Turn of the Century Part 2 SS5H3. The student will describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century. c. Explain how William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt expanded America’s role in the world; include the Spanish-American War and the building of the Panama Canal.

William McKinley

William McKinley and the Spanish-American War In 1897, William McKinley became the president of the U.S. He entered the office when many citizens wanted America to grow and expand. The West was settled, and many citizens wanted to conquer foreign territories as well. They felt it was important to keep the nation strong. Others felt that the U.S. should civilize the rest of the world.

Many thought if the U.S. grew, it would produce wealth. In the late 1890’s, Cuba and Puerto Rico were ruled by Spain. The Cuban people wanted their independence and many of them revolted. They tried to rebel in 1868 and 1895, but both attempts were unsuccessful. The Spanish responded with military force, putting many Cubans in prison camps. In the U.S., many politicians called for war, saying it was the duty of the U.S. to defend the Cuban people.

When fighting between the Cubans and Spanish Military continued, President William McKinley sent the battleship USS Maine to Havana, Cuba. On February 18, 1895, the USS Maine exploded, killing more than 200 American soldiers. When the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in a Cuban harbor, the United States blamed Spain and declared war. Historians later declared that the explosion was probably and accident.

The Spanish-American War began on April 25, 1898. The first battles of the Spanish-American War were not fought in Cuba; they were fought in the Philippines. Less than two weeks after the war was declared, the U.S. Navy was sent to the Philippine Islands. Led by Commodore George Dewey, the Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet and captured Manila Bay.

Back in the U. S. , many Americans volunteered to fight in the war Back in the U.S., many Americans volunteered to fight in the war. The Army grew quickly from about 30,000 to more than 274,000. Among these who volunteered was Theodore Roosevelt, who had been an assistant secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt had quit his job to form a fighting company made up of mostly cowhands and college athletes, called the Rough Riders.

The Rough Riders took part in the Battle of San Juan Hill and the siege of Santiago. The siege ended on July 17, 1898, and the Spanish leaders in Santiago soon signed an armistice. The Spanish-American War lasted less than 4 months. More than 5,000 American soldiers died, mostly from diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.

The war made the U.S. a stronger world power. Under the peace treaty, Spain agreed to give the United States control of Cuba, Guam, the Philippine Islands, and Puerto Rico. Cuba became an independent country in 1901. The Philippine Islands gained independence in 1946. Guam and Puerto Rico are still possessions of the United States.

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal When Theodore Roosevelt returned from Cuba, he was very popular. Many people knew about him and liked him. He was soon elected governor of New York. Two years later, he became Vice President, serving under President William McKinley.

On September 6, 1901, President McKinley was shot in Buffalo, New York, by a person who was against the government. He passed away eight days later, and Roosevelt became President. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was a man of action. He believed the U.S. should actively use its power to shape events in the world. He believed that what happened in the rest of the world affected the U.S.

When Russia and Japan were at war with each other in 1904 and 1905, President Roosevelt helped the two nations work out a peace agreement. Because of this work, he became the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to a person or organization each year to a person or organization who helps bring peace to the world.

In 1907, President Roosevelt decided to remind other countries of the world that he was the leader of a powerful military force. He sent a fleet of warships, painted a dazzling white, on a worldwide cruise. According to Roosevelt, the Great White Fleet showed the world that Americans felt, “the Pacific was as much our home as the Atlantic.”

One of President Roosevelt’s goals was to build a canal across Panama, in Central America. The canal would link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This would link the American territories in the Atlantic with those in the Pacific. For years people had talked about building the canal, which would cut across the isthmus that joined North America and South America.

A French company tried to build a canal in the 1880’s but the thick jungle and the diseases that killed many workers forced the company to stop working on the project. In 1904, work began on the Panama Canal. Huge earth moving machines began to cut down trees and thick growth of the jungle. Engineers designed huge canal locks to help ships move though the waterway.

American workers were able to stay healthy while building the canal American workers were able to stay healthy while building the canal. Doctors now knew that mosquitoes carried malaria and yellow fever, the diseases that stopped the French. The Americans controlled the mosquitoes by draining all of the swamps where the insects lived. It took 10 years and $380 million. The first ship passed through the canal on August 15, 1914. Today, the canal helps move people and goods all around the world. Although the U.S. does not own the land in Panama, they control the Panama Canal and an area 5 miles wide on each side of it.

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