Becoming a

World Power

1890-1917

“We assert that no nation can long endure half republic and half empire, and we warn the American people that imperialism abroad will lead quickly and inevitably to despotism at home” - Democratic National Platform (1900)

United States Foreign Policy 1890-1917

US Imperialism: Arguments for Expansion

Expand business interests – US economy boomed. Companies built overseas factories. Need new markets to prevent financial panics.

Military interests – International competition for colonies would leave America behind. Social Darwinism – US must expand to survive. Whites are superior race. Must spread superiority Spread Christianity – All nations should be Christian. Bring values to “backward” people American Frontier Closed – US pioneer spirit looks towards foreign interests. Expand or explode

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Ben

jam

in H

arr

iso

n

William

McK

inle

y

Gro

ver

Cle

vela

nd

Th

eo

do

re R

oo

sev

elt

William

H. T

aft

Wo

od

row

Wilso

n

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Ben

jam

in H

arr

iso

n Presidential Agenda

• Willing to go up against Foreign

Nations when American Interests

were at stake

• Promoted U.S. Intervention to

promote economic and cultural

advancement

Initiating

America’s

Rise to Global

Imperialism

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Benjamin Harrison

• Oct 1889:

Convened the first

Pan-American Conference

• Oct 1891:

USS Baltimore Incident –

Mob in Valparaiso, Chile

attacked U.S. Sailors

Politicians and Journalists promoted war

with Chile over the incident

Threat of U.S. military action resulted in a

$75,000 apology from Chile

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Benjamin Harrison

• Jan 1893:

American Fruit Planters

supported a Coup d’etat

that overthrew Hawaii’s

Queen Liliuokolani

Company of U.S. Marines

were provided to protect

American interests

New Provisional Republic was established with

American planter Sanford B. Dole as President

President Harrison’s efforts to formally Annex

Hawaii failed to succeed (before he left office)

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Presidential Agenda

Gro

ver

Cle

vela

nd

• Primarily Opposed to Territorial

Expansion and Entangling Alliances

• Placed the wants and needs of

Native Populations over the desires

for American Expansion

Reluctant

Imperialist

Protector of the

Native Population

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Grover Cleveland

• Dec 1893:

President Cleveland removed the

treaty establishing the Republic of

Hawaii and promised to support

Queen Liliuokalani

President Cleveland refused to

support any bill that violated the

rights of the people of Nicaragua

• Jan 1895:

U.S. Efforts to build a canal in

Nicaragua since 1885 continued

with the creation of a Canal Bill

He refused to support

any Annexation efforts

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Grover Cleveland

• Since 1887:

Unsuccessful diplomatic efforts between Great Britain

and Venezuela to negotiate claims over territory

bordering Venezuela and British Guiana occurred

U.S. sent long message to the

British suggesting Arbitration in

order to avoid War with the US

• Feb 1895:

British Royal Navy occupied

Nicaraguan port of Cornito

U.S. finally answered repeated requests

for assistance by Venezuela

• May 1895:

• July 1895: “Twenty Inch Gun”

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Presidential Agenda

W

illiam

McK

inle

y

• Continue Policies of “Manifest

Destiny” by expanding American

Frontier

• Moral Responsibility to Christianize

and Civilize those who were not

American

Expansionist

In Search of New

Frontiers Beyond

American Shores

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

William McKinley

• 1897: Attention turned to Hawaii

President McKinley re-initiated

efforts to Annex Hawaii

Congress passed the Newlands

Act (allowing annexation of Hawaii)

• July 1898:

• Since 1895:

Repressive Spanish Regime had caused a

Cuban Revolution

• 1897:

President McKinley pressured Spain to end

the conflict responsibly and humanely

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

William McKinley

• Jan 1898: USS Maine

Sent to Havana Harbor

to protect U.S. Interests

in Cuba

USS Maine exploded

killing 266 U.S. Sailors

• Feb 1898: Disaster

• 23 Apr 1898: Spain declared war on U.S.

• 1 July 1898: Battle of San Juan Hill

Colonel Teddy Roosevelt led the famous

Rough Riders to victory up San Juan Hill

• 12 Aug 1898: Spain Surrenders

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

William McKinley

• Dec 1898: Treaty of Paris

U.S. gain the territories of

Puerto Rico, Guam, and

the Philippines

Filipino Guerillas began struggle

against U.S. occupation of islands

• Feb 1899: Philippine Insurrection

• 2 June 1899: First Philippine Republic

officially declared war

U.S. Troops were deployed to deal with the

Filipino Insurrection

U.S. difficulties against guerilla fighters

caused war to drag on till 1902

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

William McKinley

• Sep 1899: Open Door Policy

Secretary of State John Hay sent

out message proposing free trade

in China by all nations

Chinese revolutionaries oppose

foreign influences in China

• 1899: Boxer Rebellion

• Apr 1900: International Reply

U.S. joined Eight-Nation

alliance against Chinese Boxers

295 Marines & 3,125 Army troops

join multi-national force in China

• 7 Sep 1901: Boxer Protocal

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Presidential Agenda

Th

eo

do

re R

oo

sev

elt

• U.S. had a Moral Responsibility to

civilize oppressed and/or weaker

nations

• International Negotiations could be

backed by U.S. Military Power

“Big Stick”

Diplomacy

“Speak Softly and

Carry a Big Stick”

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Theodore Roosevelt

• 1901: Hay-Pauncefote Treaty

Agreement authorizing the US

to build a canal in Central

America

Columbia refused U.S. offer of

$10 million for Panama Canal

• Aug 1903: Hay-Herran Treaty

• Sep 1903: Panamanian Revolution

USS Nashville sent as part of Naval force to

assist Panamanian rebels with supplies

• Nov 1903: Panama & Canal Zone formed

U.S. officially recognized new Panamanian

Government and established the Canal Zone

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Theodore Roosevelt

• 1902 – 1903:

Venezuela Crisis

European blockade to

force Venezuela to pay

foreign war debts

• 1904: Roosevelt

Corollary Issued

“ Chronic wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the

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

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. ”

Ultimately established the U.S. as an International Police Power

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Theodore Roosevelt

• Aug-Sep 1905:

Treaty of Portsmouth, NH

Roosevelt facilitated peace

agreement officially ending

the Russo-Japanese War

• 1906: Nobel Peace Prize

• 1907 - 1909: Great White Fleet

Roosevelt sent two squadrons of 16

battleships to circumnavigate the world

Showcase of American Goodwill

Demonstrate growing Naval Power

Increase Sea & Battle preparedness

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Theodore Roosevelt

• 1904 -1910: Panama Canal

Roosevelt capitalized his

efforts on the building of the

Panama Canal

"I took the Canal Zone and let

Congress debate; and while the

debate goes on, the canal does too.”

Roosevelt appointed Brigadier General

George Washington Goethals to finish

supervising the building of the canal

• 1907-1910: Building Supervision

• 1914: Panama Canal Officially

Opened in time for World War I

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Presidential Agenda

William

H. T

aft

• Supported U.S. Desire to

expand American Foreign Trade

• Maintain orderly societies abroad

by increasing investments in

foreign economies

“Dollar

Diplomacy”

“U.S. Financial

Leverage”

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

William H. Taft

Used U.S. government officials to promote

the sale of heavy industrial goods and military

hardware to foreign powers

Convinced U.S. Banks to resolve the problems

of debt-ridden Honduras

• 1909: Nicaraguan Crisis

2,700 U.S. Marines were sent

to help stabilize the pro-U.S.

Nicaraguan government from

an attempted rebel overthrow

“Peaceful Bill”

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Presidential Agenda

Wo

od

row

Wilso

n

• Dedicated to helping other

nations achieve self-government

• Believed in promoting peace and

cultivating friendships with world

neighbors

“Moral

Diplomacy”

“Democratic

Self-Determination”

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Woodrow Wilson

Wilson refused to recognize

the Mexican Government

under Victoriano Huerta

• 1913: Issues with Mexico

“As a Government of Butchers”

• 1914: Tampico Incident

Mexican officials arrested nine U.S. Sailors in

Tampico, Mexico (for entering a restricted area)

President Wilson sent the U.S. Navy to the port

of Vera Cruz with a force of U.S. Marine

Due to U.S. pressure and growing rebel activity

General Huerta stepped down from power

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Woodrow Wilson

• 1916: Acquiring a New

Territory

U.S. and Denmark signed

a treaty transferring control

of the Virgin Islands to the

United State

Agreement was made due to:

Increased German naval

activity in the Atlantic

Concerns that Germany

might annex Denmark

The Virgin Islands would

give Germany a naval

base close to the U.S.

The Men Who Developed

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

Woodrow Wilson

Mexican rebel, Poncho Villa,

raided across the U.S. border

for food and supplies in

hopes of provoking war

between the U.S. & Mexico

• 1916: Impact of the Mexican

Revolution on the U.S.

General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing led the

Mexican Punitive Expedition to hunt down the

Mexican rebels

U.S. Troops were withdrawn from the Mexican

border to prepare for deployment overseas

• 1917: Approaching storm of World War

U.S. Foreign Policy (1890-1917)

New Territorial Acquisitions