WK9, Day 2 - "Foreign Policy During the Gilded Age / The Spanish-American War"

Tuesday - March 11, 2025

When did today’s foreign policy become somewhat established?

1880s - 1890s

What’s imperialism?

When a country establishes a dominant relationship over another country

How was imperialism viewed in the 1880s/90s? How’s it viewed now?

positively, negatively

Why would America want to be imperialistic? List four reasons.

Americans could take territory, profit off of raw materials & sell them, establish religious & racial notions, and gain a sense of pride (image)

Who were the 5 Presidents during the 1880s & 1890s?

James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley

What goal did Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, and McKinley all have in common during their presidencies?

They wanted to build up the US navy to compete with foreign nations

Which foreign nations did the US want to compete with to become a world power?

France, Spain, England, and Germany

The US wasn’t a world power, so people avoided fighting specific nations in the beginning of their journey to becoming one. Which nations were avoided and why?

France, England, and Germany - all had steel boats & more experience

In 1898, there was only one nation/territory Americans felt comfortable fighting against with their new steel boats. Which nation was this and why?

Spain - had wooden boats & Cuba (one of their territories) was only 100 miles off the coast of Florida

The US decided to try to ‘free’ Cuba from Spanish rule. What was the name of the other territory the US wanted to capture?

The Philippines

The US didn’t have any reason to wage war against Spain, but they were looking for one. What ‘reason’ made them declare war and when did it happen?

On February 15, 1898 - USS Maine exploded in Cuba, people blamed it on Spain

How many men died on the USS Maine? What slogan rallied Americans to honor their deaths?

260+ / “Remember The Maine”

Did Spain actually blow up the USS Maine?

No

What resources did Cuba have that the US wanted? How about the Philippines?

sugar / trade & potential naval base

Name 2 Theaters that Spanish-American War was fought in:

Cuban Theater, Filipino Theater

How and when did the Spanish-American War begin?

May 1, 1898 - US holds a surprise attack in the Philippines called the “Battle of Manila Bay”

Battle of Manila Bay - Before battle, how many ships did each navy have? After battle, how many ships did each navy have left?

Spanish Navy - had 13, lost 9

US Navy - had 9, lost 1

How many Spanish soldiers died/got wounded at the Battle of Manila Bay? How many US soldiers?

400+ / 10

In 1900, who gained popularity for winning at Manila Bay & was head of the US Navy?

George Dewey

TR was watching as Dewey gained popularity for his victory in Cuba and saw an opportunity for himself to gain national attention/name recognition. What did he decide to do?

He fought in Cuba w/ “Rough Riders” (cowboys/educated Northerners)

What problem did Roosevelt’s Rough Riders face when they arrived in Cuba? What nickname did they get?

Their horses didn’t come along with them, so people made fun of them & called them “Weary Walkers”

Despite not having any horses, how did Rough Riders (TR) do in Summer of 1898?

TR won a string of victories & gained national recognition as a hero in Sp-Am War

How did people find out about Roosevelt’s string of victories in Cuba?

TR’s press recorded every detail of his battles & published it

How long did the Cuban Theater last and when did it end?

~6 months, Christmas 1898

How did US’ relationship with Cuba change in 1900?

The US became Cuba’s protectorate

What’s a protectorate?

When one country controls another

In 1898, TR returns from Cuba and becomes what?

Governor of NY

Why didn’t Repub. leaders like TR very much?

They knew he liked doing things his way

How did Repub. leaders try to take TR’s microphone (shut him up)?

They made him VP under William McKinley (gave him a boss)

Why did Repub. leader’s plan to silence TR backfire?

TR overshadowed McKinley as President

What happened to McKinley in 1901 that nobody expected?

He was assassinated, which made TR become President at 42