US Imperialism

🇺🇸 U.S. Imperialism Study Guide (1890s–Early 1900s)

I. What Is Imperialism?

Imperialism = A policy in which a country extends its power by acquiring territories or influencing other nations economically, politically, or militarily.

“New Imperialism”

  • Late 19th–early 20th century expansion by European powers (and the U.S.) into Asia and Africa.

  • Focused on economic control, naval power, and global markets.

II. Was the U.S. Always an Empire?

Early Expansion

  • Westward expansion displaced Native Americans.

  • Mexican Cession (1848) — Mexico lost large territories.

  • Similar to Russian expansion in Central Asia and Siberia.

Key Idea: Some historians argue the U.S. had imperial tendencies long before overseas expansion.

III. Why Did the U.S. Become Imperialist in the 1890s?

1. Economic Motivations

  • Need for new markets for American goods.

  • Panic of 1893 → Severe economic depression.

    • 15,000 business failures

    • 17% unemployment

  • China seen as a major potential market.

2. Naval Power & Strategy

  • Influenced by Alfred Thayer Mahan

    • Wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890).

    • Argued U.S. needed:

      • Strong navy

      • Overseas bases

      • Control of sea routes

  • Desire for a canal in Panama (eventually the Panama Canal).

  • Steamships required coal stations → Need for island bases.

3. Nationalism

  • Growing patriotism (Pledge of Allegiance, Flag Day).

  • Desire to be a “great power.”

4. Masculinity & Cultural Factors

  • Some historians (like Kristin Hoganson) argue imperialism was tied to proving American masculinity.

IV. Early Imperial Actions Before 1898

Japan (1854)

  • Commodore Matthew Perry opened Japan to trade.

Hawaii

  • American-owned sugar plantations.

  • Naval base at Pearl Harbor.

  • Annexed in 1898.

  • Became a state in 1959.

V. The Spanish-American War (1898)

Causes

  • Cuban revolt against Spain.

  • Spanish General Valeriano Weyler used concentration camps.

  • Yellow journalism sensationalized Spanish brutality.

  • Explosion of the USS Maine (Feb. 15, 1898).

    • “Remember the Maine!”

President: William McKinley

Teller Amendment

  • Promised the U.S. would not annex Cuba.

VI. Major Battles

1. San Juan Hill (Cuba)

  • Led by Theodore Roosevelt

  • Boosted Roosevelt’s political career.

2. Battle of Manila Bay

  • Led by Commodore George Dewey.

  • U.S. defeated Spanish fleet in the Philippines.

  • Showed war was about more than Cuba.

VII. Results of the War

The U.S. gained:

  • Philippines

  • Puerto Rico

  • Guam

Cuba:

  • Not annexed.

  • Platt Amendment allowed U.S. intervention.

  • U.S. gained naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

Secretary of State John Hay called it “a splendid little war.”

VIII. The Philippine-American War (1899–1903)

Leader of Filipino resistance: Emilio Aguinaldo.

  • 4,200 Americans killed.

  • Over 100,000 Filipinos killed.

  • U.S. used concentration camps and torture.

  • Sparked anti-imperialist criticism (e.g., Mark Twain).

IX. Governing New Territories

Puerto Rico

  • Foraker Act (1900):

    • Declared Puerto Rico an “insular territory.”

    • No path to statehood.

  • U.S. citizenship granted in 1917.

  • Still not a state; limited representation.

Insular Cases (1901–1904)

  • Supreme Court ruled full constitutional rights did not automatically apply to territories.

Hawaii

  • Treated differently.

  • Became a traditional territory with path to statehood.

  • Became a state in 1959.

X. Anti-Imperialism

Opposition came from:

  • Racists (feared “diversity”)

  • Democrats

  • Progressives

  • Writers like Mark Twain

Argument:

  • Empire contradicts democracy.

  • Governing others without consent violates American ideals.

XI. Pro-Imperialism

Supporters included Senator Albert Beveridge.

Beliefs:

  • Imperialism was benevolent.

  • America had a duty to civilize.

  • Needed Asian markets (especially China).

XII. Economic Impact

By 1902, Brooks Adams predicted U.S. global dominance.

Within 20 years:

  • U.S. became the world’s leading economic power.

Key Terms to Know

  • Imperialism

  • New Imperialism

  • Panic of 1893

  • Yellow Journalism

  • Teller Amendment

  • Platt Amendment

  • Foraker Act

  • Insular Cases

  • Philippine-American War

Possible Essay Questions

  1. Was American imperialism primarily motivated by economics or ideology?

  2. Did U.S. imperialism contradict American democratic ideals?

  3. Compare U.S. imperialism to European imperialism.

  4. How did the Spanish-American War change America’s role in the world?

Big Picture Themes

  • Economics drives foreign policy.

  • Nationalism and masculinity influenced imperialism.

  • Tension between democracy and empire.

  • The U.S. emerges as a global power.