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Annexation of Hawaii
1874 D. Kalakaua became king and sought to reduce the power of the white Missionary Party in Hawaiian government. 1887 a small group of Missionary Party members struck back and drafted a new constitution, that reduced his power. The king was forced to sign the Constitution. Liliuokalani took over and wrote a new constitution that gave power to the monarchy. Many of Hawaii’s white businessmen formed a committee that wanted to overthrow the monarchy and was seeking annexation by the U.S. -
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Imperialism during the Gilded age
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Annexation of Hawaii
Hawaii became a US territory in 1898 because a group of sugar plantation business men despised the queen. January 17th,1893 they staged a revolt and overthrew the queen. The Queen was imprisoned and the decision of what to do next was left to American politicians. During the time G Cleveland was president and he was an anti-imperialist he took no action. In 1898 because of the war with Spain pearl harbor became important and President McKinley signed a joint resolution to annex the islands. -
Spanish-American War
The USS Maine was an American battleship that was being sent to Cuba to protect U.S citizens and goods from the anti-Spanish revolts by Cubans. The DeLome letter was a letter written by the Spanish ambassador to President McKinley, calling him a weak ruler and claimed that he only cares about popular opinion. Prior to these events, Americans had the urge to intervene in the Cuban Revolution because they felt sympathetic for Cuba, but these events persuaded Americans to intervene. -
Involvement in Venezuela
The United States, justifying involvement with the Monroe Doctrine, by 1895 got involved in the Venezuelan boundary dispute with Great Britain. US Secretary of State Richard Olney sent a letter to the British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, ordering that the dispute be dissolved. President Grover Cleveland petitioned Congress to create a boundary dispute committee, which was passed unanimously. Dealing with the Boers in South Africa, Britain complied. -
Involvement in Venezuela
US involvement in the Venezuelan Boundary Dispute showed the world that it was capable of mirroring any imperialistic power. While embracing a “new” form of imperialism, contradictory to the “old” form of dominating a colony to provide for the mother country, the US proved to be a formidable power. The world came to understand that the US was more than capable of competing with top world powers, such as Great Britain. -
Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was caused by the Cuban demands for independence from Spanish rule in February, 1895. The Spanish were very harsh to the Cubans, and Americans felt strong sympathy and wanted to intervene. The United States declared that Cuba had the right to independence, demanded Spain to withdraw their militia from the island, and claimed that the President had the right to use force to keep Spanish forces out of Cubs. This caused Spain to declare war on America on April 24th, 1895. -
Annexation of Hawaii
American businessmen became involved in Hawaii by the 1870s because they began importing sugar from Hawaii, and the U.S. investors and American sugar planters on the islands broadened their domination over Hawaiian affairs -
Spanish-American War
Some people called this the “Splendid Little War” because it lasted only 4 months, cost American barely anything, and America gained many territories. -
Spanish-American War
The Spanish- American war spread to the Philippines because they also began to stage a revolts against Spanish authority. The Filipinos saw America aiding Cuba in their revolts, and assumed that they would get the same kind of help. -
Spanish-American War
The Teller Amendment was written in April, 1898, and it claimed that the United States actions in intervening in the Cuban revolt did not mean they wanted to have any permanent control over Cuba. -
Spanish-American War
Spain and America signed the Treaty of Paris on December 10th, 1898, which gave a The United States Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines as colonial territory, and Cuba was technically freed, under protection of the United States. The Spanish empire was practically dissolved. -
American-Philippine War
Spain ceded its colony of the Philippines to the United States in the Treaty of Paris. On February 4, 1899, two days before the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty, fighting broke out between American forces and Filipino nationalists led by Emilio Aguinaldo who sought independence rather than a change in colonial rulers. -
Open Door Policy
Hay’s open door notes was a series of letters written to the world powers in 1899, in order to secure international trade as well as develop equal opportunities for trade and commerce with China. The Boxer Rebellion secured the open door policy. America's interest in China reflected William W. ideas for foreign policy, he felt that if America did not make changes soon there would be “literal isolation”, expanding into the western hemisphere would change that. -
Spanish-American War
The Platt Amendment listed eight conditions-which the Cuban government had to agree on, for the Americans to end their military occupation in Cuba post Spanish American war. It also required that technically Cuba can be freed, but under “protection” of the United States government. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary states that the United States would intervene as a last resort police power to ensure that nations in the western hemisphere did not violate their rights.
In the long term the addition to the Monroe doctrine justified the intervention in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. -
Construction of the Panama Canal
In 1903 the U.S. signed a treaty with Panama allowing for the construction of the canal. John Stevens took over as chief engineer in July 1905 and advised president Roosevelt that a lock canal was best for the terrain. The canal gave U.S. Naval vessels quick access to the pacific and provided the U.S. with a commanding position in the western hemisphere. -
Dollar Diplomacy
The Dollar Diplomacy was a policy that America used to extend its power overseas. It used persuasion to further their influence on other countries. It strengthened American economics, but it did not work out in the long run. The revolutions going on overseas and economic instability caused it to fail. -
Mexican Revolution
The United States got involved in the Mexican Revolution because President Wilson believed in “Moral Diplomacy.’’ Wilson sent troops to overthrow the Mexican dictatorship government at the port of Veracruz. After this Venustiano Carranza was put into power and anti-American riots broke out. -
Moral Diplomacy
Moral Diplomacy is the system in which support is only given in countries whose moral beliefs are parallel to that of the nation. He described it as “The force of America is the force of moral principle.” It encouraged the spread of democracy and caused the government to be involved in foreign affairs.
