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The Purchase of Alaska
The vast region of Alaska had grown to become an economic burden for Russia, and they began to look for buyers. Secretary of State William H. Seward convinced Congress to buy Alaska for $7.2 million. This expanded the United States as it gave the U.S. an extremely large amount of territory. -
“Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present Crisis”
Reverend Josiah Strong wrote that people of Anglo-Saxon stock were “the fittest to survive.” He believed that Protestant-Americans had a religious duty to colonize other lands in order to spread Christianity and the benefits of their “superior” civilization to less fortunate peoples of the world. Mission activities of their churches encouraged many Americans to support active U.S. involvement in foreign affairs. -
“The Influence of Sea Power Upon History
U.S. Navy Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote the book arguing that a strong navy was crucial to a country’s ambitions of securing foreign markets and becoming a world power. Mahan’s book was widely read by prominent American citizens—as well as by political leaders in Europe and Japan. Using articles in Mahan’s book, U.S. naval strategists persuaded Congress to finance the construction of modern steel ships and encouraged the acquisition of overseas lands, such as Samoa. -
The Annexation of Hawaii
Since the mid-1800s, American missionaries and entrepreneurs had settled in Hawaii. In 1893, American settlers aided in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. However, President Cleveland opposed imperialism and blocked Republican efforts to annex Hawaii. The outbreak of war in the Philippines gave Congress and President McKinley the pretext to complete annexation in July 1898. This added a key island territory in the Pacific to the ever-expanding United States. -
Treaty of Peace
The terms for the Treaty of Peace signed in Paris stated that the United States would acquire two Spanish islands—Puerto Rico and Guam. This gave the United States two more islands to add to their territories. -
Assassination of William McKinley
Only a few months after being inaugurated for a second time, McKinley was fatally shot by an anarchist. Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him and was very aggressive when it came to foreign policy. By acting boldly and decisively in a number of situations, Roosevelt attempted to build the reputation of the U.S. as a world power, and imperialists applauded his every move. -
Building of the Panama Canal
In order to get control over the land for the canal, Roosevelt orchestrated a revolt for Panama’s independence. With the support of the U.S. Navy, the rebellion succeeded immediately and almost without bloodshed. However, the new government was ordered to sign the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty which granted the United States all rights over the Canal Zone. The building of the canal started in 1904 and ended in 1914. This gave the United States power in that region of Latin America.