Chapter 25 - The Spanish-American War and the Imperialism Debate

Imperialism Debate

• With territories under spheres of influence, nations faced off in economic competitions and defending their territories
• ^^Isolationists^^ ^^were pacifists and humanitarians reformers, vs. imperialists who wanted to expand into foreign territories^^

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Anti-Imperialist League

• Formed in 1898
• Mission to reverse imperialist foreign policy
• Battled the American annexation of the Philippines as an insular area

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Spheres of Influence

• ^^A diplomatic term denoting an area in which a foreign power or powers exerts significant military, cultural, or economic influence^^
• The region over which a group or institution has power, which is separate from whoever is traditionally in control

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

• 1890 - Wrote The Influence of Sea Power upon History
• Oversaw the gradual buildup of the US Navy + naval bases

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Cuban Revolution

• Cuba was an economic hub for sugar, tobacco, and coffee
• ^^1895 - Cuban slaves revolted using modern weapons^^
• General Valeriano “Butcher” Weyler oversaw cruel Cuban concentration camps
• Was heavily published in American newspapers

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Spanish-American War

• 1898
• After Cuban atrocities and the sinking of the USS Maine, McKinley declared war against Spain
• Invaded Cuba and the Philippines
• Teddy Roosevelt oversaw the Rough Riders, which was his lead-up to national fame
• Cuba + Philippines + Guam + Puerto Rico were sites of the war

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Joseph Pulitzer

• ^^Using “yellow journalism,” he sensationalized and overexaggerated the news to increase circulation^^
• Promoted the war with Spain
• Founded a journalism school and the Pulitzer Prize

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USS Maine

• In Havana, Cuba, the Maine protected American citizens
• 1898 - Was destroyed + sunk in an explosion
• With yellow journalism newspapers, “Remember the Maine!” was used to sensationalize the incident
• However, the US couldn’t prove that Spain exploded the ship

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Teller and Platt Amendment

• ^^1898 - The Teller Amendment declared that the US wouldn’t interfere in Cuban affairs^^
• ^^1901 - The Platt Amendment declared that it wouldn’t go into treaties with other foreign nations and would intervene if danger arose^^
  • Established a US naval base at Guantanamo Bay

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Rough Riders

• A volunteer cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt
• Invaded Cuba
• High casualty rate
• Made Roosevelt famous

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Hawaii

• 1893 - American sugar and fruit planters overthrew Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani
• McKinley was pro-annexation
• ^^Congress established a joint resolution that eventually led to the US annexing the Hawaiian islands in 1898^^

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Foraker Act

• 1900
• Puerto Ricans were represented in American gov’t BUT couldn’t participate

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Coaling Stations

• ^^Coaling stations were US islands stocked with coal for refueling^^
• US cargo ships picked up coal and supplies at these islands

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Insular Cases

• 1901
• Answered the question of “Does the Constitution follow the flag?”
  • Does US law apply equally to foreign territories that it annexes?
• Decided that these islands were ruled by the US BUT the people wouldn’t receive full American rights

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Filipino Insurrection

• ^^Because the US governed the Philippines, it helped Filipinos^^
• Fighting between Filipinos and American soldiers
• Guerilla warfare led by Emilio Aguinaldo

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Open Door Policy

• 1899 - Created by John Hay
• Didn’t exclude the US from trading in China
• High competition from other nations for spheres of influence in China eventually led to the Russo-Japanese War (1904) and the Portsmouth Treaty (1905)

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Boxer Rebellion

• ^^The Boxers wanted to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and to kill all foreigners in China^^
• The US sent troops which eventually crushed the Boxers

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Roosevelt Corollary

• 1904
• Established by Theodore Roosevelt
• US wanted stability in Western Hemisphere
• Established the US as an international police force

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Hay-Paunceforte Treaty

• 1901
• ^^Gave British consent to build the Panama Canal and to fortify the Canal Zone^^

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Panama Canal

• With Colombia unwilling to negotiate with the US, Roosevelt encouraged the Panamanian Revolution
• 1904 - The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty allowed for the building of a canal zone
• 1914 - Canal was completed

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Great White Fleet

• 1907
• Managed by Theodore Roosevelt
• ^^The nickname for 16 American battleships that circulated the globe^^

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Root-Takahira Agreement

• 1908
• Minimized tensions between Japan and the US in China and California
• Allowed Japan to pursue its own imperial goals

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Dollar Diplomacy

• 1909
• Coined by William Howard Taft
• ^^Believed that the US should intervene in foreign affairs without using its military^^
• If nations cooperated with US interests, the US would provide them with investment money

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Pancho Villa

• A guerilla fighter during the Mexican Revolution (1911)
• Led an invasion on US soil
• Escaped and wasn’t caught by the US military

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BIG PICTURE

• Spanish actions in Cuba + yellow journalism → Spanish-American War
• What to do w/ Spanish colonies?
• Imperialists - Gain Pacific Ocean territories
• Teddy Roosevelt - Panama Canal + Great White Fleet
• US is world power → Protect interests + exert influence

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