American Imperialism:Late-1800s to Wilson’s Era

The Spanish-American War• After the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor on

February 15th, 1898; and much pressure from the public and the influence of “yellow journals”, the US increased naval patrols near Spanish waters.

• Spain declared war on the US, feeling threatened by the US’s increased naval presence.

• Spain lost the war, and the 1898 Treaty of Paris officially ended it; granting the US control of the former Spanish colonies of Guam, The Philippines, Puerto Rico and several small islands. Also, Cuba became an independent country.

This Presentation:• Imperialists vs. Anti-Imperialists• The US Opens Trade with Japan (by force)• The “Open Door Policy” in China• The Boxer Rebellion• The Philippine-American War• US establishing a government for Puerto Rico• Panama Canal• The Roosevelt Corollary• Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”• Wilson’s Interventions in Latin America

(Mexican bandit/rebel leader Pancho Villa)

Imperialists• Wanted to acquire new colonial territories

Reasons:– Provide raw materials and new markets– Provide ports for a global US navy– Allow the US to compete with the major powers

(Europe: Britain, Germany, France, Austro-Hungary)– Spread Christianity and US ideals to “less fortunate”

peoples in other nations• The White Man’s Burden: A poem written by British poet

Rudyard Kipling that justified the US control of the Philippines, and Western imperialism in general.

-Belief:(Europe and the US were “civilizing” the savage nations.)

Henry Cabot Lodge• He was a Republican Senator from Massachusetts, and a

friend of Teddy Roosevelt. (Senator time: 1893-1924)• He was a supporter of imperialism, and after the Spanish-

American War, he became the leader of imperialist faction of the Senate. (he organized other imperialist Senators)

• He was a strong supporter of the Philippine-American War.

• *He opposed the US joining the League of Nations after WWI, because he felt that it would decrease America’s ability to act independently.*

Alfred Thayer Mahan• President of the Naval War College, and a Rear

Admiral in the US Navy; he supported imperialism.• In 1890, he Wrote “The Influence of Sea Power

Upon History” which stressed the importance of maintaining a large, global navy in order to make your nation a world power.

• The US would need bases at several locations in both oceans; in order to resupply and refuel.

Anti-Imperialists• Even during the late-1890s, many Americans felt uneasy about

forcing colonial rule on others. Many still felt that one of America’s founding characteristics was opposition to imperialism.

• In 1898, the Anti-Imperialist League was formed in response to all the talk of imperial land grabs after the Spanish-American War. It consisted of a wide range of people; including Progressive reformers, nativists, and industrial leaders. Two famous members were Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie.

• Many Progressives in the League opposed imperialism for moral reasons (protecting rights, etc.); and industrial leaders in the League opposed imperialism because they saw it as a waste of government money and/or a challenge to local markets.

US Imperialism in Japan

• Japan defeated China in 1895 (Sino-Japanese War), and later sunk nearly all of Russia’s navy in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

• Pres. Teddy won a Nobel Peace Prize for helping Rus. and Japan negotiate Treaty of Portsmouth.

• In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry’s fleet entered the harbor of Edo, Japan’s capital at the time, and forced the Shogun to sign the 1854 Convention of Kanegawa, which required Japan to open its ports to US trade.

• Meiji Restoration (1890s), Japan had adopted many Western ways, modernized and expanded their military, and had become the first Asian industrial power.

Russo-Japanese War• Lasted from February 1904 to September 1905.• Russia and Japan attempted to negotiate over what

parts of China and Korea they would have their “spheres of influence” in.

• Russia refused to negotiate, and Russian businesses encroached on Japanese territory; so Japan attacked Russia at Port Arthur (in China) on Feb. 8th, 1904.

• By the end of the war, Russia had lost nearly all of its navy and territory in eastern Asia.

• President Teddy Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth in Maine, which ended the Russo-Japanese War.

“Open Door Policy” in China• By the 1850s, many European countries had already

established trade and influence in China. Some leaders in the US feared that America would be shut-out of trade with China, due to competition with the large European countries.

• In 1899, U.S. Secretary of State John Hay enacted his “Open Door Policy”, in which all the major nations of Europe, (and Japan), would have equal trading rights with China. (they used this to gain more control)

• This led to much resentment among Chinese citizens due to all these foreign nations basically controlling their economy. (It was a form of imperialism.)

“Spheres of Influence” in China

• These political cartoons represented how Chinese citizens and anti-imperialists felt that China was being “divided-up” by foreign powers.

Uncle Sam “opens the gates” to foreign influence.

The Boxer Rebellion (China)• In 1899, a Chinese nationalist terrorist group called the

“Righteous and Harmonious Fists” began conducting terrorist attacks on Westerners living in China. Westerners called them the “Boxers” because their emblem was a clenched fist.

• The rebellion lasted from 1899-1903, and took place mostly in Northern China. President McKinley sent 5,000 American troops, who worked with European and Japanese armies, to quell the rebellion in China.

(Boxers)

(Siege of Beijing (Peiking) embassies)

The Philippine-American War• After the Spanish-American War, The 1898 Treaty

of Paris required Spain to officially surrender the Philippines islands to American Control.

• Emilio Aguinaldo, former US ally and leader of a Filipino nationalist rebel group, declared himself President and refused to let the US have control.

• (1899-1902) The war ended in an American victory, and the US kept control of the Philippines until after WWII.

Puerto Rico• Puerto Rico is a small island in the Caribbean Sea, about

100 miles long and 35 miles wide.• After the 1898 Treaty of Paris was signed with Spain,

Puerto Rico became a US territory.• In May of 1900, the US established a Puerto Rican

government where the Governor and “Upper House” legislators were appointed by the US government; and the “Lower House” legislators were elected by local votes.

The Panama Canal• Before the Panama Canal was constructed, getting from the

Atlantic to the Pacific involved a long journey. During the Spanish-American War, US naval ships in San Francisco had to sail ~16,000 miles around the tip of South America in order to reach the Caribbean.

• In 1903, Roosevelt used the US navy to help Panama gain its independence from Columbia. In return for this, Panama let the US rent a 10-mile strip “Canal Zone”.

• The Panama Canal was completed in 1914, at the cost of $400 million; and thousands of lives lost to Yellow Fever and accidents.

• However, traveling from NY to San Fran. by ship now only took 20 days.

The Panama Canal Speeds-Up Transport

The Roosevelt Corollary• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) was an American policy that

prevented Europeans from establishing new colonies in the Western Hemisphere (North and South America, & islands).

• The “Roosevelt Corollary” was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine made by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1904. It was a response to European countries trying to use force to collect debts from Latin American countries. Roosevelt declared that it was the US’s duty to collect the debts, and also that the US would act as an “international police power” in the region.

• It became known as the “Big Stick Policy”, due to a quote from Teddy about enforcing the policy in which he boasted he would “walk softly, but carry a big stick.” – meaning the US would act peaceful but was not afraid to use force.

Cartoon depicting Teddy’s “Big Stick” Policy:

Taft and Dollar Diplomacy• Taft expanded on the Roosevelt Corollary, using a specific

economic strategy called “dollar diplomacy”.• Dollar Diplomacy: the practice of getting US businesses to

invest in Latin America and the Caribbean; in order to promote American interests and cause those countries to be dependent on the US.

• When countries failed to pay their loans back on time; the US would send troops to make sure the money was repaid.

• Example: When Nicaragua failed to re-pay its loans to US bankers, Taft sent Marines to take control of the Nicaraguan government.

Wilson Deals With Latin America• Wilson continued Roosevelt and Taft’s tradition of using

military force to intervene in Latin America.• He sent troops in Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Dominican

Republic to protect American interests; and he also purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917.

• In regards to Mexico, Wilson turned to support President Carranza against the rebel leader: Pancho Villa. In March of 1916, Villa’s bandits attacked the city of Columbus, New Mexico.

• In response, Wilson sent US troops under General John J. Pershing into Mexico. They killed many of Villa’s men, but failed to capture Pancho himself. They were withdrawn in 1917. (Gen. Pershing)