Talking Points Chapter 20: Imperialism
I. Imperialism: nation’s policy to expand and take over smaller/weaker nations or land usually by military force
a. Imperial Presidents:
· Grover Cleveland: 1893-97
· Wm. McKinley: 1897-Sept 1901 (shot!)
· Theo Roosevelt: 1901-1909
· William Taft: 1909-1913
II. Fredrick Jackson Turner’s “Frontier Thesis”: frontier closed, 65 million people, shapes Americans into who they are…they expand, rugged individuals, must continue Manifest Destiny, blah dee blah
III. Reasons for expansions THEMES!:
a. ordained by God to civilize and expand, spread Christianity (White Man’s Burden)
b. offload surplus goods, at home: underconsumption/overproduction, 1893 Panic (i.e. depression), (90% of good consumed in US, but industrialism was expanding markets overseas,
c. Labor Unions causing issues at home…could they direct anger outside/give something else to focus on
d. Social Darwinism: if you want to survive, you have to succeed, conquest of backward people is for the greater good
e. gain access to extractive resources (examples?), powerful military/navy
f. Alfred T. Mahah’s book Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1660-1783): national greatness flows from strong Navy, oceans are a “great highway”, Theo Roosevelt Sec of Navy, gets books for every ship, built 11 steel battleships by 1896
g. Destined to dominate and transform the globe, Josiah Strong, racial superiority in “Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present Crisis”…we are divinely commissioned to be our brother’s keeper”
IV. Expansion in the Pacific
a. 1867 Wm Seward purchases Alaska from Russia, “Seward’s Folly, icebox”, gets rid of Russian in N. America
b. Samoa 1878, get naval base at Pago Pago to have a coaling refuel station for ships, help resolve disputes with other nations, 1887 civil war breaks out and 1889 we are a protectorate with Germany, GB and US
c. Hawaii: “stepping stone in the Pacific” 1795, missionaries and sugar planters in Hawaii…duty free sugar into US makes business very lucrative. 1887 get Pearl Harbor bases there. in exchange Hawaii wouldn’t lease land to other nations…disease kills most natives and Japs and Chinese are shipped in to work for American sugar planters.
i. Eventually Hawaii forces king to convert monarchy to constitutional government where American planters get rights to vote. McKinley Tariff puts all countries sugar on duty free list, create economic turmoil in Hawaii, sugar planter plan a revolt
ii. 1891: Liliuokalani tries to remove political power of planters, whites seize power and marines are sent in 1893 to support a coup and remove her. “Hawaiian pear is fully ripe and ready to be picked”
iii. Cleveland doesn’t support this, but planters refuse to give up power and declare Hawaii a Republic in July 94, in 1897 Pres McKinley sends in warships and asks senate to annex the island in summer of 1898
d. Cuba: 1895 Cuban rebels began a guerilla war against Spain
i. Ironic! Outraged at Spanish imperialism
ii. Have sugar and mining, lots of trade
iii. Butcher Wyler, reconcentration camps, thousands die
iv. Yellow press (Hearst’s NY World, Pulizer’s NY Journal) wars “How Do you Like the Journals war?” published after it starts
v. USS Maine (260 dead) and Delome Letter (McKinley weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd) (jingoism!) Remember the Maine!
vi. President McKinley gets bullied into the war by yellow press
vii. Teller Amendment (to the declaration of war)…US will not take control of Cuba
viii. 125,000 volunteers needed with 28,000 Army men
ix. Sec of State, John Hay “Splendid little war” (114 days), Dewey captures Manilla in Philippians “these darned islands”….”like robbing an old gypsy woman in a vacant lot at night after the fair”
x. Emilio Aguinaldo originally helps us in Phillipeans, later turns on us
xi. Rough Riders in Cuba (drunk history!)
xii. Total: 60,000 Spanish died, 5462 Americans, only 379 in battle, most of disease, bad meat, malaria, typhoid, etc
xiii. Annexation of Cuba: Treaty of Paris, Dec 1898 (no Cubans invited, US gains Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba and Phillepeans) gives Cuba its independence Platt Amendment (never sign treaties with 3rd party nation, keep no debt, US can intervene in Cuban affairs whenever it wants, Guantanamo Bay”..what to do about Philippians (McKinley assignment)…constant revolts against US armed forces not until 1930s do we leave rest of the region
xiv. Anti Imperialist League…corrupts American ideal of democracy, Twain, Carnegie (offered $20 million for Phillipean independence), Jane Addams, Cleveland, Sam Gompers…our nation has “puke up its ancient soul”
e. Phlippine-american War: 3 yrs, 4,234 US dead, many more civilians…horrible guerrilla fighting, niggers, water cure (page 914 in America book..read!)
f. Religion and our empire: “evangelize the world”, “cross will follow the flag” Albert Beveridge “we are God’s Chosen People”, “barbarism has no rights which civilization is bound to respect”..our duty to save Spanish colonies from chaos
g. A Senator told Theo Roosevelt “wasted $600 millions of treasure, 10,000 lives our youth, all for no benefit”
h. Dr Walter Reed made outstanding contributions to diseased and found mosquitoes carry malaria
i. Puerto Rico: state of territory today…?
j. Theo Roosevelt takes over for McKiney in 1901 once he is shot and killed
k. China:
i. “spheres of influence” idea to get in china markets and share trade with Japan, Russia, GR, FR and Britain…Open Door Policy started by John Hay wanting a piece of the pie
ii. Boxer Rebellion: secret society of rebels that fight back against foreigners, US sent 5000 troops to put this down
l. Big Stick Diplomacy: Teddy’s way of policing the world, “speak softly and carry a big stick”
m. Dollar Diplomacy: 1909 Wm. Taft is President, wants railroad action in China, influence through $$ (happens a lot in Latin America where we pay off debt in return for what we want)
n. Panama Canal: Nov 1903, US recognized Panama, helps to stir up the overthrow of the Columbians who wouldn’t lease the canal to the US. Finished in 1913, Pay Panamanian people rent plus $10 million, don’t return the canal to the people until 1970s under Carter
o. Roosevelt Corollary: 1904, chaos in Caribbean, Teddy says we will act as the “police power” in this part of the world…long years of intervening in debts of D.R., Haiti, Nicaragua, etc
p. Relations With Japan: traditionally been racist towards them, segregation in US, want them to be more of a world power than China, but restrict immigration to our country (Gentlemen’s Agreement, 1907, Japan will prevent future emigration to US and we won’t impose immigration rules on them…allows us to reduce tension and still control a sphere in China)
Essential Question for Discussion: Is imperialism effective in the world then and now?What’s your opinion?