy – protect Commerce
Acquisition of Hawaii
Hawaiian League – 400 members, mostly American businessmen
Bayonet Constitution 1886 – curtailed monarch’s power
1893 Bloodless coup – Queen steps down (American Troops)
1898 U.S. annexed
Sanford Dole
Queen Lili’uokalani
Cuba in Cartoons 1890s
American self image
Jose Marti
The Splendid Little War: 1898
Spanish-American Cuban War over in 4 months
Yellow journalism – “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.” Hearst
U.S.S. MaineRough Riders
U.S. Gains
America: An imperial power
Philippines
The United States, by title of purchase in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, bought the Philippines from Spain, for US$20,000,000.
It also bought itself a war, in the name of Benevolent Assimilation.
The war lasted three years, and cost the Americans 10,000 casualties and US $600 million. Some 16,000 soldiers were killed in battle. About 200,000 Filipino civilians succumbed to pestilence, disease, and crossfire during the war.
Benevolent Assimilation: William McKinley
substituting the mild sway of justice and right for arbitrary rule. In the fulfillment of this high mission, supporting the temperate administration of affairs for the greatest good of the governed, there must be sedulously maintained the strong arm of authority, to repress disturbance and to overcome all obstacles to the bestowal of the blessings of good and stable government upon the people of the Philippine Islands under the free flag of the United States.
Emilio AguinaldoFilipino Rebel Leader
Anti-expansionists in our midst
Andrew Carnegie Samuel Gompers Jane Addams Mugwumps William Jennings
Bryan Mark Twain George Hoar
Open Door – Asia: 400,000,000 potential
consumers in China alone
John Hay & the Open Door Policy 1899
All nations to be allowed access to Chinese market
All nations were to have equal trading rights
Europeans had already carved up China
Boxer Rebellion - 1900
A man, a plan, a canal, Panama
Acquiring the rights Roosevelt & Panamanian
business interests conspire Colombians bribed to lay
down weapons 1903 Panamanian revolt U.S. cruiser right off shore Hay-Buneau-Varilla treaty
10 million to Panamanians – 10 mile swath renewable 99 year lease
French precede Americans – lose money & lives
Americans acquire rights for 40 million
Start negotiating with Colombia
Offered 10 mil. Cash and ¼ million annually
Colombia wanted more
Building the Canal
1906-1909 preliminary construction, surveys, disease control (1/3 of the French force died of Yellow Fever)
Building the Canal
Thousands of West Indian Laborers T.R. visits the Canal
Zone
45,000 Recruited Contract Workers
Roosevelt Corollary
U.S. Intervention in Latin America
Green = protectorate
Blue = occupation