1. Imperialism

2. What is Imperialism?
Imperialism: The policy in which nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories.

3. Why and what?
Manifest Destiny: American belief that we were destined by God to expand from the east coast to the west coast.
Imperialism: Policy in which stronger nations extend their economic policies to weaker ones.
How? Bullying techniques.
U.S. Imperialism: “Americanizing” and “civilizing” the territories we acquire. Democracy, Christianity, English language, and modernization.

4. 4 Factors that drove Americans to Imperialism
1. Economic Competition among industrial nations. 2. Political and Military Competition 3. Belief in the Racial and Cultural superiority of Anglo-Saxons (Caucasians) 4. Manifest Destiny: Belief that the U.S. is destined by God for greatness.

5. Admiral Alfred T. Mahan Sir Alfred Mahan
President of the Naval War College
He was a professor at the United States Military Academy
President of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Wrote a book called “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History. Encouraged the U.S. to modernize and increase the size of its navy in order to become a world power.

6. The Influence of Sea Power Upon History 1660-1783, Urges U.S. to:
Build a strong navy to defend peacetime shipping lanes.
Acquire strategically located bases where U.S. fleets could refuel.
Develop a modern fleet.
Establish Naval Base in the Caribbean.
Acquire Hawaii and other Pacific Islands.
Build a Canal in Panama.

7. The “Great White Fleet”
In response to Mahan the U.S. builds 9 new steel cruisers between
The U.S. Navy, became 5th in the world in naval power by 1898, by 1900 they were 3rd in the world.

8. Justification for Racism
*Social Darwinism (Herbert Spencer): Applied Charles Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” theory to the societies in the world. Human progress resulted from the triumph of advanced cultures over their inferior competitors.
*Studied and evaluated every civilization based upon: Wealth + Power = Greatness
*Result=Anglo Saxons are the best and need to civilize the world.
*Hierarchy of Races: “The Negro was at the foot of the Mongol, the Yellow Race between and Caucasians at the top. There’s a small gap between Primitives Races and the Gorilla.” (Robert Chambers)

9. Hierarchy of Races Whites: Caucasian Yellow: Asian Mongol: Eurasia
Negro

10. Where should the U.S. expand?
Non-white countries that will benefit us economically and militarily. “Inferior peoples.”
Hawaii, Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico, China, Guam, Panama, Nicaragua, and Mexico.