The Spanish American War and the Growth of

Imperialism

US Expansionism in the 1800s

Manifest Destiny

The idea of increasing territory seemed natural to most Americans

Under the idea of manifest destiny – the notion that Americans were superior people and had the right to control the North American continent – settlers poured into territories from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans

By 1890, the dream was complete, there was no more frontier to settle

The Turn to Expansionism

Over the course of the late 1800s, economic expansionism became part of the American experience.

There were new levels of industrial productivity, which created surpluses.

US businesses began to export goods to foreign markets and developed foreign trade that was central to the country’s economic health and prosperity

From Expansionism to Imperialism

The desire for new economic markets encouraged US expansionism, which raised the idea of an American empire

It became clear that investing in and trading with foreign markets would increase profits for the US

Capt. Alfred Mahan

Capt. Mahan was a naval officer who believed that to be a strong modern world the US must sell its products to a global market

He argued that to secure and protect these foreign interests, the nation needed an improved enlarged, and powerful navy

In turn, the navy would need navy bases around the world

His book, a “New Navy,” furthered expansionism, supported imperialism and led to the modernization of the US Navy in 1883

Political and Social Expansionism

Many Americans had renewed patriotic fervor and believed that the acquisition of new lands beyond the continental US would increase Americans glory and prestige

Others saw the US as a model country and felt a moral obligation to spread its democratic and Christian values to people in other lands

Reverend Josiah Strong

Rev. Josiah Strong was a Congregational minister and author of a 1885 book entitled Our Country

He claimed that Americans were a special, God-favored Anglo-Saxon race who served as the representatives of “the purest Christianity, the highest civilization.”

He believed that Americans as an “instinct for colonizing” and should “lift up” other societies

“Take up the White Man’s Burden”

Strong’s doctrine of supremacy and the impulse to carry Christianity and Western democracy to the “backward” peoples of other lands reinforced the call to “Take Up the White Man’s Burden,” as written by British poet Rudyard Kipling

His poem referred to the notion that Anglo-Saxons had a duty to “lift up” peoples from “uncivilized” non-European societies

The Debate over Imperialism

Many Americans felt that politically controlling new territories was not only justified, but necessary for the US prosperity

Anti-imperialists supported mutually beneficial commercial relations with other nations, but did not believe that trade should lead to domination of one nation over another

Others feared that building an overseas empire might weaken institutions at home, invite war or violate deeply-held American principles

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Revolution in Cuba

Trouble Brewing in Cuba

Expansionist in the US became involved with Cuba, which is only 90 limes off the coast of Florida

This involvement brought the US in potential conflict with Spain who controlled the island

From 1868, the Cuban people had struggled for independence from Cuba

US Interest in Cuba

Some Americans identified the Cubans problems with their own fight for independence

Others thought geographically it was a natural extension of the US

Cuba’s sugar plantations attracted those with an economic interest

The US connection strengthened when Cuban expatriate Jose Marti gathered arms, men, and money in NY to fight the Spanish

The Revolution Begins

In 1895, Marti launched a revolution from the US

Cuban rebels thought if they did enough damage, Spain might leave Cuba

They burned sugar fields, destroyed mills, and fought Spanish soldiers

Valereano “Butcher” Weyler

Weyler led the Spanish troopsHe forced 100s of Cubans into

“reconcentration” towns and camps to separate them from the Cuban freedom fighters

Reconcentration Camps

Horrifying conditions existed in the camps, where hunger, starvation, and diseases led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Cubans – up to ¼ of the island’s population

As the death count grew, Cuba’s economy fell apart and its countryside was destroyed

Americans Keep Watch

Americans were interested in what was going on in Cuba because of nearly a $50 million investment in plantations and sugar refineries

Stories of the horrific conditions of the reconcentration camps came to light (somewhat sensationalized in the American press)

Due to both of these reasons the US citizens began to side with the Cubans

McKinley Wants to Avoid War

William McKinley was elected president in 1896

His platform included claims to Hawaii and the Virgin Islands and a call for Cuban independence

McKinley did not want to get into a war with Spain

In 1898, a new government was elected in Spain and the US government felt that the government would give Cuba some autonomy

The Maine Explosion

The hope that the US would not need to intervene in the Cuban crisis was dashed in 1898

Spanish troops who opposed Spanish reforms rioted

This caused President McKinley to send the battleship Maine to Havana harbor to protect US citizens and property

In Feb 15, the Maine exploded in Havana Harbor killing 250 Americans

The Mystery of the Maine

In response to the tragedy, headlines in the American press called for revenge: “Remember the Maine! To War with Spain!”

Most Americans believed the Spanish was responsible, but there was no evidence to prove responsibility

In 1976, the US navy concluded that an internal incident had caused the explosion

Yellow Journalists Push for Military Action

American newspapers featured articles criticizing the Spanish and their role in Cuba

Some American journalists resorted to “yellow journalism: sensational headlines and stories, with little attention to facts, designed to grab their attention and stir up the emotions of those readers.

Hearst and Pulitzer

William Randolph Hearst, publisher of the New York Journal, was a supporter of yellow journalism, which peaked the crisis in Cuba

Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of The World, sought to gain readers and boost their circulation through sensational, hair-raising, and inflammatory stories

The Effect of Yellow Journalism

Yellow journalists fabricated stories of Spanish cruelty and atrocities in Cuba when they did not exist

Newspapers fed anti-Spanish sentiment across the country by continually calling for US intervention in Cuba to avenge Spanish aggression

McKinley’s Ultimatum

In March 1898, McKinley sent Spain an ultimatum demanding as armistice, ending reconcentration, and appointing McKinley as arbiter

Spain did make some concessions, but declared an unilateral armistice.

This did not give Cuba a say in the terms, which meant it did not guarantee peace

McKinley Calls for War

McKinley finally bowed to public and political pressure and on April 11, 1898, asked Congress to use force against Spain

Congress debated the issue for a week and then on April 19th declared Cuba’s independence, and directed the president to use troops to end Spanish control of Cuba

Spain responded with its own declaration of war against the US on April 24th and McKinley declared war against Spain a day later

War in the Philippines

Before the US began to fight in Cuba, war began in another Spanish colony, the Philippine Islands

On orders from Sec. of Navy Teddy Roosevelt, Commodore George Dewey moved 6 US ships from Hong Kong in order to prepare to invade the Philippines

On May 1st Dewey and his fleet attacked the Spanish squadron

In 7 hours the US demolished the Spanish forces

The Storming of Manila

Dewey wanted for reinforcements and with the help of Filipino patriot Emilio Aguinaldo captured Manila on August 13, 1898

Aguinaldo joined the US with the belief that the US would grant the Philippines their independence after Spain was defeated

He was mistaken

US Troops Land in Cuba

Under the command of General Nelson Miles and General William Shafter, 17,000 troops landed in Santiago

The US troops, which included African Americans, who were anxious to bring independence to Cubans, many of whom were of African descent or mulattos

Fighting began on the island on June 20, 1898

The Rough Riders

One unit became known as the “Rough Riders”

The were a colorful regiment of volunteers under the supervision of Teddy Roosevelt

They were undisciplined and not always effective fighters, but embodied the American enthusiasm for the fight against Spain

On June 22 the charged up San Juan Hill, a strategically important part of the ridges surrounding Santiago

African Americans in the War

The role of African Americans was largely ignored by the press

There were numerous African Americans outfits that were racially segregated in the US Army and they played a central role in defeating the Spanish

Battle of Guasimas

The black 9th and 10th Cavalries opened the way for the Rough Riders, possibly saving them from annihilation

Defeating the Spanish

The battle of San Juan Hill, the first major land battle of the Spanish American War, turned out to be the last

On July 3, the Spanish fleet tried to run from the US blockade, but were defeated in a one sided battle

Puerto Rico

After defeating the Spanish fleet, the US turned to Puerto Rico, which they conquered in July

The War’s Toll on US Soldiers

US ambassador to London, John Hay, called the Spanish American War, a “splendid little war”

However, 385 soldiers were killed in action and another 5,000 died of tropical mosquito born disease

Upon return the soldiers had to be quarantined in New York, so yellow fever would not spread in the US

The Treatment of African Americans

Even though the fought valiantly, the 9th and 10th cavalries never received the acclaim that the Rough Riders did.

As troops passed through the South they were called racial slurs and refused service in restaurants and other public places

Tensions were so high over their service that there were race riots in 1898

The “Splendid Little War”

Spain signed a peace protocol or cease-fire on August 12, 1898. A day before Dewey and his troops captured Manila

A permanent settlement was made in October 1898

Treaty of Paris

In the Treaty of Paris, Spain granted independence to Cuba and ceded (gave) the US Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines for a payment of $20 million

The new territories added 100,000 square miles and close to 10 million people to the American empire

US Influence in Cuba

US involvement with Cuba did not end with the war

President McKinley set up a military government to administer Cuba

Platt Amendment

When the Cubans began drafting a constitution, the US insisted that it include a document called the Platt Amendment

This limited Cuba’s foreign interaction and gave the US the right to establish naval stations on the island and, if necessary, to send troops to Cuba to keep order

The Philippines Becomes a US Colony

President McKinley decided that the Filipinos were “unfit for self-government.”

He did not want to return the island to Spain, so the best choice was for the US to educate and uplift the Filipino peoples

The Filipino people wanted self-government and pleaded for independence, but were refused

A three year battle ensued and the US declared it crushed the revolt in 1901

The US Emerges as a World Power

The US emerged as a world power, with an empire that stretched from the Caribbean Sea to the South China Sea.

The economic and political consequences of such expansion created a new international role for the US.

Anti-Imperialism

Anti-imperialists included both Democrats and Republicans and members of all social classes.

Some were driven by moral and humanitarian sentiment

Some feared that US intervention (even trading) abroad would some day lead to war with such powers as Japan

Many questioned whether the US could uphold its principles, outlined in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, as an empire

Racism in Anti-Imperialism

Other anti-imperialists feared that dark-skinned peoples from US colonies might detract from Anglo-Saxon “purity” and that they would never embrace democracy

The also feared that their labor – abroad or imported to the US – might reduce the value of the American worker

The Anti-Imperialism League

Shortly after the end of the war with Spain, some prominent US leaders organized the Anti-Imperialism League.

The league opposed the control of the Philippines

The continued to fight against the imperialists policies throughout the early 1900s

US Influence Abroad Grows

The Spanish American War opened the door to a new period in which imperialism and internationalism were the cornerstones of US foreign policy

US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson all involved the US in affairs of various Latin American and Asian countries

Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” Policy

As president, Roosevelt pushed for greater US involvement in world affairs

His policy was to actively meet any challenge to national interest.

He advocated peaceful relations with other nations, but wanted a strong international presence that would ensure American prosperity

His foreign policy is best summarized by the West African proverb: “Speak softly and carry and big stick.”

Roosevelt Corollary

Roosevelt’s “big stick” approach manifested itself in the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which asserted the right to the US to act as international police in Latin America

From 1900 – 1917, the Roosevelt Corollary was used to justify intervention in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, and Haiti

US involvement in Latin America included sending troops, controlling governmental budgets, running elections, and the construction of the Panama Canal

“Open Door” Policy

Roosevelt fostered an “open door” policy in Asia

It called for equal commercial opportunity for all nations trading with China and for the preservation of China’s independence

Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy”

Taft followed Roosevelt as president (1909)Taft’s foreign policy called “Dollar Diplomacy,”

encouraged US businesses to invest in foreign regions.

Taft believed that dollars, not bullets, would advance US authority and prosperity while promoting worldwide stability

He ordered troops to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, justifying the use of force as means to teach other nations how to establish law and order

Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”

When Woodrow Wilson took office in 1913 he wanted to secure US economic interests abroad, but also maintained that the US should champion democracy around the globe and help maintain world peace.

This approach called “Moral Diplomacy” emphasized American ideals such as self determination

Under Wilson, the US still possessed few colonies, yet continued to develop an empire by expanding its political and economic influence around the world.