1. American Imperialism

2. What is Imperialism? American Imperialism: is the economic, military and cultural influence of the United States on other countries. Empire: a group of nations or territories ruled over by another sovereign government. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States continued it’s goal of Manifest Destiny and expanded it’s influence on the world stage. The West The Far West …I’m bored The WORLD

4. Economic Reasoning REASONS FOR…  Trade: colonies offered new markets to sell goods to, and land to cultivate more raw materials.  Shift from agricultural exports to industrial exports REASONS AGAINST…  Too much trade leads to interdependence, and therefore is a threat to our security as a nation.

5. Competitive Reasoning REASONS FOR…  Nationalism: American Imperialism would show the U.S. was a great and powerful nation  Military Power: Extending the military’s reach throughout the world REASONS AGAINST…  Colonization goes against our national identity.  We were a colony of Britain who fought for our own independence. How can we now take another people’s freedom away?

6. Humanitarian Reasoning REASONS FOR  Social Darwinism: the weak were diminished, while the strong grew in power and in cultural influence.  Wanted to “civilize other cultures”  Wanted to spread Christianity REASONS AGAINST  It is unethical to assume that another race is inferior  The US will always act in it’s own self interest.

7. Early American Imperialism 1. Acquiring Alaska and Hawaii ◦Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 through a treaty ◦Hawaii was desirable because of its strategic location and profitable sugar industry ◦Their monarchy was overthrown because of American influence in their industry. ◦Hawaii was a US territory until 1959 when Congress officially approved Hawaiian statehood.

9. Early American Imperialism  2. Influence on China  China began to trade with foreign nations, and quickly European nations divided China into spheres of influence: a geographic area where an outside nation exerts special economic or political control.  The US was too late to secure a sphere, so they introduced the Open Door Policy: gave all nations equal trading rights in china.  Many Chinese were angry with outside influences corrupting their cultural heritage, so they fought back against Western influence. This is known as the Boxer Rebellion.

12. Early American Imperialism  3. Influence on Japan  Japan was growing into a modern power through industrialization and militarization  In 1904 the Russo-Japanese War broke out.  Theodore Roosevelt negotiated the treaty between the Russians and the Japanese, and won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.  Teddy Roosevelt was worried about a Imperial Japan with too much power, so he sent a naval cruise around the islands of Japan to display our dominance.