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American Imperialism and World
War IFrom Isolationism
to Internationali
sm
Timeline of Events 1867
– French withdraw from Mexico 1889
– First Pan-American conference held 1893
– Sugar planters, aided by U.S. Marines overthrow Hawaii’s Queen Liluokalani
1895– Venezuela boundary dispute with
Britain– Guglielmo Marconi invents the radio
Timeline of Events 1896
– William McKinley becomes President defeating William Jennings Bryan
1898– Marie Curie discovers radium– U.S.S. Maine explodes and sinks– War with Spain– Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, and
Hawaii acquired
Timeline of Events
1899
– Philippine insurrection begins
1900
– Boxer uprising in China
– William McKinley reelected
– John Hay institutes Open Door Policy
with China
Timeline of Events 1901
– Platt amendment to Cuban constitution
– Hay-Pauncefote Treaty with Great Britain
– Theodore Roosevelt becomes President after McKinley is assassinated
1903– Columbian senate rejects canal treaty
– Panama revolution occurs with United States aid
Timeline of Events 1904
– Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine announced
1905– Russo-Japanese peace treaty made at
Portsmouth 1908
– William Howard Taft becomes President defeating William Jennings Bryan
– Henry Ford introduces the Model T
Timeline of Events
1910
– The Mexican Revolution begins
1911
– William Howard Taft institutes Dollar
Diplomacy with Latin American
nations
Timeline of Events
1912– Woodrow Wilson elected President
defeating Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft
1913– China’s Qin Dynasty topples
Timeline of Events
1914– Americans occupy Vera Cruz, Mexico
– Hollywood, California becomes the center of movie production in the United States
– The Panama Canal opens
– Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated
– World War I begins in Europe, August 1st
Timeline of Events
1915– Lusitania sunk by German submarine
– Austrian ambassador expelled from the United States
– Albert Einstein proposes his general theory of relativity
– Alexander Graham Bell makes the first transcontinental phone call
Timeline of Events
1916– Virgin Islands purchased from
Denmark
– Wilson reelected President
– United States offers mediation in European war
– Battles of Verdun and Somme claim millions of lives
Timeline of Events
1917– Germany declares unrestricted
submarine warfare– Zimmerman note published, March
1st
– Russian Revolution begins– Puerto Ricans becomes U.S. citizens– Mexico revises and adopts its
constitution– War declared on Central Powers,
April 6th
Timeline of Events
1918– Wilson offers Fourteen Points
peace program– United States troops help check
German offensive– Armistice signed , November 11th
– Eighteenth Amendment outlaws alcoholic beverages – Prohibition begins
Timeline of Events
1918– Wilson proposed the League of
Nations– Congress passes the Sedition
Act– The Bolsheviks establish a
Communist regime in Russia– World War I ends
Timeline of Events 1919
– Treat of Versailles signed, June 28th
– Treaty defeated in Senate, November 19th
– Congress approves the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote
– A worldwide influenza epidemic kills over 30 million
Timeline of Events
1920
– Treaty again defeated in Senate, March 19th
– Harding (Republican) defeats Cox for President
American Expansionism
American wanted to expand its size and throughout the 19th century toward the Pacific Ocean
Many leaders in the U.S. felt America should become more imperialistic
Imperialism ~ the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories
Global Competition
European nations ~ establishing colonies for centuries
Africa ~ prime target of European nations ~ by early 20th century only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent
Asia ~ competition continued especially in China
Japan ~ old feudal system replaced with a strong central government
Global Competition
Factors that fueled American Imperialism– Desire for military strength
– Thirst for new markets
– Belief in cultural superiority
Desire for Military Strength
American leaders advised the U.S. to build up its military strength
Admiral Alfred T. Mahan (U.S. Navy) ~ urged government official to build up American naval power in order to compete with other powerful nations
U.S. between 1883 & 1890 built 9 steel-hulled cruisers
Modern ships Oregon and Maine transformed the country into the world’s 3rd largest naval power
Thirst for New Markets
Advances in technology enabled American farms and factories to produce more than American citizens could consume
Foreign trade was the solution to American over-production and the related problems of unemployment and economic depression
Belief in Cultural Superiority
Cultural factors were used to justify imperialism
Americans complete the philosophy of Social Darwinism and racial superiority of Anglo-Saxons
U.S. had a responsibility to spread Christianity and “civilization” to the world’s “inferior peoples”
Seward’s Folly
William H. Seward, Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson acquired Alaska for $7.2 million from Russia
Often called “Seward’s Icebox” or Seward’s Folly” because people thought it was silly to buy the territory
In 1959, Alaska became a state and for about 2 cents per acre America acquired a land rich in timber, minerals (gold), & oil
Seward’s Folly
Seward’s Folly
Hawaii 1867 ~ U.S. took over Midway Islands (1300
miles north of Hawaii)
Hawaiian Islands were economically important to the U.S.
Since 1790s merchants had stopped their on their way to China and East India
1820s ~ Yankee missionaries founded Christian schools and churches on the islands
Their children & grandchildren became sugar planters & sold their crop to the U.S.
Hawaii
Hawaiian Sugar American sugar planters accounted for
75% of the islands’ wealth
Labor was imported from Japan, Portugal, and China
By 1900, foreign immigrant laborers outnumbered native Hawaiians by 3 to 1
White planters profited from close ties with the U.S.
1875 ~ U.S. agrees to import Hawaiian sugar duty-free
Hawaiian Sugar Over next 15 years, Hawaiian sugar
production increased nine times
McKinley Tariff of 1890 brought an end to duty-free sugar
Hawaiian sugar planters now faced competition in the American market
American planters now wanted Hawaii to be annexed by the U.S.
Annexation of Hawaii U.S. military and economic leaders
knew the value of Hawaii
1887 ~ pressured Hawaii to allow the U.S. to build a naval base at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor became a fueling station for American ships
End of a Monarchy 1887 ~ King Kalakaua was forced to
amend Hawaii’s constitution, limiting voting rights to only wealthy landowners
1891 ~ King Kalakaua died and Liliuokalani, his sister became queen
Queen Lil proposed removing the property-owning qualification for voting
To stop what she was trying to do, a revolution was organized upon the insistence of Ambassador John L. Stevens
End of a Monarchy
End of a Monarchy Marines helped to overthrow Queen Lil
and set up a government headed by Sanford B. Dole
Grover Cleveland directed that Queen Lil be restored to her throne
Dole refused to relinquish power and Cleveland eventually and formally recognized the Republic of Hawaii
Cleveland would not consider annexation unless a majority of Hawaiians favored it
End of a Monarchy
End of a Monarchy 1897 ~ William McKinley will agree to
the annexation of Hawaii
1898 ~ August 12th ~ Congress proclaimed Hawaii an American territory
Hawaiians were never given the choice to be annexed
1959 ~ Hawaii became the 50th state of the U.S.
End of a Monarchy
Spanish American War 1898 ~ U.S. went to war to help
Cuba win its independence from Spain
U.S. involvement in Latin American and Asia increased greatly as a result of the war and continues today
Cuba Rebels Against Spain
Spain ~ losing most of its colonies by the end of the 19th century
Spain’s colonies– Philippines– Guam– Some outposts in Africa– Cuba– Puerto Rico
Cuba Rebels Against Spain
America had an interest in Cuba because it is 90 miles south of Florida
1854 ~ diplomats recommended the purchase of Cuba to Franklin Pierce
Spain’s response was they would rather sink it into the ocean then sell to the U.S.
1868-1878 ~ Cubans rebelled against Spain ~ Americans were sympathetic to their cause
Cuba Rebels Against Spain
America had an interest in Cuba because it is 90 miles south of Florida
1854 ~ diplomats recommended the purchase of Cuba to Franklin Pierce
Spain’s response was they would rather sink it into the ocean then sell to the U.S.
1868-1878 ~ Cubans rebelled against Spain ~ Americans were sympathetic to their cause
Cuba Rebels Against Spain
Cuban revolt was not successful 1886 ~ Cuban people forced
Spain to abolish slavery American’s begin investing
millions in large sugar cane plantations on the island
1895 ~ Jose Marti ~ a Cuban poet and journalist in exile in New York launched a second revolution
Jose Marti
Cuba Rebels Against Spain
Marti organized Cuban resistance using guerilla warfare and deliberately destroying American owned sugar mills and plantation
Marti was counting on American interference ~ Cuba Libre!
Public opinion was split in the U.S. Business people wanted the
government to support Spain (protect business interests)
Cuba Rebels Against Spain
Other Americans wanted to support the rebel cause
It reminded them of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech
War Fever Escalates 1896 ~ Spain send general
Valeriano Weyler to Cuba to restore order
Weyler tried to crush the rebellion Herded entire population of
central and western Cuba into concentration camps
About 300,000 filled the camps Thousands died from hunger and
disease
Valeriano Weyler
Headline Wars Weyler’s actions fueled a newspaper
circulation war between Hearst and Pulitzer
Both printed exaggerated accounts of Weyler’s brutality (poisoning wells, throwing children to sharks)
Yellow journalism ~ sensation style of writing which exaggerates news to lure and enrage readers
Hearst and Pulitzer fanned war fever
Headline Wars Hearst sends Frederick
Remington, a painter to Cuba to draw sketches
Remington felt war was unlikely Hearst supposedly replied “You
furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.”
Frederic Remington
The De Lome Letter
McKinley came in office in 1897 Wanted to avoid war with Spain Tried diplomatic means to resolve the
crisis and at first efforts seemed to work
Spain recalled General Weyler, modified its policy toward concentration camps and offered Cuba limited self-government
The De Lome Letter
1898 ~ February ~ the New York Journal published a private letter written by Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister to the U.S.
Letter criticized President McKinley, calling him “weak” and “a bidder for the admiration of the crowd”
Spanish government was embarrassed and apologized, the minister resigned
Americans were angered by the insult
The De Lome Letter
The U.S.S. Maine Explodes
1898 ~ McKinley ordered the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba to bring home American citizens in danger from the fighting and to protect Americans property
February 15, 1898 ~ the ship exploded in Havana harbor killing more than 260 men
Not really known why the ship exploded 1898 ~ American newspapers claimed the
Spanish had blown up the ship Hearst offered $50,000 dollars for the
capture of the Spaniards who blew up the ship
The U.S.S. Maine Explodes
The U.S.S. Maine Explodes
The U.S.S. Maine Explodes
The U.S.S. Maine Explodes
War with Spain Erupts “Remember the Maine” became the
rallying cry for U.S. intervention in Cuba April 9, 1898 ~ Spain agreed to all of the
U.S. demands including 6 month cease fire Even with the concessions, U.S. public
wanted war April 11, 1898 ~ McKinley asked Congress
for the authority to use force against Spain April 20, 1898 ~ Congress agreed and the
U.S. declared war
Spanish American War Map
The War in the Philippines
Spanish believed the U.S. would invade Cuba
U.S. chose to fight in the Philippines first April 30th ~ Commodore George Dewey
steamed into the harbor May 1st ~ gave command to open fire on
the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay 7 hours later ~ the Spanish fleet was
destroyed or captured Victory allowed U.S. troops to land in the
Philippines
The War in the Philippines
Dewey had the support of the Filipinos who also wanted freedom from Spain
Over next 2 months ~ 11,000 Americans joined forces with Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo
August 1898 ~ Spanish troops surrendered to U.S. forces
The War in the Philippines
The War in the Philippines
The War in the Caribbean
Hostilities began with the blockade of Cuba Admiral William T. Sampson sealed up the
Spanish fleet in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba
U.S. able to show superiority of its naval forces
Army ~ small professional force with a larger inexperienced and ill-prepared volunteer force
About 125,000 Americans had volunteered to fight
The War in the Caribbean
Training camps for new soldiers lacked supplies and effective leaders
Not enough modern guns to go around and officers were more interested in their time serving during the Civil War than training the volunteers
Rough Riders June 1898 ~ American forces land in
Cuba heading towards Santiago Army ~ 17,000 men including 4 African-
American regiments Rough Riders ~ volunteer cavalry under
the command of Leonard Wood and Theodore Roosevelt
July 1st ~ Rough Riders and 2 African-American regiments charge up Kettle Hill
Victory cleared the way for infantry to attack San Juan Hill
Rough Riders July 3rd ~ Spanish fleet tries to escape Naval battle occurs and ends in the
destruction of the Spanish fleet July 25th ~ America invades Puerto Rico
Rough Riders
Treaty of Paris August 12th ~ U.S. and Spain sign an
armistice Secretary of State, John Hay called it “a
splendid little war” Actual fighting lasted only 16 weeks December 10th ~ U.S. and Spain met in
Paris to agree on a treaty Spain turned over Cuba, Guam and
Puerto Rico to the U.S. U.S. bought the Philippines for $20 million
Debate over the Treaty Treaty caused a huge debate in Congress Main argument ~ whether the U.S. had
the right to annex the Philippines Real issue ~ imperialism McKinley needed to justify imperialism ~
“there was nothing left for us to do but take them all [the Philippine Islands], and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and Christianize them”
Philippines had been Christian for centuries
Debate over the Treaty Prominent Americans presented a variety of
arguments ~ political, moral, and economic ~
Some felt the treaty violated the D of I by denying self-government to the newly acquired land
Booker T. Washington ~ U.S. should settle race relation problems at home before take on social problems elsewhere
Samuel Gompers ~ feared Filipino immigrants would compete for American jobs
Debate over the Treaty February 6, 1899 ~ annexation
question settled ~ Senate approved the Treaty of Paris
U.S. empire included Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines
Acquiring New Lands Puerto Rico
– Not all wanted independence– Some wanted statehood, other some local
self-government
Military Rule – U.S. forces under General Nelson A Miles
occupied the island– Miles assured the people that Americans
would protect them– U.S. military would control Puerto Rico until
Congress made changes
Acquiring New Lands Return to Civil Government
– Puerto Rico strategically important to U.S.– Helped in maintaining U.S. presence in the
Caribbean and for protecting a future canal Americans hoped to build across the Isthmus of Panama
– 1900 ~ Foraker Act ~ ended military rule and set up a civilian government
– Act gave the president of the U.S. power to appoint a governor and members of the upper house of its legislature
– Puerto Ricans could only elect the lower house
Acquiring New Lands 1901 ~ Insular Cases ~ U.S. Supreme
Court ruled that the Constitution did not automatically apply to people in acquired territories
Congress retained the right to extend U.S. citizenship
1917 ~ granted the right to Puerto Ricans
1917 ~ gave them the right to elect both houses of their legislature
Acquiring New Lands
Acquiring New Lands Cuba and the United States
– U.S. recognized Cuba’s independence from Spain in 1898
– U.S. passed Teller Amendment which stated the U.S. had no intention of taking over Cuba
– Treaty of Paris guaranteed Cuba its independence
American Soldiers– Jose Marti thought U.S. would become another
Spain– Under American occupation, U.S. left in office the
leaders who had served Spain– Those who protested they were imprisoned or
exiled–
Teller Amendment
Acquiring New Lands American military government
– provided food and clothing for thousands of families
– Helped farmers put land into cultivation– Organized elementary schools– Improved sanitation – Improved medical research– Helped eliminate yellow fever
Platt Amendment 1900 ~ Cuba wrote a constitution for an
independent government Constitution did not specify the relationship
between the U.S. and Cuba 1901 ~ U.S. insisted on the Platt
Amendment– Cuba could not make treaties that would limit its
independence or permit a foreign power to take control of any part of its territory
– U.S. reserved the right to intervene in Cuba– Cuba was not to go into debt– U.S. could buy or lease land on the island for
naval stations and refueling stations
Platt Amendment
U.S. refused to withdraw its troops without the passage of the Platt Amendment
Cubans were outraged by the amendment and protested but the U.S. stood firm
1903 ~ Platt Amendment was ratified and remained in effect for 31 years
Cuba became a U.S. protectorate
Platt Amendment
U.S. Business Interests
U.S. had strong business interests in Cuba
Americans had invested in sugar, tobacco and mining industries, railroads and public utilities
Many business people wanted the U.S. to annex Cuba and make it a territory
U.S. would intervene time and again in the affairs of other nations in the Western Hemisphere
Filipinos Rebel
Filipinos were angry because the Treaty of Paris called for the annexation of the Philippines
Emilio Aguinaldo believed the U.S. had promised independence
Filipinos vowed to fight because of the terms of the treaty
Emilio Aguinaldo
Philippine-American War
February 1899 ~ Aguinaldo led the Filipinos in a revolt
U.S. imposed its authority on a colony that was fighting for freedom
Aguinaldo used guerilla tactics so U.S. forced Filipinos to live in designated areas
Poor sanitation, starvation, and disease killed thousands
U.S. was committing the same atrocities as Spain did to Cuba
Philippine-American War
American soldiers (whites) felt the Filipinos were inferior
70,000 U.S. troops sent to the Philippines were African American
African American newspapers believed that by being there, African Americans were helping to spread racial prejudice
Some African Americans deserted to the Filipino side and developed bonds of friendship with them
War lasted 3 years, took 20,000 Filipino lives, 4,000 American lives and cost $400 million
Philippine-American War
Aftermath of the War After the revolt was suppressed, the
U.S. set up a government like that it had put in place in Puerto Rico
U.S. appointed a governor who appointed the upper house
Filipinos elected the lower house Philippines gradually move toward
independence under American rule July 4, 1946 ~ became an independent
republic
Foreign Influence in China
U.S. imperialism in the Philippines gave it a way into Asia
China was a potential market for American products
Presented American investors with new opportunities for large-scale railroad construction
China ~ “sick man of Asia” ~ because of war and foreign intervention
Foreign Influence in China
France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and Russia had established settlements along the coast of China
Countries carved out “spheres of influence” ~ areas where each nation claimed special rights and economic privileges
Foreign Influence in China
Open Door Policy U.S. feared that China would be carved up
and American traders would be shut out John Hay in 1899 issued a series of
policies called the Open Door notes Notes were letters addressed to leaders
of imperialist nations proposing that the nations share their trading rights with the U.S.
Meant no single nation would have a monopoly on trade with any part of China
Other powers reluctantly accepted the policy
Open Door Policy
The Boxer Rebellion China kept its freedom Large cities were dominated by
Europeans Chinese resented the foreign influence
and established secret societies to rid the country of “foreign devils”
Most famous group ~ Boxers ~ because they practiced martial arts
Boxers killed thousands of missionaries, other foreigners & Chinese who had converted to Christianity
The Boxer Rebellion August 1900 ~ British, German,
French, and Japanese troops joined 2,000 American soldiers in a march on the Chinese capital
Boxer Rebellion was put down by the international force
Thousands of Chinese died during the fighting
The Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion
Protecting American Rights
U.S. feared Europeans would try to takeover more of China after the rebellion was put down
John Hay issued a second series of Open Door notes announcing the U.S. would “safeguard for the world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire”
Policy paved the way for greater American influence in Asia
Protecting American Rights
Open Door policy ~ 3 deeply held beliefs– Americans believed that the growth of the
U.S. economy depended on exports– U.S. had a right to intervene abroad to
keep foreign markets open– U.S. feared that the closing of an area to
American products, citizens, or ideas threatened U.S. survival
Beliefs became the bedrock of American foreign policy
Impact of U.S. Territorial Gains
1900 ~ William McKinley was elected to a 2nd term as president
Reelection confirmed that a majority of Americans favored his policies
Anti-Imperialist League came into being– Members included ~ Grover Cleveland,
Andrew Carnegie, Jane Addams, Mark Twain and many others
– All agreed the U.S. was wrong to rule other people without their consent
U.S. under Theodore Roosevelt & Woodrow Wilson would continue to exert its power
America as a World Power
Teddy Roosevelt and the World– Became president with the
assassination of William McKinley– Did not want European powers to
control the world’s political & economic destiny
– 1905 ~ mediated a peace treaty between Russia and Japan
Russo- Japanese War 1904 ~ Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
declared war on Japan Russia and Japan ~ imperialist powers
competing for Korea Japan struck first with a surprise attack
on the Russian Pacific fleet and destroyed it
Also destroyed a second fleet sent as a reinforcement
Japan secured Korea and Manchuria after a series of land battles
Japan running out of men and money
Russo- Japanese War Japanese officials approached Roosevelt
in secret Asked him to mediate peace negotiations 1905 ~ Russian and Japanese met in
Portsmouth, NH First meeting on presidential yacht Japanese wanted Sakhalin Island and
money from Russia Russians refused Through Roosevelt’s negotiations , Japan
got ½ the island and no money
Russo- Japanese War Japanese were given Russian interests
in Korea and Manchuria Treaty of Portsmouth helped Roosevelt
to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 U.S. and Japan expanded their interest
in East Asia 2 nations continued to talk
Russo- Japanese War
Russo- Japanese War
Russo- Japanese War
Panama Canal U.S needed a canal cutting across
Central America Would reduce travel time for
commercial and military ships U.S. and Great Britain in 1850 agreed to
share rights to such a canal Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901 gave the
U.S. exclusive rights to build and control a canal through Central America
2 possible routes (1) Nicaragua and (2) Panama (a province of Colombia)
Panama Canal Late 1800s a French company had tried to
build a canal and gave up after 10 years Sent an agent, Philippe Bunau-Varilla to
D.C. to get the U.S. to buy its claim 1903 ~ U.S. bought the claim for $40
million U.S. asked Colombia for permission to
finish building the canal but negotiations broke down
Bunau-Varilla organized a rebellion and Panama declared its independence on November 3, 1903 in the presence of 12 U.S. warships
Panama Canal
Panama Canal November 18, 1903 ~ U.S. and Panama
signed a treaty – U.S. would pay Panama $10 million plus an
annual rent of $250,000 for an area across Panama ~ the Canal Zone
– Payment began in 1913
Canal ranks as one of the world’s greatest engineering feats
Builders fought diseases, and soft volcanic soil
1904 ~ work began on the canal with the clearing of brush and draining of swamps
Panama Canal
Panama Canal
Panama Canal
Panama Canal 1913 ~ height of construction
– 43,400 workers – ¾ were blacks from the British West Indies– 5,600 workers died from accidents or disease– Total cost to U.S. ~ $380 million
August 15, 1914 ~ canal open for business– 1,000 merchant ships passed through the 1st
year
U.S. – Latin American relations damaged by American support of the Panama rebellion
1921 ~ Congress paid Colombia $21 million for the loss of its territory
The Roosevelt Corollary Late 19th century Latin American
nations borrowing huge sums of money from European banks
U.S. feared if they defaulted that Europeans would intervene
Roosevelt wanted U.S. to be the dominant power in the Caribbean and Central America
“Speak softly and carry a big stick” ~ African proverb
The Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary December 1904 ~ Roosevelt Corollary
was added to the Monroe Doctrine Warned that disorder in Latin American
might “force the United States … to the exercise of an international police power”
U.S. would not use force to protects its economic interest in Latin America
The Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary
Dollar Diplomacy United States exercised police power on
several occasions 1911 ~ Nicaragua rebellion left the
country close to bankruptcy Taft arranged for American bankers to
loan Nicaragua the money to pay its debts Nicaragua gave American bankers the
right to collect its customs duties to repay the debt
Nicaragua also allowed U.S. bankers to gain control of the railroad system and national bank
Dollar Diplomacy Nicaraguans heard about the deal and
revolted against President Adolfo Diaz 2,000 marines were sent to Nicaragua to
help with the role which was put down Some marine units were stationed in
Nicaragua until 1933 Taft administration followed the policy
using the U.S government to guarantee loans to foreign countries by American business people
Was often used to justify keeping European powers out of the Caribbean
Dollar Diplomacy
Missionary Diplomacy
1823 ~ Monroe Doctrine warned other nations to stay out of the affairs of Latin American countries
1904 ~ Roosevelt Corollary stated the U.S. had the right to exercise international police power in the Western Hemisphere
1913 ~ Wilson’s Missionary Diplomacy gave the Monroe Doctrine a moral tone– U.S. had a moral responsibility to deny
recognition to any Latin American government it viewed as oppressive, undemocratic, or hostile to U.S. interests
The Mexican Revolution
Porfirio Diaz ~ the military dictator of Mexico ~ had rule for more than 3 decades
Diaz was a friend of the U.S. and encouraged Americans to invest in his country
Americans and other foreigners owned most of Mexico’s oil wells, mines, railroads, and ranches
Common people were very poor Rich were getting wealthier
The Mexican Revolution
1911 ~ Francisco Madera along with Mexican workers and peasants overthrew Diaz
Madero promised democratic reforms but was unable to satisfy all parties
1913 ~ General Victoriano Huerta took over the government and executed Madero
Wilson refused to recognize the government Huerta formed ~ called it “a government of butchers”
Intervention in Mexico Wilson’s plan was “watchful waiting”
He wanted an opportunity to move against Huerta
April 1914 ~ one of Huerta’s officers arrested a small group of American sailors in Tampico
Mexicans quickly released them and apologized
Wilson used the incident to intervene in Mexico and ordered U.S. marines to occupy Vera Cruz
18 Americans and 200 Mexicans died in the invasion
Intervention in Mexico Incident put the U.S. and Mexico on the brink
of war Argentina, Brazil and Chile stepped in to
mediate– Huerta was to step down– U.S. would withdraw without paying Mexico
damages Mexico rejected the plan U.S. refused to recognize the government of
Huerta Huerta’s government does eventually
collapse Venustiano Carranza, a nationalist leader,
became president in 1915
Intervention in Mexico Wilson withdrew American troops and
recognized the government of Carranza
Rebellion in Mexico Carranza did not have the support of all
Mexicans like others before him Rebels under Francisco “Pancho” Villa
and Emiliano Zapata opposed Carranza’s provisional government
Zapata wanted land reform “It is better to die on your feet than live
on your knees” Villa, a fierce nationalist, courted the
U.S. for support and aid
Rebellion in Mexico
Rebellion in Mexico After Wilson recognized Carranza’s
government, Villa threatened reprisals against the U.S.
January 1916 ~ Carranza asked American engineers to come and operate mines in the northern part of Mexico
Villa’s men took the Americans off a train and shot them
March 1916 ~ Villa’s men raided Columbus, NM, killing 17 Americans
Chasing Villa Americans wanted revenge against Villa Wilson ordered General John J. Pershing
and 15,000 soldiers into Mexico to capture Villa dead or alive
Villa eluded Pershing for almost a year Wilson called out 150,000 National
Guardsmen and stationed them along the Mexican border
Mexico grew angry because of the U.S. forces in the country
June 1916 ~ U.S. and Carranza troops clash
Chasing Villa
The End in Sight Carranza demand U.S. withdrawal of
troops Both sides back down ~ U.S. because of
the war in Europe February 1917 ~ Pershing was ordered to
return home 1917 ~ Mexico adopted a new
constitution ~ gave government control over oil and mineral resources and put strict regulations on foreign investors
Carranza ruled oppressively until 1920 when Alvaro Obregon came to power
The End in Sight
The End in Sight Obregon’s presidency marked the end of civil
war and the beginning of reform U.S. intervention showed America’s
imperialistic attitude in the early 20th century U.S. pursued and achieved several foreign
policy goals– Expanded its access to foreign markets in order to
ensure continued growth of the domestic economy– U.S. built a modern navy to protect its interests
abroad– U.S. exercised its international police power to
ensure dominance in Latin America