The United States Becomes A World Power 1890-1915

Prof. Michael Stafford Mercy College

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Growth Of Imperialism
Under Imperialism, stronger nations try to create empires by dominating weaker nations. The late 1800s marked the peak of European imperialism, with most of Africa and Asia under foreign control.

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Several factors explain the reason for the growth of imperialism:

1. Economic Factors: The growth of industry increased the need for natural resources. Nationalistic Factors: Competition among European nations for large empires was the result of a rise in nationalism. Nationalism a devotion to ones own nation. Military Factors: Europe had better armies than Africa and Asia, and it needed bases around the world to refuel and supply navy ships. Humanitarian Factors: Europeans believed that they had a duty to spread the blessings of western civilizations to other countries.
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By 1890, the United States was eager to join the competition for new territory.
Supporters for expansion denied that the United States sought to annex foreign lands. To annex is to join a new territory to an existing country. Yet, annexation did take place.

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Expanding U.S. Interests

The Monroe Doctrine

Originally meant that the United States declared itself neutral in European wars and warned other nations to stay out of the Western Hemisphere. Later, the doctrine was interpreted to mean a more active role to protect the interests of the United States.

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Sewards Folly
In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from Russia.

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Midway Islands
Seward also bought the Midway Islands for use as repairing stations for navy vessels. and refueling

Latin America and Hawaii

The United States signed a treaty with Hawaii and took a more active role in protecting Latin America.

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Arguments for U.S. Expansion

1. Promoting Economic Growth
The United States needed to secure new markets in other countries. The United Fruit Company invested and gained political influence in some Central American nations. These nations were called banana republics.

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2. Protecting American Security

An expanded navy with bases around the world would protect U.S. interests. By 1900, the United States had one of the most powerful navies in the world.

3. Preserving American Spirit

Some leaders of the day believed that introducing Christianity and modern civilization to less developed nations around the world was a noble pursuit.
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The Spanish American War

The Origins America's genuine concern for Spanish intervention in our hemisphere The growing political belief that in order to become a great power, we needed to expand our influence here, and in the Pacific.

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Two Theaters
The the first time the United States committed troops and ships to a two theater war, the Philippines in the Pacific, and Cuba to our south. The Philippine campaign would be the first battle fought, and waged solely at sea.
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Setting the Stage For War

Defending the Monroe Doctrine

By demanding that a dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain be sent to arbitration, the United States defended the validity of the Monroe Doctrine.
Arbitration the settlement of a dispute by a person or panel chosen to listen to both sides and come to a decision.

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 The British government backed down to stay on friendly terms with the United States. The United States became involved in the Cuban rebellion against Spain to protect American business interests.

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Media Involvement
In competition for readership, two New York newspapers wrote exaggerated stories about the Cuban rebellion. This yellow journalism sold a lot of papers but had other effects as well: It whipped up American public opinion in favor of the Cuban rebels. It led to a burst of national pride and the desire for an aggressive foreign policy, which became known as jingoism.
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Steps to War
The USS Maine was stationed in Havana harbor. The Spanish Ambassador de Lme insulted President McKinley. The USS Maine exploded, and the American public blamed Spain. Congress recognized Cuban independence and authorized force against Spain.
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THE USS MAINE

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A Splendid Little War

May 1, 1898: The United States launched a surprise attack in Manila Bay and destroyed Spains entire Pacific fleet in seven hours. July 1: Theodore Roosevelt led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill.

July 3: The United States Navy sank the remaining Spanish ships.
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Commodore George Dewey Commander U.S. Asiatic Squadron Spanish-American War

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Battle of Manila Bay: May 1, 1898

U.S. Asiatic Fleet sails from Hong Kong to Manila. Dewey orders increased training and gunnery practice. Spanish use shore guns to augment anchored fleet. Dewey: You may fire when you are ready, Gridley. Spanish fleet sunk at anchor. Superior American gunnery. Dewey becomes a national hero. Siege of Manila follows with Army troops. War against Aguinaldo's Philippine Nationalists. Philippine Insurrection or Filipino-American War- 18991902. U.S. establishes control of entire Philippine Archipelago.

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Deweys Battle Chart

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Battle of Manila Bay

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The Rough Riders

In 1897, Theodore Roosevelt was already a well known national figure.
Hero of the frontier. Vigorous patriot. Champion of American values. Chief spokesman for an aggressive, expansionist American foreign policy.
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 Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President McKinley.

Oversaw the expansion and modernization of the Navy. This led to the success in Manila Bay. It was also Teddy who would be instrumental in organizing and leading the force that would beat the Spanish in Cuba.
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The Fateful Gamble

In the summer of 1898, Teddy agonized over his role in the upcoming war. He was a man of action, and knew his place was on the battlefield, not at a command station. At the age of 40, he took a fateful gamble. He resigned from the Navy Dept. to organize and lead a regiment of volunteers for the Cuba invasion.

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 Formally named the 1st United States Volunteer Calvary, they quickly became known as Teddys Rough Riders. As soon as word spread that the colorful Roosevelt was looking for volunteers, the war office was swamped with requests to serve. 23,000 applied to ride with Teddy, about 2,000 were accepted.

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Never Before or Since

The unit that Roosevelt assembled was unlike anything the Army had seen before, or since! They came from far and wide:
Princeton football players Full blooded Pawnee Indians Aristocratic English dandies Trail wise cowboys Polo players Outlaws of the Wild West

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 The ideal Rough Rider was:

equal parts cowboy and soldier Men who could out ride and out fight the Spanish every day of the week. Traditional military experience was helpful, but not required.

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 Roosevelt assembled his men in San Antonio, Texas, where he whipped them into army shape. Day after miserable day, they marched, rode shot, and paraded under the scorching Texas sun. Inspired by the infectiously energetic Roosevelt, the Rough Riders gave it their all

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 Within a few short weeks together, this desperate gang became the fierce, fearless unit that Teddy needed in order to break the grip of the Spanish on Cuba. By mid-June, they were ready. Teddy and his beloved Rough Riders boarded the train for Tampa, Florida & the Cuban invasion!

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San Juan Hill

Once in Cuba, Spanish resistance was fierce, and a number of Rough Riders were killed and wounded. Roosevelt himself came under fire a number of times, and earned the nickname Old Icebox for his calm courage. On the morning of July 1, 1898, the Rough Riders were within sight of the hills that defended Santiago, Cuba.
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 Assigned the task of capturing the heavily armed high ground, Teddy assembled his troops for what he would later call, the great day of my life. After a brief bombardment, they began their assault. The hill was steep and covered in dense underbrush; sniper bullets whirled all around the men, crashing into Rough Riders to Teddys right and left.
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 At times, the advance hesitated, but Teddy led them on, Forward March!, he yelled above the crash of battle, and the Rough Riders pushed forward.

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 At last, they gained the top of San Juan Hill. Together with the many other troops of the American force, the Rough Riders forced the surrender of the Santiago garrison, and the collapse of Spanish opposition in Cuba.

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 Victory came at a heavy price. The Spanish in Cuba fought well, and American blood flowed freely. However, Roosevelt and his fearless fellows had proven their courage under fire!

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"Fighting Joe" Wheeler

A former general in the Confederate Army, he was commander of the cavalry division when the Rough Riders landed in Cuba.
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 Captain Buckey O'Neil - A legendary frontier sheriff from the Arizona Territory who had the responsibility of turning the volunteer Rough Riders into soldiers at the training camp in San Antonio. Henry Nash - An outlaw turned Rough Rider whose courage at the Battle of Kettle Hill made him a hero.

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The Treaty of Paris

The Spanish government recognized Cubas independence. Spain gave up the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico in return for $20 million. The island nations then became unincorporated territories of the United States.
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Coaling Stations for Pacific Fleet

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New Challenges After the War

The Philippines
President McKinleys arguments for annexation:
Filipinos were unfit for self-government. Independence would bring anarchy. European powers would try to seize the islands.

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 The Filipinos fought a three-year war for independence. The Philippines did not gain complete independence until 1946.

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 Cuba
President McKinley installed a military government to protect American business interests. Cuba drafted a constitution in 1900 that did not allow for U.S. involvement. The U.S. government only agreed to remove its troops if Cuba included the Platt Amendment in its constitution.
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 The Platt Amendment remained in place until 1934. It allowed for U.S. naval bases on the island and intervention whenever necessary.

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Other Gains In the Pacific

The United States government intervened in other parts of the Pacific at the same time that events played out in the SpanishAmerican War. This intervention eventually brought about changes in the relationships of the United States with Hawaii, Samoa, and China.

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 Hawaii became increasingly important to United States business interests. Hawaii also leased Pearl Harbor to the United States as a fueling and repair station for naval vessels. In 1898, Congress approved the annexation of Hawaii.

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 A year after the annexation of Hawaii, the United States acquired the harbor at Pago Pago in the Polynesian Islands of Samoa as well. Chinas huge population and its vast markets became very important to American trade.

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 President McKinleys Secretary of State, John Hay, wrote notes to the major European powers trying to persuade them to keep an open door to China. He wanted to ensure through his Open Door Policy that the United States would have equal access to Chinas millions of consumers.
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A New Foreign Policy

The Panama Canal
Americans needed a shorter route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A French company had bought a 25-year concession from Columbia to build a canal across Panama. Concession a grant for a piece of land in

exchange for a promise to use the land for a specific purpose.

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Defeated by yellow fever and mismanagement, the company abandoned the project and offered its remaining rights to the United States for $100 million.

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Roosevelts Diplomacy
- Elected in 1904 Speak softly and carry a big stick and you will go far.

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Roosevelt used this old African proverb to guide his foreign policy. The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine the United States will act as an international police power in the Western Hemisphere and intervene to prevent intervention by other powers.
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 Roosevelt in Latin America Under Roosevelt, the United States often intervened in Latin America. Roosevelt in Asia Roosevelt wanted to preserve an open door to trade with China. He won a Nobel peace prize for negotiating a peace settlement between Russia and Japan.
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Foreign Policy After Roosevelt

William Howard Taft
Elected President in 1908.

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 Taft believed in maintaining influence through American investments, not military might. This policy was called dollar diplomacy. The United States reached new heights of international power under Roosevelt and Taft. However, the policies of both Presidents also created enemies in Latin America and a growing international resentment of U.S. intervention.

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 Woodrow Wilson
Elected in 1912 Under Wilson, the United States applied more moral and legalistic standards to foreign policy decisions.

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Debating Imperialism
Anti-Imperialism
A moral and political argument: Expansionism was a rejection of our nations founding principle of liberty for all. A racial argument: Imperialism was just another form of racism.

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 An economic argument: Expansion involved too many costs.

Maintaining the armed forces required taxation, debt, and possibly even compulsory, or required military service. In addition, laborers from other countries would compete for jobs with U.S. workers.

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 Pro-Imperialists
Imperialism offered a new kind of frontier for American expansion. A new international frontier would keep Americans from losing their competitive edge. Access to foreign markets made the economy stronger.
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 In 1907, President Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet, part of the United States Navy, on a cruise around the world to demonstrate U.S. naval power to other nations. American citizens clearly saw the advantages of having a powerful navy.

NAVAL POWER

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Imperialism Voiced From Abroad

In the Caribbean and Central America, the United States often had to defend governments that were unpopular with local inhabitants. Many U.S. citizens in Latin America heard the cry Yankee, Go Home! Even before the completion of the Panama Canal, the Panamanians began to complain that they suffered from discrimination.
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 However, many countries also began to turn to the United States for help. The Untied States was both welcomed and rejected in other countries. The American government still struggles to reconcile its great power and national interests with its relationships with other nations.

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THE END
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