American Imperialism

• Definition: policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force

• Direct control of territory

• Indirect control of territory

• Background: Europeans building empires and adding territory in the 1800s and 1900s

• Interventionists: advocate for getting involved in political affairs of other countries and building global power

• Anti-interventionists: believe America should not get involved in the political affairs of other countries outside of basic trade and diplomacy

Causes of American Imperialism

• Desire for ports for American ships

  • Military bases for security and power

  • Commercial purposes such as refueling and trade

• Desire for raw materials

  • Sugar, bananas, pineapple, oil

• Desire for new markets

  • Background of protectionism and tariffs

• Desire to spread American values

  • Democracy

  • Christianity

• Yellow journalism

  • Journalism based on sensationalism and crude exaggeration

  • Made people interested in exotic lands

  • Exaggerated the truth and dragged America into imperialist wars

Spanish-American Conflict: Causes

1. Cuban rebellions and "Reconcentration camps"

2. American investment in Cuba, especially sugar, disliked rebellions and Spanish rule

3. DeLome Letter

4. Sinking of the USS Maine, blamed on Spain

Spanish-American War

• McKinley asks Congress to declare war in April 1898

• U.S. attacks the Philippines (Spanish colony) to prevent the Spanish fleet from going east

• U.S. navy and army work together with Filipino rebels to destroy the Spanish fleet and overthrow the Spanish government

Treaty of Paris - 1898

• U.S. gets Guam from Spain

• U.S. gets Puerto Rico from Spain

• U.S. gets Philippines in exchange for $20 million

• Cuba becomes "independent" but with conditions:

  • Teller Amendment: U.S. will not annex Cuba, will withdraw troops once peace is restored

  • Platt Amendment: U.S. law that Cuba had to accept, including restrictions on treaties, debt control, and U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay

Philippine Insurrection (1899-1903)

• Philippines rebel against the U.S., led by Emilio Aguinaldo

• Rebellion brutally put down

• Taft governs and provides better education, healthcare, and infrastructure to calm rebels

Annexation of Hawaii - 1898

• Americans put naval base on Hawaii

• American sugar and pineapple businessmen (Dole) gain control and ask for U.S. annexation

• New Queen Liliuokalani tries to restore power of monarchy but is jailed by businessmen with the help of U.S. military

• Hawaii is annexed as U.S. territory

Foreign Policy Strategies

• "Big Stick Diplomacy" (Theodore Roosevelt)

  • Aggressive expansionist foreign policy

  • "Big Stick Policy": international diplomacy backed by the threat of force

• "Dollar Diplomacy" (William Howard Taft)

• "Moral Diplomacy" (Woodrow Wilson)

Progressive Era Foreign Policy

• American Imperialism begins with President McKinley and the Spanish-American War in 1898

• Progressive Presidents have different versions of interventionist foreign policy

President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

• Foreign policy: Aggressive expansionist

• Examples of "Big Stick" policy:

  • Great White Fleet: world cruise/tour 1907-1909

  • Panama Canal: 50-mile canal across the Panamanian isthmus, connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Big Stick - Panama Canal

• Colombia refused to sell the rights to the Panama Canal.

  • Roosevelt encouraged a rebellion in Panama.

• Roosevelt blocked Colombian reinforcements.

• The new Panamanian government sold the rights to the isthmus to the U.S. for a cheap price.

• The construction of the canal was extremely difficult and took 10 years.

Big Stick - Roosevelt Corollary

• The Roosevelt Corollary was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine.

• The Monroe Doctrine stated that there should be no more European imperialism in North and South America, and the USA would intervene.

• The Roosevelt Corollary stated that if Europe had a legitimate claim, the USA would intervene instead of Europe.

• Latin American countries, such as Venezuela, were struggling with debts.

• The Roosevelt Corollary allowed the USA to collect European debts from Nicaragua by force.

President William Howard Taft (1909 - 1913)

• Taft implemented Dollar Diplomacy.

• Dollar Diplomacy aimed to use American economic power to improve diplomacy with other countries.

• Taft encouraged American bankers to take on loans that Latin American countries had with Europe.

• The goal was to make Latin American countries more dependent on America than Europe.

President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

• Wilson opposed imperialism, big stick diplomacy, and dollar diplomacy.

• Wilson implemented Moral Diplomacy.

• Moral Diplomacy meant that the USA would only support countries with similar moral beliefs, such as democracy and human rights.

• Wilson wanted to spread democracy and correct imperialist "mistakes."

• Wilson refused to recognize military dictatorships in Mexico.

• The results of Wilson's Moral Diplomacy were mixed, and he didn't always live up to its principles.