1. Chapter 10 BECOMING A WORLD POWER 1872 – 1912
US. History

2. NOTES SECTION 1: The Imperialist Vision

3. I. Building Support for Imperialism
THREE REASONS FOR IMPERIALISM
A. A Desire for New Markets
1. economics  no one has ALL materials to be self-sufficient
2. US needed new markets
a. overproducing goods
B. Show military strength to rest of world
C. Feeling of Superiority
1. Social Darwinism:
Typically, countries get into imperialism biz b/c there are natural resources they want to TAKE. U.S. reason is different. At this time, all that industrialization we’ve been talking about has succeeded in making more goods that the US population can use. So the situation has two outcomes. 1. stop making goods, but that means workers get layed off/fired and our economy goes in the tank. Or 2., find new markets for our goods so we can keep up production. We chose to go with option 2.
We also wanted to show off our military power to the world, let people know we were now a big dog on the block.
Lastly, we see social darwinism rear its head again – we felt we were superior to these other places and felt it was our job to export not only our goods, but our way of life to help civilize these people, so they can live better lives.

4. II. 1st Steps to Imperialism
A. Commodore M. Perry opens Japan (1850s)
1. Japan had restricted contact
2. westernized (Jap Industr. Revol.)
B. Annexing Hawaii (1898)
1. Most important port in Pacific
2. Rest and refuel
3. sugar cane
4. Pearl Harbor  navy
Our first statement of power was in 1850s when Matthew Perry sails US Navy into Tokyo to intimidate the Japanese into opening up to western trade. Up till then Japan was the big dog on the Asian block and very elitists and has severely restricted contact with world outside Asia. We put end to that, but also helped them to industrialize.
Our first taking of territory was Hawaii in US had been involved in the Kingdom of Hawaii since the 1870s with the raising of sugar cane. In the 1880s we convinced the King to allow the US to build a naval base there so our ships could stop there and refuel. Probably not a good idea b/c ultimately when we decided to take the islands, we already had a foothold there. Lady pictures is Queen Lillukilana (yes, it’s mispelled, but close enough). She officially abdicated (gave up) thrown in 1898 when she had no other choice.

5. III. Building a Modern Navy
A. Alfred T. Mahan (U.S. Navy Admiral)
1. The Influence of Sea Power Upon
History (EOC term)
2. Every great power in history …
3. Need large navy to protect
economic interests
4. Need bases around world to
supply/support the navy
a. imperialism way to go (own
instead of rent)
Mahan wrote the influential book “The influence of sea power upon History” in In it, he said that every great power in history had a dominant navy and if we are to have overseas territories, we must have a navy to protect them. In fact, that protection of trade and economic interests are the only reason to have a great navy.
He promoted imperialism over agreements with other nations to have bases on their territory. We’d rather own than rent.
Teddy Roosevelt would be a big proponent of Mahan’s ideas and would, when he became president in 1899, follow Mahan’s advice and commission the building of a modern navy that would become known as the “Great White Fleet” b/c the ships would be huge and painted bright white so they would look impressive and stand out starkly against the ocean as they sailed into foreign ports, thereby intimidating the locals.

6. Essential Questions What were the 3 reasons for imperialism?
What are two reasons Hawaii was important to the US?
What were the main beliefs as to why Alfred Mahan said the US needed bases around the world?

7. NOTES SECTION 2: SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
U.S. History

8. Florida State Standard: SS.912.A.4.3
Examine the causes, course and consequence of the Spanish-American War.

9. I. The Coming of War A. Cuban Rebellion Begins (1895)
1. independence from Spain
2. Led by Jose Marti
3. Destroy US-backed sugar farms
B. USS Maine to Havana Harbor (1898)
1. Protect US interests; explodes!
Our involvement in Cuba began as we watched the Cuban’s try to win independence from Spain in Jose Marti led the rebellion and, hoping to get the US to step in and help them, started to destroy US-owned sugar farms. Didn’t work, but did get us to send the battleship USS Maine into Havana Harbor in 1898 as a kind of warning to Spain to not get too crazy in trying to put down the rebellion. It was also there to protect US interests on the island (our companies owned most of the agricultural operations on the island).
In a surprise event, the USS Maine explodes while at anchor in the harbor. Now the question becomes, was it some sort of accident, or was it an act of sabotage by the Spanish?

12. C. American people support the Cubans 1. Govt: officially neutral
2. New York papers
a. Hearst vs. Pulitzer
3. Yellow journalism (sensationalism)
a. Cubans fed to dogs/sharks
4. Cubans suffering
a. concentration camps
b. starvation/disease
During the Cuban’s fight for independence, our government officially had been neutral, but the American public generally supported the Cubans. In NYC, especially, people favored the Cubans, based upon what they read in the city’s two biggest newspapers, the Herald and the World, owned by rival William R. Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
The two papers competed against each other to get readers, and have turned to a practice called Yellow Journalism which is, at the very least, sensationalizing the truth and at worst, downright lying or making stuff up. They reported that the Spanish had fed Cuban civilians to dogs and sharks, among many other horrible things. The Spanish had not done anything quite that bad, but had set up concentration camps in which they imprisoned some Cubans, who were then subject to starvation and diseases without medical attention.

13. 1. President McKinley wants peace a. US as mediator: Spain says “OK”
D. Calling out for war
1. President McKinley wants peace
a. US as mediator: Spain says “OK”
b. Rebels: “No, want full independence”
2. The De Lome letter
a. Span. Ambassador private letter
b. McK “weak”
3. “Remember the Maine”
4. Political cause: McK feared if no war,
Dems win presidency in next election
5. Teller Amendment: Cuba independent
As the American people move toward wanting war, the gov’t is trying desperately to stay neutral and interject itself into the war as a peace negotiator for the two sides, but the rebels refuse to come to the table.
The deLome letter begins to tip the scales in favor of war. It’s a letter written by the Spanish ambassador to America (de Lome) to his bosses back in Spain. At that time, all mail to spain from Washington DC went through Spain’s territory of Cuba. A Cuban in the mail room in Havana reads the letter and gives it to a reporter. In the letter, de Lome called McKinley weak and said the Americans were too afraid to get involved. Once this went in the papers, it was all over.
McKinley then has no choice but to declare war, b/c if he doesn’t he’ll look weak to American people and the opposing party (democrats) will win the next election.
In the declaration of war, the Teller Amendment was included that stated once the US kicked spain’s butt, we would grant Cuba its independence (yeah, right.)

14. II. The War: Battle on Two Fronts
A. The Philippines (Pacific)
1. protect US backside
2. Commodore George Dewey
3. Natives launch guerrilla war
B. Battles in Cuba
1. Teddy Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders”
2. San Juan / Kettle Hills victories
The war was minimally fought in Cuba, as we pretty much kicked butt and took names there. The bigger, more important battle in the Spanish-American War was in the Phillipines, which are islands in the Pacific between China and Australia. We wanted it, Spain owned it. We said we attacked there in order to keep the Spanish from being able to blindside us by attacking California, but that was crap. It was too far away from Cali for the Spanish to actually do that. Real reason we wanted it was so we would have a base of operations from which to launch an economic push into China. We started off by getting the Filipino rebels to launch a guerilla war, then we sailed in with our navy and finished the job.
The only real notable part of war that happened in Cuba was Teddy Roosevelt leading the “Rough Riders” unit to victory at San Juan Hill. This made him a cowboy-ish hero figure that would help him in politics and in just a few years, put him in the White House.

15. III. Consequences: U.S. Empire is Born
A. Cuba free
B. Guam/Puerto Rico to the U.S.
C. Debate over Annexation of Philippines
1. Good place 4 Naval Base
2. market for American goods
3. Close to China
4. Can “civilize” the natives
D. McKinley did annex
So at end of the war, for the first time, we have actively gone out and conquered places in order to expand our holdings and create an American empire. Cuba we free, but force them to put the Platt Amendment in their Constitution (more on that later). We take possession of former spanish territories of Guam (South Pacific) and Puerto Rico (caribbean). Despite debating whether or not to give Phillipines independence, which we had actually promised (oops!), we don’t. Strategically, it’s just too important, so McKinley annexed it (added it to our possessions).

16. Essential Questions
How did “yellow journalism” lead to start of Spanish American war?
What impact did De Lome Letter have on build up to war?
Why did the US want to annex (add) the Philippines?

17. NOTES SECTION 3: Ruling the New Empire

18. Florida State Standard: SS.912.A.4.2
Explain the motives of the U.S. acquisition (taking) of territories.

19. I. Puerto Rico and Cuba A. Puerto Rico
1. US control (has gained some self-gov.)
2. strategic Caribbean locale
a. protect future canal
b. Base of ops for Navy
Mostly self-explanatory, but clarification on point a., protect future canal. There were already plans to build a short-cut canal through central America to shorten time took to get from Atlantic to Pacific (don’t want to go around S. America). Puerto Rico would give a good place to base protective forces in case some Euro country tried to get involved.

20. 1. sugar, tobacco and mining 2. Ties to United States in Cuban
B. Cuba
1. sugar, tobacco and mining
2. Ties to United States in Cuban
constitution (Platt Amendment)
a. No treaties to weaken or give land
b. US can buy/lease naval stations
c. low debts to keep foreign out
d. US right to protect Cuba
Cuba was told it was free, but Platt Amendment basically makes us to Big Brother who calls the shots when we want to. Basically we said they could make their own decisions until we wanted to make their decisions for them. Platt Amendment said Cuba cannot, without our permission, make treaties that would weaken their independence or give land to other contries. We get to buy/lease naval stations (you’ve hear of Guantanamo Bay, right?). It required Cuba to keep its foreign debts low, so no other country would come in and try to start crap to get them to pay on a loan. Finally, Cuba recognized the US had the right to protect Cuba and its American interests on the island.

21. II. Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, Alaska
See notes from previous sections or sections 1 and 2 in your textbook.
Already talked Philippes and Guam. Prior to S-A War, we had annexed the Kingdom of Hawaii (cheap sugar) and bought Alaska from Russia (who knows why at the time but considering the oil that was discovered, good for us)

22. III. Open Door Policy in China
China weak  Euro powers moving in
U.S. worried we’d be shutout economically
John Hay’s Open Door Notes
To Euro leaders  “let’s all share”
Euro accepts (impact of US Naval Power!)
Now comes China. We all know the place is huge and for all the talk of the great Chinese dynasties, none really control more than about ¼ of what we know as China today. Place was just too big. As a result, most Euro powers had long taken control of areas of the country, known as spheres of influence. Within those spheres, that Euro country dominated and controlled. Now, we know there are a LOT of Chinese people, so that was a lot of possible consumers for American goods. So we wanted in.
The Open Door Notes were sent to the Euro powers requesting that everybody share and play nice (in other words, let us in on the game) and they all agreed (had to) b/c of our naval power (steel, powerful, nearly indestructible ships. Thanks Bessemer!). Thus starts the Open Door Policy.
Important: Whenever you hear the term “Open Door Policy” this year, and on the EOC, remember that it has to do with CHINA! Remember that and you should be OK with any multiple choice question.

23. Political cartoon about the open door policy.

24. NOTES SECTION 4: Panama Canal
U.S. History

25. Florida Standard SS.912.A.4.4
Analyze the economic, military and security motivations of the U.S. to complete the Panama Canal as well as major obstacles involved in its construction.

26. I. T. Roosevelt becomes President
A. McKinley’s VP 2nd term
B. McKinley shot in Buffalo
1. TR becomes youngest pres at 42
2. never meant to be Prez
a. Jazzed up ticket in 1900
C. TR’s beliefs (progressive)
1. duty to help “less civilized”
2. active in world affairs

27. II. Building Panama Canal
A. Shorten Atlantic-Pacific distance
1. Military/security:
2. Economics:
B. French company had started canal
1. gave up b/c bankrupt
2. Sold rights to US
C. Panama part of Colombia
1. US offered $10 million for “canal zone”
2. Rejected
3. Encouraged Panama rebels to revolt
D. Made deal with free Panama
Shortcut would be handy for two reasons. First, allow the US to effectively control the entire hemisphere with our navy. We can quickly move naval assets as needed between atlantic and pacific coast.
Second, is economics. The less fuel and less time it takes to ship goods from east to west, or vice versa, on ships, the less it costs companies. Remember, time is money. Cut down on amount of money it costs to get a good to its destination, cut the cost of the good, which makes US-made goods more affordable. People buy US-made goods, they support US jobs and the economy can grow.
Why panama? We had originally wanted to build canal in Nicaragua, but the French had already started the Panama one. They underestimated the cost, both in money and in lives (mosquitoes and malaria caused LOTs of deaths). They gave up and sold rights to the US.
However, still a hurdle to clear and that was Panama was at that time part of Colombia and they didn’t want to give up the rights, even for 10 million. So we then stuck the idea in the heads of the panamanians to do what everybody was doing at that time – rebel! We supported them, they “won” independence (Colombian basically let them go b/c they knew we’d get involved and crush them) and sold the canal zone to us for 10 million.

28. Various pictures of canal, as well as maps.

29. III. Roosevelt Corollary
A. Monroe Doctrine (1823):
1. R. Corollary: US would intervene in Latin America in cases involving stability of the hemisphere (officially “big brother”)
Roosevelt Corollary is an addition to the Monroe Doctrine from 1823 in which we told European countries to stay out of our half of the world. If they messed with any country over here, trying to reclaim their colonies, they would be messing with us.
Corollary added that we would intervene in the business of countries in our hemisphere who were messing themselves up. Basically we told nations in North and South America and caribbean that if they couldn’t take care of their own business, we would take care of it for them.
Basically this is the beginning of the US becoming the world’s police force, although only applied to our half of the world. We’d add the other half after WW2.

30. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS, Pt. 3
What was the economic motivation for the Panama Canal?
What was the military/security motivation for Panama Canal?
Why did we choose Panama as the location of the canal?