Unit 7 Study Notes: AP U.S. History (1898 - 1945)

Introduction to Unit 7 of AP U.S. History

• Focus Period: $1898$ to $1945$

• Topic: American imperial expansion

  • Aim: To explain variations in attitudes regarding America’s appropriate global role.

Understanding Imperialism

• Definition of Imperialism:

  • Expansion of one country's political, economic, and military influence over another country.

  • Considered as the expansion of empire.

• Controversy: Perception that America is not an empire is challenged.

Early American Expansion

• Purchase of Alaska ($1867$):

  • Key figure: William Seward (Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson).

  • Purchase price: $7.2\text{ million}$.

  • Initial perception: Branded as "Seward's Folly"; seen as a frozen wasteland without value.

  • Historical shift: Alaska gained significance post-$1898$ with gold discovery, altering views on the territory's value.

Historical Context of Expansion

• Territorial expansion viewed as part of American identity; rooted in $19th$-century westward expansion narratives.

• Frederick Jackson Turner’s Thesis:

  • Expressed concerns about the closure of the American frontier.

  • Suggested that the desire for expansion could extend beyond U.S. borders.

Imperialists vs. Anti-Imperialists

• Imperialists:

  • Motivation driven by raw material acquisition and market expansion for American goods (manufactured and agricultural).

  • Embraced Social Darwinism to justify imperial expansion:

    • Concept: The belief that the strong dominate the weak in nature should also apply to politics and economics.

    • Imperialists believed that American expansion could elevate the nation’s status on the global stage, promoting liberty.

    • Fear of being seen as a second-class nation if not engaging in imperialism, as European counterparts were actively expanding their empires.

  • Key Figures and Beliefs:

    • Josiah Strong: Author of Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present Crisis ($1885$). Positioned the White Anglo-Saxon race as superior and on a mission to civilize "backward" nations through Christianity and Western civilization.

    • Henry Cabot Lodge: Senator who argued that the U.S. must compete with other world powers. He applied Social Darwinism to global politics, asserting that for the nation to survive and flourish, it must expand its influence to avoid becoming a weak power.

    • Alfred Thayer Mahan: Author of The Influence of Sea Power on History ($1890$). Argued that national greatness was tied to naval power. Influenced Congress to build a steel fleet and secure coal stations globally to protect American trade routes.

    • Albert Beveridge: Senator who championed the "March of the Flag"; argued that Americans were a "chosen people" tasked by God to govern "incapable" races and provide new markets for surplus production.

• Anti-Imperialists:

  • Foundational belief in the principle of self-determination for nations:

    • Definition: Nations should govern themselves and establish their laws without external interference.

    • Historical parallel: Echoing colonial American arguments against British rule.

  • Arguments against expansion included:

    • Long-standing American tradition of isolationism:

      • Reference: George Washington's farewell warning against foreign entanglements.

      • Concerns: Potential for unwanted involvement in global conflicts and economic disputes.

    • Racial arguments mirrored those of imperialists; concern over the implications of governing other races:

      • Central question: Did the Constitution follow the flag?

      • Inquiry on whether territories like the Philippines would receive American citizenship rights.

      • Anti-imperialists argued that pursuing such imperial actions would deny legitimate rights to the inhabitants of newly acquired territories.

      • Proposition: Opposed expansion due to fears of granting rights to those perceived as racially inferior.

  • Key Figures and Organizations:

    • Anti-Imperialist League ($1898$): Established to fight the U.S. annexation of the Philippines, citing that it violated the fundamental principle that a just government must derive from the "consent of the governed."

    • Carl Schurz: A prominent reformer who argued that the pursuit of empire was incompatible with American democratic institutions and would lead to the corruption of the nation's values.

    • William Jennings Bryan: Leading Democratic politician who critiqued imperialism as un-American, asserting that the country should not attempt to rule over others without their consent.

    • Samuel Gompers: Leader of the American Federation of Labor (AFL); opposed imperialism due to fears that the annexation of low-wage territories would undercut the wages and bargaining power of American workers.

Conclusion

• Summary of Unit $7$, Topic $2$: A dual exploration of the complexities surrounding American imperialism during $1898$-$1945$, specifically the diverging viewpoints between imperialists and anti-imperialists relating to issues of race, rights, and national identity.

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