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

Anti-Imperialist League

• Formed in 1898

• Mission to reverse imperialist foreign policy

• Battled the American annexation of the Philippines as an insular area

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

Alfred Thayer Mahan

• 1890 - Wrote The Influence of Sea Power upon History

• Oversaw the gradual buildup of the US Navy + naval bases

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

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

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

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

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

Rough Riders

• A volunteer cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt

• Invaded Cuba

• High casualty rate

• Made Roosevelt famous

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

Foraker Act

• 1900

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

Coaling Stations

• Coaling stations were US islands stocked with coal for refueling

• US cargo ships picked up coal and supplies at these islands

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

Filipino Insurrection

• Because the US governed the Philippines, it helped Filipinos

• Fighting between Filipinos and American soldiers

• Guerilla warfare led by Emilio Aguinaldo

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)

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

Roosevelt Corollary

• 1904

• Established by Theodore Roosevelt

• US wanted stability in Western Hemisphere

• Established the US as an international police force

Hay-Paunceforte Treaty

• 1901

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

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

Great White Fleet

• 1907

• Managed by Theodore Roosevelt

• The nickname for 16 American battleships that circulated the globe

Root-Takahira Agreement

• 1908

• Minimized tensions between Japan and the US in China and California

• Allowed Japan to pursue its own imperial goals

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

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

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