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-In 1867 the United States took over the Midway Islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean about 1300 miles north of Hawaii.
-American-owned sugar plantations accounted for about three-quarters of the Hawaiian islands' wealth.
- The McKinley Tariff of 1890 provoked a crisis by eliminating the duty-free status of Hawaiian sugar.
-On August 12, 1898, Congress proclaimed Hawaii an American territory
-In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. -
- William Seward, Secretary of State, was the lead supporter in this purchase. -The U.S. bought Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million. -Some people thought it was silly to buy what they called "Seward's Icebox" or "Seward's folly." - In 1959, Alaska became a state. -For about two cents an acre, the United States had acquired many physical and economical resources.
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-American leaders felt that the United States should join the imperialist powers of Europe and establish colonies overseas.
-In the19th century, Africa was seen as a prime target of European expansionism.
-Three factors that fueled the new American imperialism were the desires for military strength, thirst for new markets, and belief in cultural superiority
-Imperialists viewed foreign trade as the solution to American overproduction and problems of unemployment and economic depression. -
-By the end of the 19th century, Spain had lost most of its colonies.
-When the Cubans rebelled against Spain between 1868 and 1878, American sympathies went out to the Cuban people.
-In 1896, Spain responded to the Cuban revolt by sending General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba to restore order.
-Despite the Spanish concessions, public opinion favored war. On April 11, McKinley asked Congress for authority to use force against Spain. On, April 20, the United States declared war -
- After Puerto Rico was taken over by the U.S. after the Spanish American War, some Puerto Ricans feared the U.S. would not have their measure of self- rule.
- U.S. made no promises to Puerto Rico regarding independence
- 1900, Folkner Act was set up, which ended military rule and set up a civil government -1917, rights were granted to Puerto Ricans to vote for their two legislatures
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-United States declared war against Spain in 1898, recoyrizing Cuba's independence from Spain.
- The Teller Amendment, which stated that the United States had no intention of taking over any part of Cuba.
-Cuba was occupied by American troops when the war ended.
Under American occupation, the same officials who had served Spain remained in office. Cubans who protested this policy were imprisoned or exiled.
-Platt Amendment, constitution for an independent Cuba. -
-Filipinos reacted with outrage to the Treaty of Paris, which called for American annexation of the Philippines.
-In February 1899, the Filipinos, led by Aguinaldo, rose in revolt.
-It took the Americans nearly three years to put down the rebellion.
-The United States set up a government similar to the one it had established for Puerto Rico.
-Under American rule, the Philippines moved gradually toward independence. -
-China was seen as a vast potential market for American products.
-Weakened by war and foreign intervention, China had become known as the "sick man of Asia."
-John Hay's Open Door Notes, the notes were letters addressed to the leaders of imperialist nations proposing that the nations share their trading rights with the United States.
-This meant that no single nation would have a monopoly on trade with any part of China.
-It also presented American investors with new opportunities. -
-The assassination of William McKinley in 1901 thrust Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt into the role of a world leader.
-In 1905, building on the Open Door notes to increase American influence in East Asia, Roosevelt mediated a settlement in a War between Russia and Japan.
-Roosevelt persuaded Japan to accept half the island and forgo the cash payment.
-In exchange, Russia agreed to let Japan take over Russian interests in Manchuria and Korea.
-Roosevelt won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize -
- In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson gave the Monroe Doctrine a moral tone.
- Wilson's "missionary diplomacy," said the United States had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to any Latin American government it viewed as oppressive, etc.
- The Roosevelt Corollary asserted, in 1904, that the United States had a right to exercise international police power in the Western Hemisphere. -The Monroe Doctrine had warned other nations against expanding their influence in Latin America