Overseas ExpansionChapter 22

American Expansionism• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned

European countries to stay out of “Latin” America – this opened much of the South American market for US influence only

• The idea US expansion stopped during the Civil War – in fact, expansion was one of the causes that led up to the Civil War

• After the Civil War, the US quickly became a heavily industrialized nation

• The U.S. was producing more goods than it could use

• This surplus led the U.S. to look for new markets abroad

American Expansionism• The search for raw materials and

markets drove the idea of imperialism – when one nation has political and economic control over another

• European nations such as England and France had already carved up Africa and parts of Asia into colonies and "spheres of influence”

• Secretary of State William Seward believed the should expand in the Pacific Ocean in its effort to reach Asia

• He arranged for the purchase of the Midway Islands and Alaska

American Expansionism• The purchase of Alaska was known as

“Seward’s Ice Box” until gold was discovered in the 1890’s

• The Midway Islands that would serve as a stopping place for US ships headed to China

• Hawaiian sugar plantations were very profitable - eventually most of the business came under the control of the US

• In 1893 US planters staged a revolt and overthrew Queen Liliuokalani and in 1898 the US annexed the islands

• In 1898 the US annexed part of the Samoa Islands – they would serve as a stopping place for US ships headed to Australia

American Expansionism• The US’s ultimate goal was China• China was divided up into “spheres of

influences” by several European countries – sections of a country where a foreign nation has political and economic powers

• The chinese staged a revolt known as the Boxer’s Rebellion – the rebellion was crushed, but led to the Open Door Policy

• The Open Door Policy which allowed each foreign nation in China to trade freely and other nation’s spheres – US gained much with this agreement

Spanish - American War• In the late 1800’s, Cuba led many

unsuccessful revolts against Spanish rule

• This attracted US attention: businesses were worried about US investments in Cuba and newspapers printed graphic details about the atrocities committed against the Cuban people

• Newspapers tried to out do each other with shocking stories. “You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.” William Randolph Hearst

• This type of sensational, biased, and sometimes false reporting became known as yellow journalism

Yellow Journalism

A satire drawing of Hearst and Pulitzer pushing the Spanish-American war.

Spanish - American War• In January of 1898, the US sent the

battleship the Maine to the Havana harbor to protect US citizens and property

• 3 weeks later the ship blew up• Newspapers quickly came up with

the slogan “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain”

• In April the US declared war on Spain

• The first place the US attacked was the Philippines – within a matter of hours the Spanish navy was destroyed

Remember the Maine

Spanish - American War• The US then turned its attention to Cuba -

after taking Cuba, the US attacked Puerto Rico

• By August the war was over - “US Secretary of State called it “a splendid little war”

• The war lasted 4 months and about 400 soldiers were killed in battle

• Cuba became an American protectorate - independent yet under the control of the US

• Platt Amendment – part of Cuban constitution that gives US the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and control of Guantanamo Bay

Spanish - American War• Puerto Rica and Guam became

American territories• The US paid Spain $20 million for

Philippine Islands• US occupation of the Philippines

led to the Philippine – American War – ultimate the US had to pull out (1946)

• Anti-Imperialists League - not everyone in the US supported the war

Uncle Sam Picking Apples

United States and Latin America

Greater America

Latin America

U.S. & Panama Canal• US controlled territory in both the Atlantic and

Pacific Oceans – US wanted to build a canal connecting the two oceans

• Panama was an isthmus – a narrow strip of land connecting two larger bodies of land

• When Colombia refused to sell or rent the land to the US – the US supported the Panamanians in rebelling against Colombia

• Two weeks later the US signed a treaty with the newly created Panama for the construction of the Panama Canal

• These events upset many of the countries in Latin America, and caused them to mistrust the US

• The canal opened in August of 1914

Policing the Western Hemisphere• Teddy Roosevelt’s philosophy was “Speak

softly and carry a big stick” – he believed US should respond to problems with military force rather than threats

• America should exercise “an international police power” to preserve order and prevent the world from falling into anarchy

• Instability in the Carribbean and South America (revolts) caused Roosevelt to worry about European intervention

• Roosevelt Corollary – America has the right to act as a “policeman” in Latin America in cases of wrongdoing or when a nation seemed “unstable”

Dollar Diplomacy in the Western Hemisphere

• William Howard Taft replaced Teddy Roosevelt as president of the US

• He did not want to “police” Latin America and hoped to change US foreign policy by “substituting dollars for bullets.”

• American investments would bring stability to trouble areas as well as power and wealth to the US

• Linking business interest to political interest was known as Dollar Diplomacy

• This policy helped build roads,railroads, harbors, and stimulated trade

• However, when American businesses were endangered often led to military intervention

• Which in turn led to resentment

Walk Softly

Dollar Diplomacy