Foreign Policy, Western Expansion + Settlement, and American Imperialism

What are the four frameworks of foreign policy?

Hamiliton, The purpose of foreign policy should be to enhance and/or protect America's economic positions in the world. Jeffersonian, Americas priority should be cultivating and protecting democracy at home

American should get involved in foreign affairs when:

Democracy at home is under threat,

Democracy at home can be enhanced by foreign involvement. Jacksonian: Aim of foreign policy should be to promote America's strategic interest(national security and overall well being) in the world. Wilsonian: Foreign policy should be motivated by democratic ideals

The world

Foreign Policy and the Constitution what does it do?

The Constitution creates a limited foreign policy apparatus. The CON reflects the founders fear of an overly-militarized state, thus the CON limits the war-making power of the government.

What are the three ways on how the government limits the war-making power of the government

It distributes foreign policy powers across the executive and legislative branch. Calls for a small standing army.(the congress shall have the power to raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be longer term than two years, army will not attack the people.) Gives the right to bear arms to the American people(the second amendment, they want a small army so that they do not attack the people, and to enhance that idea they give people the right to bear arms).

What are the presidents foreign policy powers and what are congresses foreign policy powers?

Presidents Foreign Policy Powers: commander -in-chief of the Armed Forces

Makes treaties and executive agreements with foreign nations

Recognizes new nations

Congresses foreign policy powers:

Declares war

Passes all government budgets, thus authorizes foreign policy spending

Approve treaties

Approve presidential appointments

American Foreign policy and the French Revolution. What were the different viewpoints? What was the result

As the revolution progressed, debate broke out in the Washington Administration as to whether or not the US should get involved. Hamiltons perspective: do NOT get involved. The people are rioting, the situation is too precarious(dangerous) to know who America should side with, there is not much value for the US. It might cost a lot. Hamiltons things of the aligns as a contract(the other party died the contract is meaningless). Washington sides with hamilton. Jeffersons Perspective: Get involved, because the french helped them get independence, there was an "obligation" to them. The contract is about honesty and integrity, about the values behind the contract. We fight for our ideals, the purpose of the US is to uphold democracy. Result: George Washington declares Neutrality. The US is to fragile and young to be a part of this war. US was too dependent on trade with Britain and risked losing that trade relationship

When does Washington Leave office and what does he say

Washington leaves office in 1796, and he gives a "farewell Address" stating advice about Foreign policy: do not form an alliance with Europe because it would mean constant fighting, instead we can stay over here in our "luxurious geo situation" and choose whether or not we should have anything to do with Europe if it is in our economic interest. We should form political alliances if it sides with our economic interests.

What about the Puritans and their foreign policy ideals?

They thought that they were "model of Christian Charity" He told the colonists why they were in mass in 1630 → our job is to be a role model for other people in the world. From their perspective they are creating a religious utopia

Louisiana Purchase

1803: Jefferson bought the territory from France. This will bring more land into the American democratic experiment, give more land to farmers to live on as democratic agriants, and would help American farming economically by giving access to Mississippi. Basically grow and expand agrarian. It was not contributing to the France economy so they "sold" it --> double the size of the US. Jeffersonian--> selective engagement--> land purchase.

What was the significance of the James Madison and the War of 1812?

It was a major turning point in American foreign policy: it confirms the sovereignty of the US, weakens european involvement in North America, Weakened Spain(wars for ind. breaking out in Latin America, its ability to protect and defend the area they have in the US states is going down), and weakened Britain. It also changes the relationship between the US and Native Americans(ended alliances between them, Native American lost their allies.... with europe? and now had to deal with the US on their own(they struggled to be successful as America would expand.

Acquisition of Florida

Happened in 1819. Florida was a Spanish colony. Florida was populated by floridanos, seminole Indians, American farmers, and most importantly, runaway American slaves. President James Monroe authorized the US army general Andrew Jackson to invade florida in order to put down the seminole attacks(this reflects Jack. idea towards slavery and Native Americans.) --> This leads to the Fire Seminole War, where the Seminoles get overrun by the US military, and the aquisition of florida happens: sign a peacy treaty, give us florida for 5 million dollars and we will stop the fighting right now. Spain says yes. The treaty is called Adams-Onis Treaty.

Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine was a United States foreign policy position that opposed European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. Asserted by president James Monroe. Asserted two key ideas: Warned european powers not to interfere in the Western hemisphere

Told Europe that if it made new colonies or tried to overthrow newly independent republics, the US would consider this “dangerous to our peace and safety”. Basically told Europe do not interfere with the Western hemisphere, and that we care what happens in other countries and if we do not like what we see, we will attack and respond.

President James K. Polk and the Annexation of Texas 1845

Texas was a region in the Spanish Colony of New Spain. BUT: There was the Mexican War of Independence in 1824--> The Texas Region --> Mexico. Mexico wants to increase the population of their new nation so they look to recruit new settlers(empesarios). They began offering free land to individuals who would build settlements in part under populated areas that had large indian populations

(The hope was to informally use the empresarios as a mediating force to protect the Mexicans from Indian incursions). Stephan Auston was on of the fire Americans to take Mexico up on its offer. He established a new large settlement of Americans in Texas. His goal was to grow and expand slavery. American slaveholders start to come into this region. Many Americans openly disregarded Mexican Laws, they continued to practice slavery, they refused to become Mexicans, and they refused to convert to Catholicism. Mexico than passed a law that bans further American immigrants from entering. The tentions worsened and the Texas Revolution happened, American settlers were calling themselves Texans, and they wanted to form their own independent nation and break off from Mexico. Heavilty motivated by the desire to protect slavery and protect and promote democracy. 1835--> Texans went to war with Mexico and for their independence, Texans defeated the mexicans, created a new nation called: The republic of Texas.

Manifest Destiny

God has chosen the US to grow and expand → they have been destined to do this because they are charged with bringing civilization to the west, economic prosperity, peace and security, etc.

The destiny of spreading American ideals

Mexico-American War

AFTER THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS. Before the War: President James Polk wanted to acquire the land from Texas to the Pacific ocean, land currently owned by Mexico. The mexican government refused to meet with the messenger(envoy) that was sent. The Course of the War: Polk ordered troops under the leadership of future president Zachary Taylor to stir up a skirmish in Mexico in order to justify declaring war on Mexico. In a matter of months the Americans had defeated the Mexican troops. Americans reaction to the war: the nation as a whole supported the war, the supportors saw the war as an exciting adventure, believed that the war was an act of manifest destiny. Opponenets; abolitionists argued that the war was solely to expand slavery. Pacificists(ppl who do not support war, opposed the use of war as a means of acquiring territory)

The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

1848: ended the Mexican-American War. The US requires Mexico to turn over its Western Possessions( John C. Calhouns thinking: Just take the northern portions that give us access to the pacific and avoiding the question of what to do with all of the people there because there is not that many of them). Promised the US citizenship to those in annexed territory:

Gov't soon states the power to decide citizenship policy, and some states banned all mexicans from US citizenship, except white male mexicans. Indigenous people lost land rights and were forced onto reservations.

Wilmot Proviso

Unsuccessful congressional proposal to ban slavery in territory

Proposal that was put before congress that said that land acquired from the war would not be permitted to have slavery(free states). It is ultimately killed in the senate, we do see slavey moved into some areas but not all states

Gadsden Purchase 1853

Acquired additional land from Mexico for $10 million to facilitate the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad.

Oregon Territory 1846

Britain and the United States agreed to extend the 49th Parallel (Oregon Treaty), forming the modern border between Canada and the United States.

Mormon Pioneers(Religious Frontier)

Saw the West as a religious opportunity, they had lots and lots of opposition. there leader: Smith. They were trying to escape all this violence and injustice. Settling in Utah, they began to establish communities in Salt Lake Valley

Creating irrigation systems, laid out farms, built houses, schools, and churches (very successful)

Fro this they developed the Utah territory and appointed Brigham Young to be its first governor in 1896, Utah was admitted as a US state

Cattle Ranching

help provide food for the people who are working in the factories. Cowboys were the people who herded and tended the cattle. The end of the cattle boom: beef prices dropped, farmers started enclosing their properties and open range ended.

Homesteading

gifting of government-owned land to individual farms to establish personal substinence farmers. The homestead Act 1862: terms: recieved a 160 acres plot, had to build a house by specific dimensions, farm for 5 years, and pay a fee(very little though, and very little demands overall)

Who took advantage of the Homestead Act?

White, Northern Farming Families

(Though they would lose their farms to industrial development, to avoid going to work in the factories, many farming families took advantage of the program and moved west)

European immigrants

(Had economic dislocation in their nations(ex: Potato famine)

Primarily Irish, Scandinavians, and Germans)

New emancipated blacks

Called exodusters

Escape the racist, segregated, and violent southsome 40,000 blacks left the South of the West

Bonanza Farms:

Large scale farming operations run by corporations. Most bonanza farms were owned by companies and run like factories, with professional managers

Informal Conflicts with Native Americans(individuals)

clashes,skirmishes/violent conflicts between groups of native americans and groups of white settlers

The creation of white militias who attack native american communities in order to use violence to take indigenous lands. Example: Sand Creek Massacre 1864: Settlers had claim to Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, to resist this taking these tribes began to raid and attack settlements

In response, unarmed cheyenne and arapaho are attacked by colorado militia

Consequence:

Created even more indian resistance

Led to more formalized military action

Formal Conflicts(actions by the government)

Reservation System: federally owned and controlled land were Native Americans are coercively brought to

They give them food and clothing, but it is Americanized, cultural change brought about through diet and dress

Can not practice their original religion, take up Christianity, given name changes. Many tries ignored the relocation order

The US military was brought in to enforce policy through war (Indian Wars)

Indian Wars(1860-1890)

The US government deploys the US military against Native AMerican tribes. There goal was to move the Native Americans and put them on the reservations so they could claim indigenous land for the US and its citizens. battle of little Bighorn 1876: one of the very few Indian Victories, regardless of their victory, the treaty of Lakota was ignored by the US government and the tribe was eventually forced off their land and onto a reservation.

What were the form implication of the discovery of gold on Western Settlement after gold was discovered in California?

Western Settlement is not longer linked to expansion of Slavery: With the discovery of gold, it changes the value of the land in no way linked to farming/slavery/plantations

What was under the soil was more valuable than the soil

The dream of a slave empire would die, the South's hope for slavery in expansion in the US would die

This decline of slavery and its power in the US contributes to the SOuth believing that the only way to protect and grow slavery is through secession. People other than farmers and slaveholders are naw drawn to the West( White American prospectors and chinese immigrant propsectors: White American Prospectors(Forty-Niners), many young white men were becoing economically dislocated by the Industrial Revolution. They decided to go to CA in hopes of striking it rich. Realized there was money to be made in providing the gold miners with goods and services→ made stores, ran casinos, and opened saloonsBut there was very little gold to be had, few prospectors ever got rich and many of these man had to look for other work as gold prospecting declined over the next decade. Chinese Immigrant Prospectors: very little gold to be had, violent racism(ex: Los Angeles Chinese Massacre of 1871). Faced legal exclusion under the Foreign Miners Tax 1850(if you want to try to mine for gold and you were not a US citizen, you had to pay a 20 dollar a month fee to get a license). So they had to find other forms of work: working on the railroads, providing services to your fellow Chinese Immigrants, start to see Chinatowns form. Transport companies→ you pay these companies going from China to CA but when you think you can pay it back you can not because you did not find gold

When you did not pay that, they had henchman on the ground to find you

What were the form implication of the discovery of gold on Western Settlement after gold was discovered in California??

Displacement of Mexican-Americans: Many lost rights, denied citizenship(despite the treaty of Guadalupe-hidalgo. Being pushed off their land and out of the mines. Many had to move to Mexico or find other work in agriculture(Bonanza farms). American Capitalism and banking-finance is now going to find a way to profit in the West. The discovery of gold--> capitalism and banking --> because gold means dollars and that needs to be placed in banks. The factory system takes over the mines, and the little general stores are going to be taken over by the larger companies.

Transcontinental Railroad

The West was able to industrialize so effectively because of the railroad. Where the railroad was set up intentionally freezed the South out of the system, starving slavery by growing and expanding industrialism all around it. With the railroad you can move people and goods back and fourth around the US.

How did Theodore Roosevelt change the Monroe Doctrine?

Europe was up to anything, but now it is if anyone is up to anything, kinda lowering the bar on the Monroe Doctrine. Making it broader, now they act for any region.

Treaty of Paris 1898

The treaty that concluded the Spanish American War, Commissioners from the U.S. were sent to Paris on October 1, 1898 to produce a treaty that would bring an end to the war with Spain after six months of hostilitiy. From the treaty America got Guam, Puerto Rico and they paid 20 million dollars for the Philipines. Cuba was freed from Spain.