Early US Expansionism

 

Manifest Destiny: American growth into continental size nation in the 1800's

 

Civil War interrupted this growth, frontier closed by 1890 (U.S. was settled)

 

Expansionism of economic markets began in the late 1800's

 

Dream of American economic empire was fuelled by Mahan's book  The Influence of Sea Power Upon History

 

     global trading markets= need for large

           navy= need for refueling stations

           (colonies)

 

Other causes:

     patriotic and moralistic nationalism

     White man's burden idea: Reverend       

           Josiah Strong 's Our America

    

Some opposed this on moral, and practical

grounds: Trade doesn't mean political domination

 

Revolution in Cuba

 

Beginning in 1868, Cubans began fighting for independence from Spain

 

U.S. was sympathetic  to Cubans because

     geographic expansion

     mirror of our own independence

     sugar plantations=economic opportunity

 

José Marti launched a revolt from the U.S. in 1895 and attempted to inflict heavy damage to drive out the Spanish

 

Spanish General Weyler forced Cubans into reconcentration centers to keep them from "freedom fighters"

 

Conditions worsened on the island which caused further sympathy from Americans

and concern from American investors

 

McKinley tried to keep America out of the war

 

Spain promised to reform its policy in Cuba and grant Cubans some autonomy

 

 

The Maine  Incident

 

Spanish troops in Havana revolted against changes in policy

 

McKinley sent the USS Maine to Havana to monitor the situation and to protect American citizens and property

 

February 15, 1898 the Maine exploded, killing 260 sailors

 

American newspapers called for revenge against Spain

 

Investigation into this incident were inconclusive

 

1976 investigation showed that an internal accident caused the explosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Journalism

 

Yellow journalism was sensationalized, semi-factual, emotional stories designed to stir up American feelings

 

William Randolph Hearst (NY Journal) and Joseph Pulitzer (The World) were the leading yellow journalists, competing for readers

 

Sometimes these journalists fabricated stories when real ones didn't exist

 

Drove Americans to support US intervention against Spanish aggression

 

March 1898: McKinley sent an ultimatum to Spain, which they did not fully comply with

 

McKinley finally asked for and received a declaration of war from Congress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

War in the Philippines

 

TR (Asst Sec of Navy) ordered Commodore George Dewey from Hong Kong to prepare for invasion of the Philippines in February 1898

 

May 1, the US attacked and sank the entire Spanish squadron in Manila

 

Reinforcements for Americans arrived and with help from Emilio Aguinaldo (a Filippino patriot) captured Manila

 

Aguinaldo assumed that America would give the Philippines independence after the Spanish were gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The War in Cuba

 

17,000 troops landed in Cuba near Santiago, the main Spanish concentration

 

Rough Riders under TR (truly a rough bunch) were symbolic of American enthusiasm for war although they weren't always the most effective soldiers

 

Charged up San Juan Hill (a strategic high point outside Santiago) and captured it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US Defeats Spain

 

African American regiments played an important role in defeating Spain, but were ignored in the press

 

Battle of San Juan Hill led to the Spanish fleet's attempt to flee Santiago harbor which was blockaded by US

 

US Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet, and then turned and conquered Puerto Rico

 

The "splendid little war" 385 Americans died in action, over 5,000 died of yellow fever and poor food supply

 

Many African American regiments were scorned for the increased status their service brought them: race riots occurred in June 1898

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US as Imperialist Power

 

Treaty of Paris signed in October 1898:

     Spain granted independence to Cuba

     Ceded Puerto Rico, Guam and

           Philippines to the US

     US pays $20 million

 

McKinley established a military govt in Cuba

 

US insisted the Platt amendment be included in the Cuban constitution

     limited foreign affairs, naval bases, US

           intervention if necessary

 

US decided to keep Philippines, 3 year insurrection there followed Aguinaldo's deportment

 

The new American empire gave US increased role in Pacific and Asia

 

Anti-Imperilaist League was formed in response to this new position because of:

     moral and humanitarian concerns

     feared militaristic colonialism of Europe

     feared conflict with other imperialists

     racial purity, wage decreases, domestic

Imperialism in the Early 1900's

 

US now had a new precedent in foreign policy: imperialism and internationalism

 

TR's Big Stick Policy: international presence

     Roosevelt Corollary: interventions in Latin

           American nations

    

Involvement included sending troops, controlling govt budgets,  running elections,  constructing the Panama Canal

 

TR fostered the "Open Door Policy" in China

 

Taft: Dollar Diplomacy: economic prosperity and American economic influence would advance US authority

 "dollars not bullets"

 

Wilson: Moral Diplomacy

     Make the world safe for democracy   

     Help keep the peace around the world

     emphasize self-determination

     but still intervened in Latin America and

           Asia when necessary