Post on 20-Jun-2015
Overseas ExpansionChapter 22
American Expansionism• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned
European countries to stay out of “Latin” America – this opened much of the South American market for US influence only
• The idea US expansion stopped during the Civil War – in fact, expansion was one of the causes that led up to the Civil War
• After the Civil War, the US quickly became a heavily industrialized nation
• The U.S. was producing more goods than it could use
• This surplus led the U.S. to look for new markets abroad
American Expansionism• The search for raw materials and
markets drove the idea of imperialism – when one nation has political and economic control over another
• European nations such as England and France had already carved up Africa and parts of Asia into colonies and "spheres of influence”
• Secretary of State William Seward believed the should expand in the Pacific Ocean in its effort to reach Asia
• He arranged for the purchase of the Midway Islands and Alaska
American Expansionism• The purchase of Alaska was known as
“Seward’s Ice Box” until gold was discovered in the 1890’s
• The Midway Islands that would serve as a stopping place for US ships headed to China
• Hawaiian sugar plantations were very profitable - eventually most of the business came under the control of the US
• In 1893 US planters staged a revolt and overthrew Queen Liliuokalani and in 1898 the US annexed the islands
• In 1898 the US annexed part of the Samoa Islands – they would serve as a stopping place for US ships headed to Australia
American Expansionism• The US’s ultimate goal was China• China was divided up into “spheres of
influences” by several European countries – sections of a country where a foreign nation has political and economic powers
• The chinese staged a revolt known as the Boxer’s Rebellion – the rebellion was crushed, but led to the Open Door Policy
• The Open Door Policy which allowed each foreign nation in China to trade freely and other nation’s spheres – US gained much with this agreement
Spanish - American War• In the late 1800’s, Cuba led many
unsuccessful revolts against Spanish rule
• This attracted US attention: businesses were worried about US investments in Cuba and newspapers printed graphic details about the atrocities committed against the Cuban people
• Newspapers tried to out do each other with shocking stories. “You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.” William Randolph Hearst
• This type of sensational, biased, and sometimes false reporting became known as yellow journalism
Yellow Journalism
A satire drawing of Hearst and Pulitzer pushing the Spanish-American war.
Spanish - American War• In January of 1898, the US sent the
battleship the Maine to the Havana harbor to protect US citizens and property
• 3 weeks later the ship blew up• Newspapers quickly came up with
the slogan “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain”
• In April the US declared war on Spain
• The first place the US attacked was the Philippines – within a matter of hours the Spanish navy was destroyed
Remember the Maine
Spanish - American War• The US then turned its attention to Cuba -
after taking Cuba, the US attacked Puerto Rico
• By August the war was over - “US Secretary of State called it “a splendid little war”
• The war lasted 4 months and about 400 soldiers were killed in battle
• Cuba became an American protectorate - independent yet under the control of the US
• Platt Amendment – part of Cuban constitution that gives US the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and control of Guantanamo Bay
Spanish - American War• Puerto Rica and Guam became
American territories• The US paid Spain $20 million for
Philippine Islands• US occupation of the Philippines
led to the Philippine – American War – ultimate the US had to pull out (1946)
• Anti-Imperialists League - not everyone in the US supported the war
Uncle Sam Picking Apples
United States and Latin America
Greater America
Latin America
U.S. & Panama Canal• US controlled territory in both the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans – US wanted to build a canal connecting the two oceans
• Panama was an isthmus – a narrow strip of land connecting two larger bodies of land
• When Colombia refused to sell or rent the land to the US – the US supported the Panamanians in rebelling against Colombia
• Two weeks later the US signed a treaty with the newly created Panama for the construction of the Panama Canal
• These events upset many of the countries in Latin America, and caused them to mistrust the US
• The canal opened in August of 1914
Policing the Western Hemisphere• Teddy Roosevelt’s philosophy was “Speak
softly and carry a big stick” – he believed US should respond to problems with military force rather than threats
• America should exercise “an international police power” to preserve order and prevent the world from falling into anarchy
• Instability in the Carribbean and South America (revolts) caused Roosevelt to worry about European intervention
• Roosevelt Corollary – America has the right to act as a “policeman” in Latin America in cases of wrongdoing or when a nation seemed “unstable”
Dollar Diplomacy in the Western Hemisphere
• William Howard Taft replaced Teddy Roosevelt as president of the US
• He did not want to “police” Latin America and hoped to change US foreign policy by “substituting dollars for bullets.”
• American investments would bring stability to trouble areas as well as power and wealth to the US
• Linking business interest to political interest was known as Dollar Diplomacy
• This policy helped build roads,railroads, harbors, and stimulated trade
• However, when American businesses were endangered often led to military intervention
• Which in turn led to resentment
Walk Softly
Dollar Diplomacy