AP US HistoryFebruary 10 – 14 2020

Begin a new unit this week. Next Unit Test is tentatively set for February Thursday February 20th

We will close out the month of February by doing another research activity involving the 1920s.

MONDAY (begin new unit) Examine key political, social, and economic causes for the rise of American imperialism (WOR-1) (POL-1)

(NAT-1)

Materials Strategy/FormatPPT & Recap Questions Lecture-discussion L.CCR.1

Student SkillsContext/PeriodizationCausationComparison

Introduction It has been some time since we have dealt with the WOR learning objective. Foreign policy was of course

still and issue but in the post-Civil War era there were fewer major issues. Now in this unit, foreign policy will be a major issue! The reasons for the new wave of interest had much to do with the growing global economic strength of the United States by the late 19th century.

You will hopefully recall that much of the antebellum era had been driven by Manifest Destiny, the desire to control the American continent. This lead to oppression of Natives and Hispanics, War with Mexico, tensions with Britain, and ultimately the Civil War itself.

Now in the late 19th and early 20th century a similar concept arises: American Imperialism. Our job today is to examine the key reasons why this happened and the impact that it will have upon foreign policy. This unit will include:

a. The acquisition of U.S. territories such as Guam, Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Also, we will see how the U.S. gained Hawaii, and briefly controlled Cuba and the

Philippines.

Additionally, the factors that led to the construction of the Panama Canalb. We will look at how the U.S. become involved in Latin America and the resulting tensions.c. We will look at the causes and effects of the Spanish-American War 1898d. Finally, the Unit will culminate with U.S. involvement in World War 1917-1918 and how this

event continued to shape U.S. foreign policy

The Key Factors Leading to Empire

Political Factors By 1890, the United States had by far the world's most productive economy. American industry produced

twice as much as its closest competitor--Britain. But the United States was not a great military or diplomatic power. Its army was very small with only about 30,000 troops. The U.S. had always found protection by the two great oceans but now, as warship were faster and stronger, the world seemed to shrink. Our navy had less than 10,000 sailors and was obsolete in many ways. Britain's army was five times the size of its American counterpart, and its navy was ten times bigger. This weakness became magnified in the late 19th century as Europe and even Japan became imperial powers. American attitudes toward expansion that was sparked partly by a European “scramble for empire”. Between 1870 and 1900, the European powers seized 10 million square miles of territory in Africa and Asia, a fifth of the world's land mass. About 150 million people were subjected to colonial rule. In Asia, Japan was quickly becoming an imperial power and tensions were growing between them and Russia for dominance in the region.

Given the perception that the U.S. was falling behind the other major powers, one major impulse for imperialism was simply the need to stake our claim also as a major power. One of the key proponents of a military buildup was Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval strategist and professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was the author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, argued that national prosperity and power depended on control of the world's sea-lanes. "Whoever rules the waves rules the world," Mahan wrote. To become a major naval power, the United States began to replace its wooden sailing ships with steel vessels powered by coal or oil in 1883. But control of the seas would also require the acquisition of naval bases and coaling stations. This is one of the reasons why the U.S. would become interested in possessing islands. One might not think that such a book had much impact but Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II had copies of Mahan's books placed on every ship in the German Fleet and the Japanese government had his work translated and it became required reading for naval officers. If you know a little history of the 1940s, then you’ll understand why this is important (World War II).

Mahan’s book would not have been what we’d call a best seller but influential Americans were paying attention. The most important reader was then a military historian, politician, one-time assistant Secretary of the Navy and soon-to-be President…Theodore Roosevelt. Also, influential will be the Secretary of State for both McKinley and Roosevelt, John Hay whose policies reflected a focus upon U.S. global power and influence. In this era, it tended to by the Republican Party that represented the imperial interests.

Economic Factors In the United States, a growing number of policy makers, bankers, and manufacturers became fearful that

the country might be closed out in the struggle for global markets and raw materials. One of the main factors that seemed to drive the economic impulse was the impact of the Panics of 1873 and 1893. In this case, there were many who also feared over-production of many goods. Remember in a capitalist society consumption needs to match production for economic growth and stability. However, the middle-class consumption had slowed and this could cause a ripple effect. So, one solution was to open new markets for American goods. Our targets tended to be Asia and Latin America.

We will also see an unintended byproduct of high American tariffs. The McKinley and Payne-Aldrich tariffs impacted American business in other countries. In other words, if you owned a company in Cuba or Mexico and you expected to produce products for the U.S. your company was also targeted by tariffs. So, in the case of Hawaii, sugar growers decided to make Hawaii American, thus bypassing the tariff.

Social Factors One can certainly see that there was a racial impulse at work here. The Social Darwinism of the Progressive

Era also became a foreign policy motive. During the late 19th century, the idea that the United States had a special mission to uplift "backward" people around the world also commanded growing support. With Social Darwinism came a heavy dose of Protestantism. The mainstream Protestant religious denominations

(Methodist and Baptist) established religion missions in Latin America, Africa and Asia, including over 500 missions in China by 1890.

A growing concept in this era was “American exceptionalism,” the idea that the US has a special mission to democratize the world is also prevalent. Now this is certainly political but I placed it here because this concept was almost like a religious crusade for many politicians and ministers.

Historian Frederick Jackson Turner, wrote what came to be known as the Frontier Thesis. This work was even used by imperialists. He suggested that America was defined by the westward migration and frontier. Now that this was exhausted, some postulated that Americans might experience some kind of moral crisis and loss of spirit. So, some decided that Americans needed new frontiers to conquer (like Asia, Latin America, and Africa).

The Acquisition of Alaska While this is often forgotten and not always counted as imperialism, the purchase of Alaska was the

beginning of expansion beyond the contiguous United States. 1867. A proposal from Russian Minister in Washington, Edouard de Stoeckl, to purchase Alaska for $7.2 million. The Senate approved the treaty of purchase on April 9; President Andrew Johnson signed the treaty on May 28, and Alaska was formally transferred to the United States on October 18, 1867. This purchase ended Russia’s presence in North America and ensured U.S. access to the Pacific northern rim.

For three decades after its purchase the United States paid little attention to Alaska, which was governed under military, naval, or Treasury rule or, at times, no visible rule at all. Seeking a way to impose U.S. mining laws, the United States constituted a civil government in 1884. Skeptics had dubbed the purchase of Alaska “Seward’s Folly,” but the former Secretary of State was vindicated when a major gold deposit was discovered in the Yukon in 1896, and Alaska became the gateway to the Klondike gold fields.

The Acquisition of Hawaii The way that the U.S. gained a controlling interest in Hawaii was a perfect example of the economic and

political motives for imperialism. American interest in Hawaii began in America as early as the 1820s, when New England missionaries tried in earnest to spread their faith. Keeping European powers out of Hawaii became a principal foreign policy goal because the islands also formed a stepping stone to the lucrative “China Trade”. Americans acquired a true foothold in Hawaii because of the sugar trade. The United States government provided generous terms to Hawaiian sugar growers, and after the Civil War, profits began to swell. A turning point in U.S.-Hawaiian relations occurred in 1890, when Congress approved the McKinley Tariff, which raised import rates on foreign sugar. Hawaiian sugar planters, principle among them Sanford Dole were now being undersold in the American market, and as a result, a depression swept the islands. The sugar growers, mostly white Americans, knew that if Hawaii were to be annexed by the United States, the tariff problem would naturally disappear. At the same time, the Hawaiian throne was passed to Queen Liliuokalani, who determined that the root of Hawaii's problems was foreign interference. A great showdown was about to unfold.

In 1893, the planters staged an uprising to overthrow the Queen. At the same time, they appealed to the United States armed forces for protection. Without Presidential approval from Benjamin Harrison, U.S. Marines stormed the islands, and the American minister to the islands raised the stars and stripes in Honolulu. The Queen was forced to abdicate, and the matter was left for Washington politicians to settle. By this time, Grover Cleveland had been inaugurated President. Cleveland was an outspoken anti-imperialist and thought Americans had acted shamefully in Hawaii. He withdrew the annexation treaty from the Senate and ordered an investigation into potential wrongdoings. Cleveland aimed to restore Liliuokalani to her throne, but American public sentiment strongly favored annexation.

The matter was prolonged until after Cleveland left office. When war broke out with Spain in 1898, the military significance of Hawaiian naval bases as a way station to the Spanish Philippines outweighed all other considerations. President William McKinley signed a joint resolution annexing the islands, much like the manner in which Texas joined the Union in 1845. Another key factor in the desire to control the islands came from the Navy because Pearl Harbor formed an impregnable harbor…that is until airplanes are invented.

The Acquisition of Samoa

The location of the Samoan Islands and it immediate proximity to Japan, China, and Indonesia bad it a valuable base of operations. The problem was that both Britain and Germany claimed to have had a deal with the Samoan king for exclusive use of Pago Pago Harbor. In 1899 Britain, the U.S., and Germany were on a road to aggression over the island. However, a tripartite agreement end up allowing joint usage. Germany lost its claim as a result of WWI and Britain yields its claim during WWII.

The Acquisition of the U.S. Virgin Islands The U.S. acquisition of the Virgin Islands was for a different reason. World War One brought Germany

into conflict with the U.S. even before our entry. The fear was that if the islands were seized from Denmark, submarine operations would be possible against the Gulf Coast and Atlantic. After a few months of negotiations, a selling price of $25 million in United States gold coin was agreed.

The Anti-Imperialists“While the Imperialists had strong figures in their camp, just as strong was the attacks on imperialism. Politicians, commentators, Christians, and intellectuals spoke out against the new aggrandizement and presented a comprehensive analysis of the new empire that foreshadowed later anti-imperial arguments and movements. The war against Spain and intervention in the Philippines, critics charged, gave "militarists" too much power; the United Many dissenters contended that the United States had no right or need to "civilize" other peoples, especially considering its own treatment of blacks at home. Strong in this camp was W.E.B. Dubois. Conversely, some did not want America to assume control over and responsibility for nonwhite, and thus inferior, peoples. Labor leaders, such as the Socialist Eugene Debs and the conservative Samuel Gompers, agreed that conquest and empire were dangerous, in large measure because they feared the loss of American jobs to foreign workers who would accept lower wages, a charge echoed in the late twentieth century by anti-globalization activists. Perhaps most pointedly, anti-imperialists argued that territorial annexation would pervert American principles. William Jennings Bryan, leader of the Democratic Party and agrarian spokesman, anticipated that the "just resistance" of the United States to Spanish rule in Cuba and the Philippines would "degenerate into a war of conquest," giving others the right to charge America with "having added hypocrisy to greed." Senator George Hoar lamented "the danger that we are to be transformed from a Republic, founded on the Declaration of Independence … into a vulgar, commonplace empire, founded upon physical force. Mark Twain (later president of the Anti-Imperialist League) used his biting wit to condemn the new imperialism.

HomeworkLook over the notes for a quiz on Tuesday on the origins of American Imperialism

TUESDAY Quiz on the origins of American Imperialism (WOR-1) (POL-1) (NAT-1) Embedded Review activity on Foreign Policy HP3 – 6

Materials Strategy/FormatQuiz with Review Questions Assessment and Review

Student SkillsContext/PeriodizationCausationComparison

Instructions Today’s quiz will review the origins and key factors of American Imperialism. These will be both

document and non-document format. No materials can be used.

Since we are about to enter a heavy foreign policy unit a quick review is more than appropriate. This review will be completed at home but you might have to start it in class. It will be due tomorrow (one of the rare times that we have a day turn around).

HomeworkComplete review activity (if necessary)

WEDNESDAY Examine the causes and effects of the Spanish-American War 1898 (WOR-1) (POL-1) (NAT-1)

Materials Strategy/FormatPPT w/recap questions Lecture-discussion L.CCR.1

Introduction The outbreak of the Spanish-American war was the classic case of American Imperialism. All elements of

American imperialism come into play here. This is also the highpoint of the imperial period. As you will see a byproduct event of the war, the Filipino Uprising 1898-1901 empowered the Anti-Imperialist faction.

The war also resulted in the acquisition of more territory (Guam, Puerto Rico) and strongholds in the Philippines and Cuba (Guantanamo Bay is still a Marine base to this day).

The Origins of the Conflict The origins of this conflict with Spain did not happen overnight. In fact, American imperial interests in

Cuba as a possession goes all the way back to the Antebellum Period when southerners tried to convince President Buchanan to buy or take Cuba (The Ostend Manifesto). The first step in the road to war was actually a rebellion among Cubans against Spanish control (which by now was 300 years old). The “Insurrectos” had been fighting a guerilla war. Led by Jose Marti, by the late 19th century it was intensifying.

The Spanish reacted to this sending Governor-General Valeriano Weyler to suppress the uprising. Valeriano Weyler created concentration camps to house suspected rebels. The conditions in the camps were horrid and rebels were routinely executed. The U.S. media started running stories about the atrocities but sometimes. The problem was that they made up some of the stories. This was known “yellow journalism.” This was a key factor in bringing on the war because it stoked public opinion. They called Weyler “the Butcher” and this moniker became famous. This was also made worse by the fact that Americans lived in Cuba and businesses were there. This placed pressure on the McKinley Administration to protect Americans and pressure Spain.

Another key cause of the war was pressure from imperialists like John Hay and Theodore Roosevelt. In addition to political pressure was the pressure from business interests. There was even pressure from religious leaders calling on the U.S. to intervene on moral grounds. These issues be repeated many times.

The War Begins The growing popular demand for U.S. intervention became an insistent chorus after the still-unexplained

sinking in Havana harbor of the American battleship USS Maine, which had been sent to protect U.S. citizens and property after anti-Spanish rioting in Havana. The sinking was blamed on the Spanish with little actual evidence. In fact, the Spanish offered compensation for the ship and crew. However, in the midst of negotiations a dispatch from Madrid to its ambassador fell into the hands of the media. The De Lome Letter was seen as an insult to the U.S.

The future Secretary of State John Hay described the ensuing conflict as a “splendid little war.” The first battle was fought on May 1, in Manila Bay, where Commodore George Dewey’s Asiatic Squadron defeated the Spanish naval force defending the Philippines. On June 10, U.S. troops landed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and additional forces landed near the harbor city of Santiago on June 22 and 24. After isolating and defeating the Spanish Army garrisons in Cuba, the U.S. Navy destroyed the Spanish Caribbean squadron on July 3 as it attempted to escape the U.S. naval blockade of Santiago.

The Treaty of Paris 1898

On July 26, at the behest of the Spanish government, the French ambassador to the U.S. approached the McKinley Administration to discuss peace terms, and a cease-fire was signed on August 12. The war officially ended four months later, when the U.S. and Spanish governments signed the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. Apart from guaranteeing the independence of Cuba, the treaty also forced Spain to cede Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. Spain also agreed to sell the Philippines to the United States for the sum of $20 million. The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty on February 6, 1899, by a margin of only one vote.

The Effects of the War As we said, this is the highpoint of the Imperial Period for the U.S. One of the reasons for this was the

Filipino Uprising. Over the weekend you will complete a document set one this uprising and how Americans reacted to events there. There is no doubt that the U.S. was now seen as a global power and, with the rise of Theodore Roosevelt. As we will see next week TR believed that the US had a unique role to play as the “world’s policeman.”

The Teller Amendment: Act of Congress in 1898 that stated that when the United States had rid Cuba of Spanish rule, Cuba would be granted its freedom. It pledged that the US had no designs on Cuba It prevented Cuba from turning hostile towards the U.S.

The Platt Amendment: This amendment to the new Cuban constitution authorized U.S. intervention in Cuba to protect its interests. Cuba pledged not to make treaties with other countries that might compromise its independence, and it granted naval bases to the United States, most notable being Guantanamo Bay.

The Foraker Act: United States federal law that established civilian (albeit limited popular) government on the island of Puerto Rico, which had recently become a possession of the United States as a result of the Spanish–American War.

HomeworkNone (or work ahead)

THURSDAY Discuss Foreign Policy ideas of Theodore Roosevelt 1900 – 1908 and William Howard Taft 1908-1912

(WOR-3,4,6,7) (POL-6)

Materials Strategy/FormatPpt and video Lecture-discussion

Student Skill TypesChronologic Reasoning (1,3)Comp/Context (5)Historical Arguments (7)Interpretation/Synthesis (8, 9)

Introduction We have discussed several “accidental Presidents” this year. These were men who were Vice Presidents

who were never really meant to be leaders. Usually, they are not successful Presidents. This cannot be said for Theodore Roosevelt. Place on the ticket to assure New York electoral votes, this war hero was also a problem for the party bosses in the state. As Governor of New York TR was downright “un-Republican” sometimes because he supported so many liberal reforms. They hoped to see the “death of the cowboy” by relegating him to the do-nothing post of VP. But then….

In 1901 President William McKinley, a popular president who had just started his second term in office and the people seemed clearly glad to get a chance to meet him. However, at 4:07 p.m. Leon Czolgosz had made it into the building and it was his turn to greet the President.

In Czolgosz's right hand, he held a .32 caliber revolver, which he had covered by wrapping a handkerchief around the gun and his hand. Although Czolgosz's swaddled hand was noticed before he reached the President, many thought it looked like it covered an injury and not that it was hiding a gun. Also, since the

day had been hot, many of the visitors to see the President had been carrying handkerchiefs in their hands so that they could wipe the sweat off their faces. As Czolgosz reached the President, McKinley reached out to shake his left hand (thinking Czolgosz's right hand was injured) while Czolgosz brought up his right hand to President McKinley's chest and then fired two shots.

One of the bullets didn't enter the president - some say it bounced off of a button or off the president's sternum and then got tucked into his clothing. The other bullet, however, entered the president's abdomen, tearing through his stomach, pancreas, and kidney. Shocked at being shot, President McKinley began to sag as blood stained his white shirt. He then told those around him, "Be careful how you tell my wife.” or several days, President McKinley seemed to be getting better. After the shock of the shooting, the nation was excited to hear some good news. However, what the doctors did not realize was that without drainage, an infection had built up inside the President. By September 13 it was obvious the President was dying. At 2:15 a.m. on September 14, 1901, President William McKinley died of gangrene. That afternoon, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as President of the United States. Party Boss Mark Hanna exclaimed, “now that damn cowboy is President of the United States.

Today we will look at TR and his foreign policy and then next week look at his domestic Presidency as we move toward the Progressive Period. Also, we will look briefly at the Taft Administration and his much shorter foreign policy idea known in the media as “Dollar Diplomacy.”

The Open-Door Policy Technically the U.S. policy toward China goes back before TR and Taft but it continued through their

administrations for many years. China was in political and economic disarray as the end of the 19th century approached. Though once a major power in this era China was not recognized as a sovereign nation by the major powers, who were busy elbowing one another for trading privileges and plotting how the country could be partitioned. These were known as spheres of influence. The major powers had even extracted concessions that allowed foreign powers to act with impunity (extraterritoriality: foreigners were not subject to Chinese law and thus could literally get away with murder).

During the McKinley Administration Secretary of State John Hay proposed a policy known as the Open Door Policy called for the establishment of equal trading rights to all nations in all parts of China and for recognition of Chinese territorial integrity (meaning that the country should not be carved up). The impact of such an Open-Door Policy would be to put all of the imperial nations on an equal footing and minimize the power of those nations with existing spheres of influence. No nation formally agreed to Hay’s policy; each used the other nations' reluctance to endorse the Open Door as an excuse for their own inaction. An undeterred Hay simply announced that agreement had been reached. Only Russia and Japan voiced displeasure.

On the surface, it appeared that the United States had advanced a reform viewpoint, but the truth was otherwise. The U.S. had no sphere of influence in China, but had long maintained an active trade there. If other nations were to partition China, the United States would likely be excluded from future commercial activities. In short, Hay was simply trying to protect the prospects of American businessmen and investors.

Challenges to the Open-Door policy would be mounted frequently in the ensuing years, including the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 in which Chinese nationalists resorted to armed opposition in an attempt to end foreign occupation of their country; Japanese incursions into Manchuria following the Russo-Japanese War (see below).

Building the Panama Canal TR believed that one of his most important accomplishments was the construction of the Panama Canal.

Why he could claim this victory is a great example of imperialism. In the minds of many military strategists, America's 1898 war with Spain made a canal seem essential.

During the Spanish American War, the only way for U.S. battleships to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean was to make an 8,000-mile journey around Cape Horn at the tip of South America. The canal was completed in the face of seemingly insurmountable political, medical, and technological obstacles. The Isthmus of Panama was controlled by Colombia, which had rejected a U.S. proposal to build a canal. "You could no more make an agreement with them than you could nail jelly to a wall," President Theodore Roosevelt said in response to the rejection. But that did not mean that TR was ready to quit.

A French adventurer, Philippe Bunau-Varilla, and an American lawyer, Nelson Cromwell, conceived of the idea of creating the Republic of Panama. They persuaded Roosevelt to support a Panama. Bunau-Varilla engineered a revolution and U.S. warships prevented Colombia from stopping Panama's attempt to break

away (In 1921, the U.S. paid an indemnity to Colombia in recognition of the U.S. role in the Panamanian revolution). Bunau-Varilla repaid the United States for its assistance by signing a treaty on behalf of the Panamanians, which gave the United States a zone stretching five miles from each bank of the canal in perpetuity. Within the zone, U.S. laws, police, and courts ruled.

Years later, President Roosevelt said that the people of Panama rebelled against Colombia "literally as one man." A senator quipped, "Yes, and the one man was Roosevelt." In 1911, Roosevelt said bluntly, "I took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left Congress not to debate the canal but to debate me." In 1906, eager to see the greatest accomplishment of his presidency, he became the first president to travel overseas. He went to Panama at the height of the rainy season and took the controls of a 95-ton steam shovel.

Built at a cost of $387 million over a period of 10 years, the Panama Canal was a declaration of America's coming of age in the world. Its completion date was also timely, 1914 and the commencement of WWI

The Roosevelt Corollary The new shift in foreign policy that we discussed last week occurred just after an interesting event. In 1904,

Germany demanded a port in Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) as compensation for an unpaid loan. This was a common situation as major powers continually threatened to do this in Latin American states. Theodore Roosevelt, who had become president after William McKinley's assassination, told Germany to stay out of the Western Hemisphere and said that the United States would take care of the problem saying,

“Chronic wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the western hemisphere, the adherence of the U.S. to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of international police power.” This was known as the “Roosevelt Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine and it became the centerpiece of TR’s foreign policy.

The enforcement of this order, forestall foreign intervention, and protect U.S. economic interests, the United States intervened in the Caribbean and Central America some 20 times over the next quarter century--namely, in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Each intervention followed a common pattern: after intervening to restore order, U.S. forces became embroiled in the countries' internal political disputes.

The World’s Policeman TR’s intent to police the world extended beyond the Caribbean and Latin America. In 1905 the negotiations

to end the Russo-Japanese war began at Sagamore Hill when President Theodore Roosevelt invited diplomats on both sides, Russia and Japan, to his home in Oyster Bay. After meeting with all of them, he sent the diplomats out on board the presidential yacht Mayflower*. TR never personally owned a yacht although he did have a rowboat or two.

Negotiations continued at and near a naval base in Portsmouth, because it was federal property and cool in the summer. Delegates also went back and forth to Oyster Bay to confer with TR. TR set up the final settlement, and the treaty was signed at the US Navy base in Portsmouth. Thus, the accord is called the "Treaty of Portsmouth". For his actions, TR was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1907.

The end of the war may have earned TR a Noel Prize but it also earned the U.S. a level of hatred among many Japanese military and political leaders. The Japanese were already angry about the treatment of immigrants to the U.S (especially in California where Japanese children were sent to segregated schools and not allowed to own property in some areas). The so called “Gentlemen’s Agreement” between the US and Japan was supposed to slow down Japanese immigration in exchange for TR’s pledge to force reforms in Japanese treatment. Neither the Emperor nor President abided by the agreement mostly because there were limits to each man’s true power.

“Dollar Diplomacy” As has been the case many times before, the media has given us an expression that has become a key term.

Taft used America’s growing economic power as a diplomatic tool. He urged Wall Street investors to invest money in foreign markets in order to increase American influence abroad. Investors were especially encouraged to invest their money in foreign markets in which the U.S. had strategic interests, such as the Far East and the Panama Canal region. Many people were critical of Taft’s plan and his critics denounced this strategy as “dollar diplomacy.” In fact, the senate refused to sign several treaties, but the president encouraged private banks and Wall Street investors to act independently.

Another key goal of dollar diplomacy was to preempt foreign powers from gaining or enlarging an investment foothold in key markets (Latin America and Manchuria were of particular concern. Many European countries had been imperial powers for decades and held a significant advantage over the U.S. in several global markets. The administration believed that if American investors were firmly situated in these markets economic rivals such as Britain and Germany would be unable to continue their dominance. Taft believed that the increased investment would not only benefit the U.S. but its trade partners as well, creating better foreign relations. Taft also assumed that the expenditure of money in foreign markets would increase American influence abroad and would help further its foreign policies. Of course, the overriding belief was that foreign investments would enhance American businesses, which in turn would grow the economy and enrich the government. In short “dollar diplomacy” became a key example of economic imperialism and some form of it still exists.

The Insular Cases 1901 Another key foreign policy issue with domestic overtones was the question of native peoples living in areas

acquired during the Spanish-American War (and before). In a series of Supreme Court rulings, the basic question addressed was whether or not the “rights follow the flag.” In other words, do colonial peoples have the rights as native born citizens?

The general trend of the rulings in this series of cases was the Supreme Court came to the decision that not all areas under American control would automatically have full constitutional rights. For example, a person even if a US citizen living in Puerto Rico they may have no rights. Over time the rulings were tempered (especially following WWII) and nowadays people living in these regions have all of the same constitutional though not really political rights

ConclusionFollowing his Presidency his successor William Howard Taft would also be imperialistic but used a less direct known as “dollar diplomacy.” The foreign policy created by U.S. president William Howard Taft (served 1909–13) and his Secretary of State, Philander C. Knox to ensure the financial stability of a region while protecting and extending American commercial and financial interests there. It grew out of President Theodore Roosevelt’s peaceful intervention in the Dominican Republic, where U.S. loans had been exchanged for the right to choose the Dominican head of customs (the country’s major revenue source).

HomeworkNone or work aheadTextbook Tomorrow

FRIDAY Analyze primary and secondary text-based readings on American Imperialism

Materials Strategy/FormatText and doc. Questions Source analysis and text-dependent questions

Student SkillsContext/PeriodizationCausationComparison

Instructions Today’s lesson will involve both text-based questions and primary source analysis. Most of this material

will be review at this point so it is hoped that you can move swiftly though it.

Weekend HomeworkThis will be a little unusual. Mostly our reviews have been event based or even based on a historical period. This one is based upon two learning objectives: WOR and NAT. This will combine both document based and non- document questions. Thirty-three questions due on Monday February 17 7am

WOR-NAT History Period 1-4http://www.quia.com/quiz/6526737.html