The Spanish American War and Overseas Imperialism America

The Spanish American War and Overseas Imperialism: America Joins the Cool Kids

Do Now: What forces/beliefs drove the U. S. To expand westward in the mid 1800 s? How did Americans tend to treat the indigenous people already living in the western United States?

Date 1867 1874 1876 1883 1887 1889 1893 1895 Event Alaska and Midway Island Purchased Favorable Balance of Trade Pro-U. S. Regime Begins Rule in Mexico Congress Votes to Update the Navy U. S. Gains Naval Rights to Pearl Harbor First Pan-American Conference/ Three Part Protectorate Between U. S. , British, and Germans in Samoa Queen Lili’oukalani of Hawaii overthrown by wealthy Americans Turner Thesis Published U. S. Evokes Monroe Doctrine to with Britain over Venezuela Date Event 1898 Spanish American War/ Hawaii Annexed by U. S. 1899 Treaty of Paris Ratified/ Philippine. American War 1899 Samoa Taken Over And Partitioned Between U. S. , Britain, and Germany 1899 U. S. Calls for an Open Door Policy in China 1900 U. S. Helps Put down Boxer Rebellion and Calls for Open Door Policy Again 1903 Panama Grants Rights to Build a Canal/ Treaty of Relations Puts Cuba Under U. S. Supervision 1904 Roosevelt Corollary Issued/ Work on Panama Canal Begins 1912 U. S. Troops Invade Cuba and Nicaragua 1914 Panama Canal Opens/ U. S. Invades Mexico

Reasons for Imperialism Manifest Destiny Nationalism - “Jingoism” Social Darwinism (“White Man’s Burden”) Economic Military

Manifest Destiny and Nationalism People believed that it U. S. was “destined” to keep expanding Nationalism: Pride in the U. S. makes people think we should rule more territory - Why would pride in the U. S. as a nation encourage the growth of empire? - Jingoism: Extreme nationalism that advocates use of force if necessary

Green- Belgium Red- Britain White- Dutch Blue- France Yellow- Italy Purple- Portugal

Social Darwinism “White Man's Burden”

Social Darwinism “White Man's Burden” U. S. democracy is the greatest form of government in the world so it should be shared Clearly white people are intellectually and politically superior (yes. . . I am being sarcastic) - White Americans can rule non-white people better than they can rule themselves It is the natural order for stronger governments to rule the weak

Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism (Lenin, 1916) “In these backward countries profits are usually high, for capital is scarce, the price of land is relatively low, wages are low, raw materials are cheap. The export of capital is made possible by a number of backward countries having already been drawn into world capitalist intercourse; main railways have either been or are being built in those countries, elementary conditions for industrial development have been created, etc. The need to export capital arises from the fact that in a few countries capitalism has become “overripe” and (owing to the backward state of agriculture and the poverty of the masses) capital cannot find a field for “profitable” investment. ”

Do Now: Why, according to Lenin, will capitalist countries eventually turn to imperialism?

Economic Causes Foreign markets for goods - Companies want to expand production - Americans can only buy so much - Establish “favorable balance of trade” Protection of American interests abroad - Plantations (fruit and sugar) - Trade

Military Captain Alfred Mahan wrote an influential book - U. S. needs a strong navy to compete with Europe and protect merchant ships - A strong navy requires bases and places to refuel Pago (Samoa) and Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) are early Pacific acquisitions

The Role of Yellow Journalism: Use of exaggerated stories and dramatic headlines to capture interest William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer controlled the two largest papers Hearst and Pulitzer had an impact on public opinion - Used it to encourage imperialism and war - What are some modern examples? - How does this differ from propaganda? Is it different?

Spanish American War Proximate Causes: - Treatment of Cuban people by Spanish - Massacres and “re-concentration camps” - Public saw parallels to American Revolution - Monroe Doctrine - Protecting American mining and plantations in Cuba (bananas)

Spanish American War Proximate Causes Cont. : - Yellow Journalism - Articles about Spanish atrocities and “treachery” - Mc. Kinley insulted by Spanish Ambassador - Did it actually matter?

De Lome Letter “Besides the ingrained and inevitable bluntness (grosería) with which is repeated all that the press and public opinion in Spain have said about Weyler [brutal Spanish general], it once more shows what Mc. Kinley is, weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd besides being a would-be politician (politicastro) who tries to leave a door open behind himself while keeping on good terms with the jingoes of his party. ”

Spark: Sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor

Spanish American War is declared on April 21 st. . . on April 25 th Fighting begins May 1 st with a naval battle in Manila Bay (Philippines) - Commodore Dewey destroys the Spanish Pacific fleet with only nine casualties (one death) - Naval engagements with Guam and Puerto Rico Land war begins on June 22 nd when U. S. troops land on Cuba - 2565 men die from disease and only 345 from fighting Fighting officially ends Aug. 12 th

Battle of San Juan Hill (July 1 st 1898) Largest and most famous battle of the war - At least 144 American and 114 Spanish killed - Rough Riders and Teddy Roosevelt grow in fame - Contribution of “Buffalo Soldiers” overlooked U. S. forces captured strong Spanish fortifications on San Juan and Kettle Hill - Extensive use of machine guns - Hill was a barrier to reaching city of Santiago After battle U. S. decides to update military arsenal

Rough Riders

Treaty of Paris (Ratified Apr. 10, 1899) U. S. gets territory - Guam - Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands - Philippines for 20 million Spain leaves Cuba and gives up any claim on sovereignty there - U. S. immediately occupies Cuba - Platt Amendment (1901) and Treaty of Relations (1903) U. S. becomes an imperial power Philippine-American War begins

Emilio Aguinaldo (Philippine President)

Philippine American War Filipino revolutionaries thought U. S. would make them independent - Felt betrayed by Treaty of Paris Main war lasts from 1899 until 1902 (America wins) - Some small groups kept fighting until 1913 - 6, 165 Americans killed, 12, 000 -20, 000 Filipino soldiers, over 200, 000 Filipino civilians U. S. promises eventual independence in 1916 and 1934 - eventually achieved in 1946 (after WWII)

Open Door Policy Imperial nations claim “spheres of influence” in China - Sphere of Influence: area in which a particular foreign nation controls trade

Open Door Policy Spheres around major ports in China are already claimed by other powers - U. S. feels left out of Chinese trade U. S. demands an “Open Door Policy” - Multiple will be free to trade at all ports without restriction In 1900 U. S. helps put down the anti-foreigner Boxer Rebellion - Hoped that in return U. S. would get access for trade Never formally recognized by treaty but generally respected by Europe and Japan

Panama Canal • Previous East-West sea passage around tip of S. America was long and dangerous • Canal started by the French in 1881 - Lots of problems with construction - Decide to sell in 1894 • U. S. and Britain had also talked about a canal in Panama or Nicaragua - Britain signs Hays-Poncefote Treaty officially saying that U. S. can build canal without them

The Problem • Panama is controlled by Colombia so just buying the rights for a canal from French is no good • Colombia rejects the idea of leasing the canal to U. S. (Hay-Herran Treaty) • U. S. , in turn, supports a Panamanian rebellion and recognizes Panama’s independence - Sends a gunboat to “protect American investments” • Panama gives canal zone to U. S. (Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty)

Panama Canal Complete • Construction started in 1904 • Lots of the equipment was old/bad at first • Diseases like malaria and yellow fever take a toll - Over 5000 people die in the construction - Sanitation and housing improvements make a big difference in death rate • Canal completed in 1914 - Very important for military and trade