The Path of Empire

1890 – 1899

Imperialist Stirrings Shift in US foreign policy

– Move from isolationism to imperialism

Causes:

– Exports of manufactured goods & agricultural products shot up

– Expand or explode

– New sense of power generated by booming increase in population, wealth, & industrial production

– “yellow press” of Joseph Pulitzer & William Randolph Hearst - Cuba

– Josiah Strong’s belief that Americans should spread their religion & their values (white mans burden) – Anglo-Saxonism

Colonial Scramble

Africa – Europeans – 1880s

Chinese Empire – Japan, Germany, & Russia –

1890s

In order to compete, America must become an

imperial power also!

Naval Buildup

Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan

– The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783

• Published in 1890

– Control of the sea was the key to world dominance.

Why is this important?

– Stimulated the naval race around the world

Latin America

Sec of State James G. Blaine

– Pushed his “Big Sister” policy

– Rally the Latin American nations behind Uncle Sam’s

leadership & open Latin American markers to trade

Pan-American Conference 1889

– Goal: economic cooperation through reciprocal tariff

reduction

– Vague plan // led future meetings

Diplomatic Crises 1889 – Dispute over the Samoan Islands(South

Pacific) between US & Germany

1891 – Lynching of 11 Italians in New Orleans caused problems between US & Italy

– US paid compensation

1892 – Two US sailors at Valparaiso, Chile were killed

– Chileans had to pay

1893 – Dispute between US & Canada over seal hunting in Pribilof Islands off of Alaska

– Settled by arbitration

Monroe Doctrine & Venezuela Problems for US & Great Britain over disputed

boundary (1895 – 1896)

– Between British Guiana & Venezuela

– Venezuelans urged arbitration

– Gold was found in disputed region – no arbitration

Sec of State Richard Olney responds

– Great Britain had violated the Monroe Doctrine

– Should agree to arbitration

Reply from London

– no arbitration // Monroe Doctrine –not relevant

Cleveland - experts decide on the boundary

– If Great Britain refused, US would fight

US was not prepared militarily for war & Great

Britain didn’t want to fight

German Kaiser Wilhelm II

– Sent a letter to South Africa to congratulate

them on their capture of 600 British men

– Great Britain changed their anger to Germany & not US

Great Britain agreed to arbitration

Results:

– Monroe Doctrine enhanced

– Reconciliation between US & Great Britain

Hawaii

Early 19th century – shippers, sailors, & whalers

1820 – New England missionaries

– Most settled permanently

1840s – State Dept warned other powers to keep

out. Why is it important?

1875 – commercial reciprocity agreement

1887 – treaty to allow the building of Pearl Harbor

naval base

The Hawaiian Pear 1890 - Sugar cultivation was dramatically affected

the McKinley Tariff

White planters (mostly Americans) wanted US to

annex Hawaii

Queen Liliuokalani – against annexation

1893 – successful revolt by whites

– Openly assisted by American troops

Treaty of annexation was rushed to Washington

– Stopped by Pres Cleveland

– Annexation postponed until 1898

Cuban Revolt 1895 – Cuba rose against their Spanish oppressor

– Revolt was partly economic

• Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894) - high duties on sugar

Insurgents adopted a scorched-earth policy

– Spain might be willing to move out

– US might move in & help Cubans with independence

America sympathies went to the Cubans

– Investment stake of $50 million in Cuba

& annually trade of $100 million

General “Butcher” Weyler Sent by Spain to crush rebellion in Cuba

– Sent civilians into reconcentration camps in order to

prevent them from supporting the rebels

– Many died

Weyler was removed in 1897

yet conditions got worse

American public was outraged

– Called on Pres Cleveland to formally recognize Cuban

rebels

– Pres Cleveland was against possible war

“Yellow Journalism” Sensational and often false reporting

William R. Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer

– Engaged in a duel for circulation / tried to out do each other

– Frederic Remington - sent to Cuba to draw pictures of atrocities

– “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.” (Hearst)

USS Maine 1898 – Washington sent battleship to Cuba for a

“friendly visit”

– Actually there to protect & evacuate Americans if

needed

Feb 1898 – Hearst headlined the de Lome Letter

– Written by Spanish minister Dupuy de Lome

– Insulted Pres McKinley

• Uproar resulted & de Lome was forced to resign

Feb 15, 1898 – Maine mysteriously

exploded in Havana Harbor

– 260 died

Spanish – explosion was internal & accidental

Americans – explosion was caused by a submarine

mine

Washington refused arbitration

Americans blindly accepted that Spain was

responsible

“Remember the Maine”

McKinley & War

American demands from Spain

– End reconcentration camps

– Armistice with Cuban rebels

McKinley, Mark Hanna, & Wall Street did not

want war

The public wanted war - “yellow journalism”

Pres McKinley finally gave the people what they

wanted - WAR

McKinley

April 11, 1898 – McKinley urged armed

intervention to free the oppressed Cubans

– Congress responded with a declaration of war

Teller Amendment 1898

– Proclaimed to the world when the US

had overthrown Spanish misrule, it

would give the Cubans their freedom

American Navy Navy Sec John D. Long

– Assistant Sec Theodore Roosevelt

Feb 25, 1898

– Long was away & Roosevelt cabled Commodore George Dewey with the following instructions:

• In the event of war, attack Spanish fleet in the Philippines

• Orders were confirmed by McKinley

May 1. 1898 – Dewey carried out his orders

– Became a hero

– Waited in bay until reinforcements arrived

Unexpected Imperialistic Plums

Dewey’s reinforcements arrive &

captured Manila on Aug 13, 1898

– Joined forces with Emilio Aguinaldo

Hawaii – needed as a coaling & provisional way

station

– Joint resolution of annexations was rushed through

Congress & approved by McKinley (July 7, 1898)

– Granted US citizenship & full territorial status in 1900

Invasion of Cuba

Spanish gov’t ordered a fleet to Cuba

– Commanded by Admiral Cervera

• Believed it was suicide

Cervera found refuge in Santiago harbor

– Blockaded by US forces

Plan: Send in forces from the rear to drive out

Cervera

– General William R. Shafter lead the force

Rough Riders Regiment of volunteers – consisted largely of

cowboys & other hardy characters

Commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood

Organized by Theodore Roosevelt

– Resigned from the Navy Dept to serve as lieutenant

colonel

Spain Loses Big Shafter’s landing near Santiago was made without

serious opposition

Fighting broke out at El Caney & San Juan Hill

– Rough Riders

– Suffered many casualties

July 3 – entire Spanish fleet was destroyed

– 500 Spaniards killed – 1 American killed

General Nelson A. Miles commanded army to invade Puerto Rico

– little resistance – invaders were greeted as heroes

Aug 12, 1898 – Spain signed an armistice

Treaty of Paris

Outcome:

– Cuba was granted its independence

– Pacific Island of Guam annexed by US

– Puerto Rico was annexed by US

*** Most controversial issue was what to do with the

Philippines – US finally agreed to pay Spain $20

million

– Philippine Islands annexed by the US

Debate over Imperialism

Pres McKinley argued that there was no acceptable

alternative to acquisition of the Philippines

– US could not honorably give the islands back to Spanish

misrule

– Filipinos might fall into anarchy if they governed

themselves

– Germany or another power may try to take them & war

would result

The Debate Continues

Anti-Imperialist League argued it violated our own

political heritage & the philosophy of the Dec of

Independence

Imperialists stressed the economic potential for

American trading profits and the “White Man’s

Burden”

Treaty of Paris was approved by 1 vote on Feb 6,

1899

Puerto Rico Many inhabitants lived in poverty

Foraker Act of 1900

– Congress accorded Puerto Ricans a limited degree of

popular government

1917 – Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship

Insular Cases – Supreme Court was divided on

whether the Constitution followed the flag

– Document did not necessarily extend to Puerto Rico

Cuba

American military gov’t set up

by General Leonard Wood

– Major improvements politically, economically & with

education

– Public health – Dr. Walter Reed

• Attack on yellow fever

• Clean up of mosquito breeding grounds

1902 – US withdrew its troops from Cuba after the

Cubans had been forced to write into their own

Constitution

Platt Amendment - 1902

Cuba agreed not to impair their independence by

treaty or debt

Cuba agreed that the US might intervene with

troops to restore order and provide protection

Cuba promised to lease naval stations to the US

(ultimately only one-Guantanamo)

Legacy of the

“Splendid Little War” War did not make the US a world power

– Advertised the fact that the nation was a world power

Americans found in the victories further support

for their indifference to adequate preparedness

National pride soared

US became a full-fledged Far Eastern power

Reunited Yankees & Rebels