U.S. Imperialism Webquest
Today you are going to investigate the Spanish American War. You will need to hold your mouse over the underlined link, press the control button and the click the mouse at the same time. This will take you to the web page where you will find your answers. You will need to read the entire section before answering. Make sure you answer each part of the questions in full.
1. Describe the reward offered for the "detection of the Perpetrator of the Maine Outrage." (How much, and who posted it?)
2. Explore the Headline Gallery and select one of the samples. Write down the headline. Explain how this might have inflamed American passions for war.
3. How effective was the Dynamite Gun used in the Spanish American War? (Describe briefly how well it worked.)
4. Who is called the "father of Yellow Journalism" , and why was he called this?
5. Private Manning , a member of the 33rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, was the first soldier of the war to have what?
6. In April 1898 Senator Henry M. Teller (Colorado) proposed an amendment to the U.S. declaration of war against Spain. What did this amendment say?
7. Who commanded the "Rough Riders", and what was this unit's official name?
8. John Hay, Secretary of State, wrote a letter to Theodore Roosevelt describing the Spanish-American war as…
9. What disease caused more American casualties in Cuba than the Spanish bullets? Who led the battle against it, and what were the symptoms? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/fever/peopleevents/e_cuba.html
10. When the United States refused to give the Philippines their independence, who led the Filipino forces in opposition to the U.S. ? What kind of war was it? (Scroll down to RENEWED CONFLICT IN THE PHILIPPINES) http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/trask.html
11. Who was Alfred Thayer Mahan? What did he recommend with regard to the U.S. military?
12. Explain the Boxer Rebellion.
13. What was the name of the policy of economic expansion which was introduced by President William Howard Taft? Dollar diplomacy
14. According to historians, what were the roots of the Philippine Revolution?
15. McKinley begins to be called upon by people, such as William Randolph Hearst, to do something about the atrocities occurring in Cuba. What is McKinley's response?
16. Why did Roosevelt say, "I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one."
The United States and Puerto Rico
-The United States received military control of Puerto Rico from Spain in the Treaty of Paris.
-In 1900 the US removes military control and establishes a civil government, still under US control
17. The United States passed the Jones Act in 1917 to attempt to stop a movement for Puerto Rican independence. What did the Jones Act do in Puerto Rico? (http://welcome.topuertorico.org/history5.shtml)
United States Acquisitions and Annexations
18. Examine the map of US acquisitions and annexations. Why were so many new possessions located in the Pacific Ocean?
1857-1904 - 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 Spanish-American War. This intervention eventually brought about changes in the relationships of the United States with Hawaii, Samoa, and China.
• 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.
19. What happened to Hawaii and Queen Liliuokalani in the 1890s? (http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa/history/liliuokalani.html)
http://www.history.com/topics/liliuokalani
• The Polynesian islands of Samoa and their harbor at Pago Pago were also important to the United States. A year after the annexation of Hawaii, the United States acquired the harbor at Pago Pago as well.
20. Why is Pago Pago a good harbor? (see Geography Note on the web site) (http://www.ncbuy.com/reference/country/intro_aq.html)
• China’s huge population and its vast markets became very important to American trade. President McKinley’s 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 China’s millions of consumers. After European powers put down the Boxer Rebellion by the Chinese, the US again made statements about their intent to preserve the open door to Chinese markets).
21. How did foreign “spheres of influence” threaten American business interests in China? (http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html)
22. What did Hay recommend in his second Open Door note to European powers? (see the last paragraph of text) (http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html)
23. What disease caused more American casualties in Cuba than the Spanish bullets? Who led the battle against it, and what were the symptoms? How did the doctor discover the cause of the disease? (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/fever/peopleevents/index.html)