Transcript America Becomes a World Powerx

THE UNITED STATES BECOMES
A WORLD POWER
Eliseo Lugo III
FIVE REASONS
1. Commercial/Business Interests
 2. Military/Strategic Interests
 3. Social Darwinist Thinking
 4. Religious/Missionary Interests
 5. Closing the American Frontier

1. Commercial/Business
Interests
U. S. Foreign Investments: 1869-1908
1. Commercial/Business
Interests
American Foreign Trade:
1870-1914
IN OTHER WORDS…. AMERICAN IMPERIALISM
WAS IN PART MOTIVATED BY……..
2. Military/Strategic Interests
3. Social Darwinist Thinking
The Hierarchy
of Race
The White Man’s
Burden
4. Religious/Missionary Interests
American
Missionaries
in China, 1905
5. Closing the American Frontier
PURCHASING ALASKA




In 1867, Alaska was a
Russian colony.
U.S. Secretary of State
William Seward was
presented with an
opportunity to purchase
Alaska from Russia.
As an expansionist, Seward
was in favor of purchasing
Alaska from Russia.
The United States would
purchase Alaska from Russia
for $7.2 million dollars which
was roughly 2 cents an acre.
“Seward’s Folly”: 1867
$7.2 million
“Seward’s Icebox”: 1867
GOLD IN ALASKA

While initially considered
a horrible purchase and
ridiculed for it by critics,
Seward’s Folly would
turn into a great
purchase for the nation
once large amounts of
gold were discovered
that would lead to
Alaskan Gold Rushes in
1897-1898.
AMERICAN INTEREST IN HAWAII






Expansionists had their eyes on the
islands of Hawaii
Hawaii’s location at the center of the
Pacific Ocean made it an ideal “military
and commercial outpost in the Pacific”
English explorer James Cook was the
first European to land in Hawaii
American missionaries would arrive in
Hawaii in 1820,
Their goal was to convert Hawaiians to
Christianity.
A missionary is a member of a religious
group sent into an area to do ministries
of service, such as education, literacy,
social justice, health care and economic
development.
U.S. ANNEXES HAWAII





In 1893, American planters
organized an uprising against the
queen.
50 U.S. Marines helped overthrow
the Queen and establish a proAmerican government, all without
the authority or consultation of the
U.S. government.
The Marines were persuaded by
United States Government Minister
John L. Stevens
On July 07, 1898, the U.S.
Congress voted to annex the
islands of Hawaii, making it a
territory.
On August 21, 1959, Hawaii
became the 50th state.
John L. Stevens
U. S. View of Hawaiians
Hawaii becomes a U. S. Protectorate in 1849
by virtue of economic treaties.
Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani
Hawaii for the
Hawaiians!
U. S. Business Interests In Hawaii
1893 – American
businessmen backed an
uprising against Queen
Liliuokalani.
Sanford Ballard Dole
proclaims the Republic
of Hawaii in 1894.
To The Victor Belongs the Spoils
Hawaiian
Annexation
Ceremony, 1898
THE CARVING UP OF CHINA




In the late 1800’s, China was
being taken advantage of by
European powers and Japan
Japan had forced the
Chinese to grant them land
and trading rights,
They decided to divide China
up into spheres of influence
Sphere of Influence are
areas where another nation
has economic and political
control.
THE OPEN DOOR POLICY




The United States was not
initially a part of the spheres of
Influence established by Japan.
As other nation’s began dividing
China up for themselves, the
United States was afraid that
they would be excluded from
trading with China.
This would lead to a declaration
in 1899 by U.S. Secretary of
State John Hay.
Secretary of State Hay called on
these nations staking claims to
China to keep an “Open Door” in
China.
OPEN DOOR POLICY CONTINUED

What Secretary of
State Hay meant by
this “Open Door Policy”
was that he wanted
the nations who were
part of these spheres
of influence to
guarantee the rights of
all nations to trade
with China equally.
The Open Door Policy
Secretary John Hay.
Give all nations equal
access to trade in China.
Guaranteed that China would NOT be taken
over by any one foreign power.
The
Open Door
Policy
THE BOXER REBELLION
Many Chinese were upset
with the foreign
influences in their nation
 They responded by
organizing a secret
society to fight foreigners.
 The secret society was
called the “Righteous and
Harmonious Fists”
 Europeans called the
group “Boxers”

THE BOXER REBELLION CONTINUED





In 1900, the Boxers rebelled
against foreign powers.
They attacked and killed
westerners and Chinese
Christians.
The burned churches and the
homes of foreigners
Outside powers, including the
United States would send in
18,000 troops, crush the rebellion
and kill thousands of Chinese
Secretary of State Hay would issue
a second Open Door Policy notice
after the Boxer Rebellion stating
that China should remain one
country and not be divided up.
The Boxer Rebellion: 1900
The Peaceful Harmonious Fists.
“55 Days at Peking.”
The Spanish-American War (1898):
“That Splendid Little War”
THE U.S.S. MAINE EXPLODES



At 9:40pm on February
15, 1898, the battleship
U.S.S. Maine exploded in
Havana Harbor
268 men were killed,
shocking the American
population
What or who caused this
explosion?
33
Remember the Maine
and to Hell with Spain!
Funeral for Maine
victims in Havana
“Yellow Journalism” & Jingoism
Joseph Pulitzer
William Randolph Hearst
Hearst to Frederick Remington:
You furnish the pictures,
and I’ll furnish the war!
“GOD HAS TOLD ME”



April,11, 1898, Washington D.C.
President McKinley asks
Congress to declare war
on Spain
Although Spain agrees to
all American demands,
McKinley tells Congress
that God has told him to
attack the Spanish forces.
ADMIRAL DEWEY



February, 25, 1898, Washington D.C.
Assistant Secretary
Theodore Roosevelt
ordered Admiral Dewey to
prepare for the Asian war
Roosevelt told Dewey to
attack the Spanish fleet in
the Philippines if a war
brakes out between U.S.
and Spain.
DEWEY SINKS THE
SPANISH FLEET



May,1, 1898, - Manila
Bay
Dewey sunk Spanish
fleet.
In only seven hours,
the entire Spanish
Asian fleet was sunk.
U.S. suffers only one
death.
SAN JUAN HILL



June, 1898, - Santiago,
Cuba
Roosevelt's Rough
Riders take San Juan
Hill
Roosevelt achieves
heroic stature for
leading men (sans
horses) up hill
overlooking Santiago
Harbor.
The
“Rough
Riders”
The Treaty of Paris: 1898
Cuba was freed from Spanish rule.
Spain gave up the islands of Puerto Rico,
the Philippines, Guam and Wake.
The U. S. paid Spain
$20 mil. for the
Philippines.
The U. S. becomes
an imperial power!
The American Anti-Imperialist
League
Founded in 1899.
Mark Twain, Andrew
Carnegie, William
James, and William
Jennings Bryan among
the leaders.
Campaigned against
the annexation of the
Philippines and other
acts of imperialism.
Cuban Independence?
Teller Amendment (1898)
Platt Amendment (1903)
Senator
Orville Platt
•
Cuba was not to enter into any agreements with foreign
powers that would endanger its independence.
•
The U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs if necessary
to maintain an efficient, independent govt.
•
Cuba must lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for naval
and coaling station.
•
Cuba must not build up an excessive public debt.
Puerto Rico: 1898
1900 - Foraker Act.
 PR became an “unincorporated territory.”
 Citizens of PR, not of the US.
 Import duties on PR goods
1901-1903  the Insular Cases.
 Constitutional rights were not automatically
extended to territorial possessions.
 Congress had the power to decide these rights.
 Import duties laid down by the Foraker Act
were legal!
Puerto Rico: 1898
1917 – Jones Act.
 Gave full territorial status to PR.
 Removed tariff duties on PR goods coming
into the US.
 PRs elected their
own legislators &
governor to enforce
local laws.
 PRs could NOT vote
in US presidential
elections.
 A resident commissioner was sent to
Washington to vote for PR in the House.
The Roosevelt Corollary to the
Monroe Doctrine: 1905
Chronic wrongdoing… may
in America, as elsewhere,
ultimately require
intervention by some
civilized nation, and in the
Western Hemisphere the
adherence of the United
States to the Monroe
Doctrine may force the
United States, however
reluctantly, in flagrant
cases of such wrongdoing
or impotence, to the
exercise of an
international police power .
Constable of the World
Taft’s “Dollar
Diplomacy”
Improve financial
opportunities for
American businesses.
Use private capital to
further U. S. interests
overseas.
Therefore, the U.S.
should create stability
and order abroad that
would best promote
America’s commercial
interests.
Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”
The U. S. should
be the conscience
of the world.
Spread democracy.
Promote peace.
Condemn
colonialism.
U. S. Interventions in
Latin America: 1898-1920s