American Expansionism

Why Imperialism?

• Competition for resources

• Raw materials

• Racism

• Competition for colonies

Timeline

• 1867 Alaska

• 1893 Hawaii

• 1898 Spanish-American War

– Puerto Rico

– Philippines

• 1899 Open Door Policy, China

• 1903 Panama

Taking Over Hawaii

• 8 main islands + >100 smaller ones

• Missionaries and Planters

• “A tale of 2 Constitutions”…

King Kalakaua

Taking Over Hawaii

• Planters import Asian labor

• Planters Rebel 1893

• Annexing Hawaii, 1898 … statehood 1959

Queen Liliuokalani

Spanish-American War

Tension in Cuba

• Cuba Libre!

– Tensions in Cuba since 1860s

– Lola Rodriguez de Tio

– José Marti

– Governor, General Weyler

– “reconcentration”

Tension in Cuba• American Opinion

Splits

– $$$ = sugar, rice plantations

– Would it hurt trade?

– Would we be supporting freedom fighters like our own founding fathers?

– Is it right for us to have colonies?

Americans Call for War

• Sensational Newspaper Stories

– Pulitzer’s World newspaper; Hearst’s Journal

– Atrocities

– Yellow journalism (“You supply the pictures, I’ll supply the war!”

– “Epidemic of insanity” (- Cleveland)

Americans Call for War• Remember the

Maine!

– Sent to protect US citizens & property in Havana harbor

– 15 Feb – BOOM! 260 / 350 dead

– Accident? – probably, but at the time…

– 25 Apr 1898 – war resolution passes

Spanish-American War

• Victory in the Philippines

– T Roosevelt = Assistant Secr Navy … Secretary of navy on vacation…

– Gge. Dewey: to sail into manila Bay… 30 Apr – sneak in – destroy Spanish fleet

– July – ground troops land

– Emilio Aguinaldo; rebels; together we…

Spanish-American War

• War in Cuba

– Troops land in Cuba

– Rough Riders (mixed; many cowboys and upper class adventure seekers)

– Buffalo Soldiers (African Americans)

– Santiago Bay – Sp fleet destroyed

Spanish-American War

• A Quick End

– 4 mos. - war over – 379 die in battle, 5,000 from disease

– “Splendid little war” (-Haye)

Ruling and Empire

• Cuba

– “OK, you can write your own constitution, BUT…” Platt Amendment

– Protectorate; Guantanamo Bay base

– Troops out by 1902, but return in 1906 and 1917

Ruling and Empire

• Revolt in the Philippines

– “The US using military force to prevent Filipinos from getting the same rights that the American people proclaimed more than a century ago.” – Aguinaldo

– War drags on for years – 60,000 US troops

War in the Philippines

– 1901 – Aguilando captured – end war

– 40,000 die Philippines war

– 200,000 die from famine, fighting, disease

– 1902 = US sets up gov’t in Philippines (not citizens b/c planned to grant independence)

– 1946 – granted Philippines independence

Panama

Panama canal

• TR’s plan

– “isthmus” = …

– Why? Commerce & navy

– Colombia owned it – no deal

– Rebels in Panama want to break free, so we help them

•

Panama canal

• Taking the canal zone

– Nov ’03 Nashville in port of Colon, Panama

– Rebellion, US troops keep Colombian troops from crushing rebellion

– Panama new gov’t agrees to let us build canal

Building the canal

• Conquering tropical disease

– Mosquito paradise

– Malaria

– Yellow fever

– Dr. Wllm. Gorgas, 1905 , to Panama

– 1906 – measures succeed

– High death toll, certain racial groups worse…

Building the canal

• The Big Dig

– 40K workers

– 1914 finished

– Benefited many, but bitterness…

16th, 17th, 18th Amendments

16th Amendment

• Graduated income tax

• Progressive reform

17th Amendment

• Direct election of senators

18th Amendment

• Prohibition

Trustbusting of Roosevelt and Taft

President T. Roosevelt• Assassination of McKinley

becomes Pres

– Was in Adirondacks when heard news

• Nobel Peace Prize

• Government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the Nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none

• steered the United States more actively into world politics

President H. Taft• caught in the intense battles

between Progressives and conservatives

• angry Progressive onslaught against him

• administration initiated 80 antitrust suits

• Federal income tax

• direct election of Senators.

• Interstate Commerce Commission was directed to set railroad rates

Trustbusting

• Click to edit Master text styles– Second level– Third level

• Fourth level– Fifth level

Trustbusting

• 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act

• criticized the wealthy class

• continued exploitation of public could result in violent uprising = destroy whole system.

• captains of industry arrogant – believe selves superior to elected government

• Northern Securities Company

– JP Morgan

• “good” versus “bad” trusts

TR Trustbusting

Taft Trustbusting

• Busted more trusts than TR