IMPERIALISM AND THE UNITED STATES |
Imperialism is the rule of one country by another.
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Reasons Americans opposed the US becoming an imperial power
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Reasons Americans supported the US becoming an imperial power
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Possessions in the PacificTHE PHILIPPINES
US motives: The Philippines were handed over to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Rather than grant them independence, President McKinley decided to annex the Philippines. Results of US presence: The Filipinos rebelled against the United States annexation of the Philippines. They wanted their independence. The rebel forces were defeated in 1902. Afterwards, the US built roads, hospitals, and schols in the Philippines. The Jones Act in 1915 gave Filipinos the right to elect their own legislature HAWAII US motives: Hawaii provided a useful coaling station on trips from the US to East Asia. Results of US presence: At first, Hawaiins welcomed American settlers, who built sugar and pineapple plantations. By the 1880s, clashes began to arise between the natives and the settlers. American landowners forced the King of Hawaii to accept a constitution that gave only property owners the right to vote. In 1893, a new queen, Queen Liliuokalani, announced she would issue a new constitution. In response, Americans seized power of Hawaii and formed a provisional government. By July 1898, the US annexed Hawaii. Guam, Samoa, and Midway
Midway had been a US possession since 1867. Guam was taken from Spain after the Spanish-American War. Samoa was placed under joint control of Britain, Germany, and the US in 1880. All of these islands provided useful coaling stations for American ships sailing to Asia |
The United States became an imperial power as a result of the Spanish-American War. Possessions in the Pacific were acquired and the US asserted control over much of the Caribbean Sea--which became nicknamed the "American Lake." |
CUBA US Motives: Remember, the US entered the Spanish-American War supporting the notion of granting Cuba their independence from Spain and, through the Teller Amendment of 1898, promising that the US would not annex Cuba. True, Cuba was given their independence after the war, but it was not long before the United States turned Cuba into an American protectorate (a country that is technically independent but still controlled by another country) After the Spanish-American War, American forces remained in Cuba and exerted power. The 1901 Platt Amendment outlined the conditions for US withdrawal from Cuba, conditions that included the US remaining the dominant power in Cuba. Results of US presence: In some ways, Cubans benefitted from an American presence. The US created schools, organized the Cubans' finances, and helped to eliminate yellow fever in Cuba. Most of Cuba's exports went to the United States and Cubans benefitted from American investment in sugar and tobacco plantations. |
PUERTO RICO
US Motives: Puerto Rico became an American posession after the Spanish-American War. Results of US presence: Puerto Rico didn't become a self-governing "Commonwealth" until 1952. Today, the US provides for Puerto Rico's defense and foreign policy. As a "Commonwealth", Puerto Ricans enjoy the rights of unrestricted immigration to the United States and have rejected both total independence and statehood with the US. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS US Motives: Purchased from Denmark in 1917 by President Wilson |
The Open Door Policy: European powers had claimed "spheres of influence" in China, impacting American trade. The "Open Door" policy, suggested by US Secretary of State John Hay, proposed equal trading rights for all foreign nations throughout China thus eliminating the "spheres of influence"
The Russo-Japanese Way & Treaty of Portsmouth (1904-1905): President T. Roosevelt mediated the conflict between Russia and Japan and pursuased both sides to agree to the Treaty of Portsmouth. This won President Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize The Panama Canal: This canal was built by the US in Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. President Roosevelt helped the Panamanians get their independence from Colombia and, in turn, they let the US build the canal in Panama. This canal helped assert a significant US presence in the Caribbean and buttressed Roosevelt's Roosevelt Corollary which stated that the US would oppose any attempt by European powers to establish new colonies in the Western Hemisphere. This became known as Roosevelt's "Big Stick" policy as the US essentially became an "international police power" in the Caribbean, sending troops regularly and collecting unpaid debts. Taft's "Dollar Diplomacy": Using American inventments in the Caribbean to promote American foreign policy objectives. Bankers lent loans to struggling countries, like Nicaragua, and in return the country gave up some control to the US. Wilson's "Watchful Waiting": President Wilson's policy of waiting to see what would happen before acting or making a decision on interference. The best example of this is his dealing with Pancho Villa and the unrest in Mexico. |