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