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Imperialism
American Expansion 1880-1920 and Gilded Age Foreign
Policy
Imperialism in a Global Context
• Europe is savagely dividing and controlling the “3rd World” amongst itself
• Lord Kitchener @ Omdurman• King Leopold in the Congo
• Reasons for colonialism:• Raw materials• Market for manufactured goods• Coaling and telegraph stations• “civilizing” natives (white man’s burden)• Missionaries
Division of Africa
Division of SE Asia
US: isolation or imperialismjoin or die?
Monroe Doctrine• 1820’s President
James Monroe declares Europe must stay out of Western Hemisphere– How can we enforce?– Is this law?– Is this fair to Latin
America?
• 1860’s Napoleon III attempts to control Mexico
Acquisition of Alaska and Hawaii
Alaska:– Seward’s Folly or Icebox– 7.2 Million $
Hawaii:– American Sugar companies
control island’s politics– Queen Liliokalani tries to
control and American’s revolt
– Pres Cleveland refuses to annex (McKinley, 1898)
American ideas about Expansion
• We need markets for goods!!! And have always traded with the world
• Capt. Alfred Mahan’s book The Influence of Sea Power on History is influential
• Isolation v imperialism?
Cuba• Spain ruled island for over 300 Years “Pearl”• Cuban fight guerilla war for independence• Reconcentrado: Spain places all peasants in
forts, kills everyone else!
Spanish-American War 1898
• McKinley and Yellow Press agitate for war with Spain
• USS Maine explodes!!!• McKinley sends
ultimatum
• America is not ready for the war
• Declaration of War clarified with the Teller Amendment
• It is a 2 Theater War • Pacific: Philippines• Atlantic: Cuba
Pacific Theater
• As. Sec of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt sends Dewey to Philippines w/o orders
• Dewey gets ok to attack (Feb)
• Wipes out entire Spanish fleet in the Pacific with bold maneuver (May)
Division of SE Asia
Manila Harbor
TR’s early yearsYouth-• Privileged• Rough and tumble• Loved nature• Harvard Educated• Mid-life crisis
Cuba
Rough Riders:• Odd assortment of cowboys
and Ivy League • With the 10th Cavalry they
charge up Kettle Hill to win the battle of San Juan Hill
US in Cuba:• Defeat Spanish soldiers
easily• More soldiers die of
disease than bullets!!• US Navy bottles up
Spanish fleet in Santiago Harbor and destroys their fleet!!!
Results of War
• Philippines will initially fight American control
• Cuba:– Platt Amendment (Cuban Constitution):
• Cuba can’t sign treaty which weaken its independence
• US has right to lease naval stations• No excessive foreign debt• US has right to intervene in domestic affairs
• US- Puerto Rico, Guam, Guantanamo Bay
American Diplomacy in Latin America
Roosevelt Corollary:• In rxn to German
and Brit bombing Venezuela for defaulting on loans
• RC: if Hemisphere countries act irresponsibly, we may intervene in their internal affairs!!!
Panama Canal• TR help starts a revolt in
Colombia’s Panamanian Province
• US Navy prevents Colombia from intervening
• “I took it and left Congress to debate”
• US extends immediate recognition and signs canal treaty
• Building the canal:• 1880: French failure• Key is control of disease• Earth moving machines and
locks are engineering marvel
• Complete: 1914, open to world and currently owned by Panama
Results of Imperialism
• 3rd World controlled by industrialized nations
• Eventually Imperial powers image is tarnished in the 3rd World
• US gets involved in world affairs briefly and then retreats into isolation until WW1