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Acquisition of Hawaii
The same year in which Alaska was purchased, 1867, the United States took over the Midway Islands, which are about 1300 miles north of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean In the 1820s, Yankee missionaries founded Christian schools and churches on the islands, where their children and grandchildren became sugar planters. They sold most of their crops to the United States. -
Acquisition of Alaska
William Seward was the Secretary of State under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson In 1867, Seward bought Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million For around two cents an acre, the United States had acquired a land rich in timber, minerals, and, as it turned out, oil “Seward’s Icebox” or “Seward’s Folly" Seward had trouble at first persuading the House of Representatives to approve funding for the purchase -
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Reasons for Imperialsim
Imperialism is the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories -
Reasons for Imperialsim: Desire for Military Strength
American leaders advised that the United States build up its
own military strength Alfred T. Mahan of the U.S. Navy. Mahan urged government officials to build up American naval power in order
to compete with other powerful nations -
Reasons for Imperialism: Thirst for New Markets
The United States needed raw materials for its factories and new markets for its agricultural and manufactured goods -
Reasons for Imperialism: Belief in Cultural Superiority
Argued that the United States had a responsibility to spread Christianity and “civilization” to the world’s “inferior peoples" -
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Spanish-American War
A Cuban poet and journalist, José Martí, launched a revolution in 1895 Cuba Libre-a free Cuba Yellow Journalism, exaggerates the news to lure and enrage
readers The New York Journal published a private letter written by Enrique Dupuy de Lôme which criticized President McKinley, calling him “weak” and “a bidder for the admiration of the crowd American newspapers claimed the Spanish had blown up the USS Maine -
America and the Philippines
The Filipinos, led by Aguinaldo, rose in revolt in 1899 The United States forced Filipinos to live in designated zones, where poor sanitation, starvation, and disease killed thousands when Aguinaldo turned to guerrilla tactics Many of the 70,000 U.S. troops sent to the Philippines were African Americans The war took 3 years to resolve, claimed 4,000 American lives, and cost $400 million The Philippines moved toward independence and finally became an independent republic on July 4, 1946 -
Acquisition of Hawaii: Annexation
By 1900, foreigners and immigrant laborers
outnumbered native Hawaiians about three to one Hawaii’s King Kalakaua had been strong-armed by white business leaders. President Cleveland directed that
the queen be restored to her throne, but was refused On August 12, 1898, Congress made Hawaii an American territory, even though Hawaiians had never had the
chance to vote -
America and Cuba
The United States recognized Cuba’s independence from Spain when it declared war against Spain Teller Amendment stated that the United States had no intention of taking over any part of Cuba The United States insisted that Cuba add the Platt Amendment to its Constitution Cuba became a country whose affairs were partially controlled by a stronger power, or a U.S. protectorate The United States wanted to protect the island’s sugar, tobacco, mining, gas, railroads, and public utilities -
America and China
China had become known as the “sick man of Asia" U.S. Secretary of State John Hay issued a series of policy statements called the Open Door notes Some Chinese formed secret societies pledged to rid the country of “foreign devils", most famously the Boxers Within two months, the international forces put down the Boxer Rebellion John Hay issued a second series of Open Door notes that announced the United States would safeguard the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of China -
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Theodore Roosevelt and the World
Roosevelt did not want the imperial powers of Europe to control the world’s political and economic destiny His efforts in negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth won Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine Dollar Diplomacy guaranteed loans made to foreign countries by American businesspeople The construction of the Panama Canal ranks as one of the world’s greatest engineering achievements -
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Woodrow Wilson and the World
According to Wilson, the United States had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to any Latin American government it viewed as oppressive, undemocratic, or hostile to U.S. interest Wilson refused to recognize the government that Huerta formed, and adopted a plan called "watchful waiting" President Wilson ordered Brigadier General John J. Pershing and 15,000 soldiers into Mexico to capture Villa The United States pursued and achieved several foreign policy goals in the early 20th century -
America and Puerto Rico
The United States gave Puerto Ricans no promises regarding independence after the Spanish-American War General Nelson A. Miles, occupied the island during the Spanish-American war Puerto Rico was important to the United States because it maintained a U.S. presence in the Caribbean and protected a future canal that American leaders wanted to build across the Isthmus of Panama Foraker Act ended military rule and set up a civil government Congress gave citizenship to Puerto Ricans in 1917