Imperialism: Debates

7.2 Imperialism: Debates

  • Unit 7 AMSCO APUSH Notes 1890 - 1945

  • Essential Question: What are the similarities and differences in attitudes about the nation's proper role in the world?

Context

  • US Foreign Policy:

    • After 1790s:

    • Expanding westward.

    • Protecting US interests abroad.

    • Limiting foreign influence in the Americas.

    • After the Civil War:

    • Interest in overseas trade.

    • Establishing overseas bases and territories in Caribbean and Pacific.

    • After 1890:

    • Tension between imperialism and isolationism.

7.2-Expansion after the Civil War

  • William H. Seward:

    • Influential expansionist Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson.

    • Key accomplishments:

    • Prevented Great Britain from entering the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy.

    • Annexed Midway Island in the Pacific.

    • Gained rights to build Nicaragua Canal (project ultimately never realized).

    • Purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, a move ridiculed as "Seward's Folly."

      • Alaska was valued for seal hunting territory and viewed as a buffer against British influence.

  • Hawaiian Islands:

    • Settled by American missionaries and entrepreneurs since mid-1800s.

    • The US was interested in Pearl Harbor, strategically located between China and California.

    • In 1875, Hawaii gave the US exclusive trading rights to Hawaiian sugar.

    • In 1893, American planters, aided by US Marines, overthrew Queen Liliuokalani.

    • President Cleveland opposed annexation.

7.2-The "New Imperialism"

  • As the US industrialized, it sought more sources for raw materials and markets for its products.

  • Many conservatives viewed overseas territories as a potential safety valve for domestic discontent following the Panic of 1893.

  • International Darwinism:

    • Application of survival of the fittest principles to nation-state competition.

    • US was perceived to need to demonstrate power through territorial acquisitions.

    • Extended Manifest Destiny beyond continental borders and into the Caribbean, Central America, and Pacific Ocean.

Advocates for Expansion

  • Missionaries:

    • Reverend Josiah Strong, in "Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present Crisis" (1885), suggested that Anglo-Saxon stock were "the fittest to survive" and stressed a religious duty to colonize and spread Christianity and civilization.

  • Politicians:

    • Republican leaders such as Henry Cabot Lodge and Theodore Roosevelt advocated for expansionism.

    • Naval Power:

    • Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan articulated that a strong navy was crucial for securing markets and demonstrating power.

    • His arguments led Congress to finance steel ships and acquire overseas bases, like in Samoa.

    • By 1900, the US had the 3rd largest navy in the world.

    • Popular Press:

    • Stories of adventure stirred public interest and supported calls for expansion.

7.2-Latin America

  • The US began to take interest in issues within the Western Hemisphere to protect Latin America from European powers.

  • Blaine and the Pan-American Conference (1889):

    • Secretary of State James G. Blaine convened a meeting to establish permanent international cooperation in trade and other matters, now part of the Organization of American States (1948).

  • Cleveland, Olney, and the Monroe Doctrine:

    • In a boundary dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana, President Cleveland and Secretary Olney invoked the Monroe Doctrine, insisting the US compel arbitration, leading to a significant turning point in US-British relations.

7.3-The Spanish-American War

  • Essential Question: What were the effects of the Spanish-American War?

  • Context:

    • American investments in Cuban sugar, misrule by Spain, and the Monroe Doctrine justified US intervention.

  • Causes of the War:

    • Cuban Revolt:

    • Cuban nationalists sought independence from Spanish rule.

    • Adopted tactics of sabotage targeting plantations.

    • Spain dispatched General Valeriano Weyler, whose harsh tactics (20400000"The Butcher"20400000) drew international condemnation.

    • Yellow Press:

    • Sensational journalism led by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst exaggerated Spanish atrocities, inflaming American public opinion towards intervention.

  • De Lome Letter (1898):

    • Leaked letter from Spanish diplomat Dupuy de Lome criticized President McKinley, considered a national insult.

  • Sinking of the Maine:

    • The US battleship Maine exploded in Havana harbor, killing 260 Americans.

    • Yellow press blamed Spain, intensifying calls for war.

  • McKinley's War Message:

    • Following the Maine incident, McKinley urged Congress to intervene for humanitarian reasons and to protect American lives and commerce.

  • Teller Amendment:

    • Congress authorized war on April 20, asserting US had no intention of political control over Cuba.

7.3-Fighting the War

  • War Timeline:

    • The initial shots were fired in Manila Bay.

    • Final engagements occurred by August 1898, referred to as the "Splendid Little War."

  • The Philippines:

    • Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, led efforts for war with Spain, anticipating major actions.

    • Commodore George Dewey's fleet decisively defeated Spanish ships in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.

    • The capture of Manila occurred on August 13.

  • Invasion of Cuba:

    • More complex than the war in the Philippines.

    • The volunteer force was poorly prepared; malaria and other diseases caused significant casualties.

    • The Rough Riders, led by Roosevelt, charged San Juan Hill, supported by African American troops.

    • The Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet at Santiago Bay on July 3.

    • Following the successful offensives, Spain sought peace terms in early August 1898.

7.3-Annexation of Hawaii

  • American control over Hawaiian government surged post-Queen Liliuokalani's overthrow in 1893.

  • The outbreak of war in the Philippines provided a rationale for Congress and McKinley to annex Hawaii officially in July 1898.

  • Hawaii officially became a US territory in 1900 and later the 50th state in 1959.

7.3-Controversy over the Treaty of Peace

  • Treaty of Paris (1898) Terms:

    • Recognition of Cuban independence.

    • US acquired Puerto Rico and Guam.

    • US acquired the Philippines for $20 million.

  • The Philippine Question:

    • Heated debate over US imperialism, led by the Anti-Imperialist League, opposing expansion based on race and rights violations.

    • Treaty narrowly passed (57 to 27).

    • Insurrection led by Emilio Aguinaldo against the US presence resulted in a protracted conflict ending in 1902.

  • Insular Cases:

    • Supreme Court cases that ruled constitutional rights do not automatically apply to territories; Congress has the authority to decide on rights applications.

  • Cuba and the Platt Amendment:

    • The Platt Amendment conditioned the US withdrawal from Cuba on adherence to specific terms that reduced Cuban sovereignty and established US intervention rights.

    • The US maintained a naval base at Guantanamo Bay, solidifying the protectorate status.

7.3-Election of 1900

  • The Republicans nominated McKinley, with Theodore Roosevelt as the vice-presidential candidate, following the backdrop of the war.

Wilson and Foreign Affairs

  • In his 1912 campaign, Woodrow Wilson called for a New Freedom, supporting moral diplomacy and denouncing imperialism and dollar diplomacy.

  • Moral Diplomacy:

    • Wilson had moderate success in promoting a high moral standard in foreign relations and addressing colonial issues.

  • Jones Act of 1916:

    • Granted full territorial status to the Philippines and promised eventual independence contingent on governance stability.

  • Puerto Rico:

    • Gained US citizenship in 1917 and established limited self-government.

  • Panama Canal:

    • In a significant foreign policy move, Wilson repealed exemptions on canal tolls for US ships, advocating equality.

  • Conciliation Treaties:

    • Negotiated by Secretary Bryan to encourage nations to resolve disputes peacefully by pledging to avoid immediate military action.

Military Intervention under Wilson

  • Despite advocating for democracy, Wilson's policies led to interventions in Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic under claims of maintaining regional stability.

  • Mexico:

    • Wilson opposed General Huerta's dictatorship and responded to the Tampico Incident by occupying Veracruz.

  • Pancho Villa:

    • Wilson's expedition aimed to capture the rebel leader Villa in northern Mexico but ended with troop withdrawal amid impending World War I.

7.3-Open Door Policy in China

  • Context:

    • In the late 19th century, Russia, Japan, Great Britain, France, and Germany had divided China into spheres of influence, limiting US trade potential.

  • Open Door Policy (1899):

    • Proposed equal trading rights in China that were informally accepted by major powers.

  • Boxer Rebellion (1900):

    • Nationalist uprising by the Society of Harmonious Fists; US participation in suppressing the rebellion solidified American influence.

    • Following the uprising, China paid large indemnities, weakening its imperial authority significantly.

7.3-Theodore Roosevelt's Big Stick Policy

  • Roosevelt embraced an aggressive foreign policy, summarized as "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

  • The Panama Canal:

    • A strategic goal for Roosevelt that required support for a revolution in Panama against Colombian control, leading to the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty (1903).

    • Construction, which began in 1904 and was completed in 1914, cost numerous lives but achieved its military and commercial objectives.

7.3-The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

  • Response to European debts in Latin America led Roosevelt to decree that the US would intervene if necessary, outlining a proactive role in the region's affairs.

  • Justified military presence in various Latin American nations to protect US interests and stabilize debt collections.

East Asia

  • Russo-Japanese War:

    • US diplomacy brokered peace discussions, but notable resentment from Japan arose over perceived inequities in the Treaty of Portsmouth.

  • Great White Fleet:

    • Demonstrated US naval power through a global tour to promote American prestige and influence.

  • Root-Takahira Agreement (1908):

    • Mutual respect and support for trading rights in the Pacific highlighted US recognition of Japan's interests.

7.3-William Howard Taft and Dollar Diplomacy

  • Taft's presidency (1909-1913) prioritized economic interests over military engagements, advocating for Dollar Diplomacy.

  • Intervention in Nicaragua:

    • To stabilize American investments, the US intervened in Nicaragua's financial situation, leading to prolonged military presence until 1933.

  • Railroads in China:

    • The US sought to invest in Chinese infrastructure but faced challenges following exclusion from critical agreements with Russia and Japan, contradicting Open Door principles.

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