Imperialism

Spanish-American War

Imperialism

►Definition: policy by which strong nations extend their political, military, and economic control over weaker territories.

Causes of Imperialism

►1. Economic Benefits:

Raw materials

Natural resources

New markets

Causes of Imperialism

►2. Military Strength

Alfred Mahan – said a country has to have a powerful navy

New colonies could be bases for the navy

Mahan

Causes of Imperialism

►3. Nationalism

Social Darwinism

Felt duty to spread “superior” culture to people they considered inferior

Commodore Matthew Perry in Japan (1853)

U.S. buys Alaska 1867

Hawaiian Islands

Queen Liliuokalani

Spanish-American War

Cuba

William Randolph Hearst

Joseph Pulitzer YELLOW PRESS

►de Lome letter – “Worst Insult to the United States in Its History”

► Jingoism – aggressive nationalism

U.S.S. Maine explodes!

Hearst: “WAR? SURE!”

“ REMEMBER THE MAINE ”

►U.S. declares war on Spain in April, 1898.

Dewey takes the Philippines

►Commodore Dewey destroys Spanish fleet in Philippines

►Aguinaldo defeats Spanish army in Philippines

Rough Riders

Theodore Roosevelt

Treaty of Paris (1898)

►Ends the Spanish-American War

Spain gave up control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam

Philippines sold to U.S. for $20 million

►Imperialist/Anti-Imperialist debate