SSUSH14 Explain America’s evolving relationship with the world at the turn of the twentieth century. a. Describe how the Spanish-American War, war in the Philippines, and territorial expansion led to the debate over American imperialism. b. Examine U.S. involvement in Latin America, as reflected by the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine and the creation of the Panama Canal

a. Describe how the Spanish-American War, war in the Philippines, and territorial expansion led to the debate over American imperialism. The Spanish-American War (1898) was an important turning point for the U.S. It was a radical departure from the isolationist foreign policy of the preceding century, and marked the real emergence of the U.S. as a world power. The central issue between the United States and Spain revolved around Cuba. Several attempted rebellions had been brutally repressed by the Spanish, and support for Cuban independence grew steadily in the last decades of the 1800s. In 1895, Cuban rebels captured half the island and established the Republic of Cuba. The U.S. was officially neutral, but many openly supported military support and intervention for Cuban independence. The clamor for war was greatly increased by sensational newspaper reports of the Spanish brutality in Cuba. Often embellished and sometimes entirely fabricated, this “yellow journalism” set the public mood for war. In this tense atmosphere, a series of mishaps led to armed conflict. A letter was intercepted from the Spanish ambassador, containing insults to President William McKinley. Before the furor abated, a U.S. battleship, U.S.S. Maine, exploded in Havana harbor, killing over 250 sailors. The press immediately blamed Spain, but McKinley was reticent to declare war. Under intense political pressure McKinley agreed to the use of force to intervene in Cuba in April 1898. McKinley issued an ultimatum to the Spanish who responded by declaring war.

Spanish American War The recently modernized U.S. Navy had little trouble with the dilapidated Spanish fleets. U.S. warships cut off Spanish Cuba from resupply, and Spain’s Pacific fleet was destroyed, taking the Spanish colonies of Guam and the Philippines in the process. A ground force landed in Cuba in June 1898, defeating Spanish resistance a month later. Puerto Rico was also seized, but in the treaty that formally ended the war, Cuba was established as an independent republic. With its new global holdings, the U.S. became an imperial power.

War in the Philippines Filipino resistance to Spanish rule was well established before 1898. After the U.S. annexed the Philippines, revolution leaders such as Emilio Aguinaldo led a guerilla campaign against the U.S. forces. Aguinaldo was captured in 1901, effectively ending organized military resistance to American rule in the Philippines.

Expansionism Debate The debate over the U.S. annexation of former Spanish colonies presented a wide range of perspectives. Some in favor of American expansion cited the economic benefits of colonization, while others claimed the expense of maintaining colonies outweighed the benefits. The benefits of a Pacific naval base were obvious, but isolationist rhetoric also entered the debate. Some pointed to the “duty” of Americans to Christianize and “civilize” foreign peoples, while a few opponents saw such social imperialism as decidedly “un-American” in its suppression of self-determination. Still others, like AFL leader Sam Gompers protested expansionism because of the potential impact on domestic labor. In the end, the expansionists carried the day. In addition to the colonies seized from the Spanish, The United States annexed Hawaii in 1898, after having deposed the Hawaiian Queen some years earlier. The Philippines remained a U.S. possession until 1946. Hawaii became a state in 1959. Guam and Puerto Rico remain United States Territories.

b. Examine U.S. involvement in Latin America, as reflected by the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine and the creation of the Panama Canal As the United States entered the 20th century, it continued to assert its newfound role as global power. When Teddy Roosevelt became president upon McKinley’s assassination in 1901, he embraced and promoted the role of the U.S. as a world power. Roosevelt asserted that the U.S. would “speak softly and carry a big stick” in global affairs, including a reiteration of the Monroe Doctrine. This so-called Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine advances the original (1823) notion of the United States as protector of independent nations in the western hemisphere, adding that the United States will intervene anywhere in Central or South America to maintain political and economic stability in the Americas. Roosevelt had already demonstrated his willingness to intervene in Panama. The United States took over the attempt to construct a canal through the Panamanian isthmus from the French. Panama was a territory of Colombia, and when the lease for the canal zone was jeopardized by negotiations with Colombia, the United States helped to sponsor and support a coup to oust Colombia, establishing the independent nation of Panama.