T HE R OOTS OF I MPERIALISM

T HE C AUSES OF I MPERIALISM - E CONOMIC Countries seek to acquire resources that they do not produce in their own country. These resources could include tea, rubber, iron, petroleum and other manufactured goods. These weaker countries acted as extractive economies for the stronger countries– ones they could take resources from as needed. The United States had the opposite problem– too many goods and not enough people to sell to. The U.S. looked to expand markets to relieve surpluses.

C AUSES OF I MPERIALISM - M ILITARY Alfred T. Mahan was a military historian who had served in the U.S. Navy. He wrote a book called The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, which discussed the need for countries to have strong navies to maintain power. This led the U.S. to construct steel- plated battleships, and eventually the largest navy in the world.

C AUSES OF I MPERIALISM - N ATIONAL S UPERIORITY Social Darwinists believed the strong members of a society should remain to uphold the best qualities of a society. They believed this applied to countries as well– “white man’s burden” to rule over weaker countries. Frederick Jackson Turner believed that the frontier had acted as a safety valve for the U.S. People could go into the wilderness (uninhabited land) to avoid conflict.

C AUSES OF I MPERIALISM – N ATIONAL S UPERIORITY

W HITE MAN ’ S B URDEN Take up the White Man’s burden— Send forth the best ye breed— Go send your sons to exile To serve your captives' need To wait in heavy harness On fluttered folk and wild— Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half devil and half child Take up the White Man’s burden In patience to abide To veil the threat of terror And check the show of pride; By open speech and simple An hundred times made plain To seek another’s profit And work another’s gain Take up the White Man’s burden— And reap his old reward: The blame of those ye better The hate of those ye guard— The cry of hosts ye humour (Ah slowly) to the light: "Why brought ye us from bondage, “Our loved Egyptian night?” Take up the White Man’s burden- Have done with childish days- The lightly proffered laurel, The easy, ungrudged praise. Comes now, to search your manhood Through all the thankless years, Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers!

A MERICA ’ S F IRST S TEP T OWARDS W ORLD P OWER Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay, Japan in The Japanese were in awe of Perry’s fleet and gave him many gifts. This allowed Perry to establish a trade network with Japan– the first western power to do so. It set the model for establishing trade with other Pacific countries. Alaska was acquired in 1867 for $7.2 million from Russia. No one thought it had any viable resources, so they mocked William Seward for buying it. It did double the size of the U.S.

T HE U NITED S TATES A CQUIRES H AWAII Hawaii acted as a nice stopping point for ships going to Asia. The islands had resources such as sugarcane and bananas, so wealthy Americans established plantations. The local planters resented the new ruler– Queen Liliuokalani when she came to power in The U.S. government backed a rebellion ousting her in Wealthy planter, Sanford B. Dole, took over as leader in Hawaii. Hawaii was annexed by the U.S. in 1898, at the beginning of the Spanish-American War.

C LOSING Q UESTION What were the reasons behind imperialism? Which do you feel best justifies U.S. imperialism?