1. Reasons for American Imperialism

2. “New Imperialism”
Colony: direct rule by a foreign power, backed with military force
Protectorate: indirect rule by a foreign power; local rulers left in place but must answer to foreign power
Sphere of influence (“economic imperialism”): no direct political control by foreign power, only interest of foreign power is in control of access to trade

3. Reasons for US to Grow an Empire
Need to develop new markets for US agricultural & manufactured goods: US producing more than it can use
Need new opportunities for capital investment
Mercantilism: belief that nations need to export more than they import to grow and maintain wealth
No more frontier: US had expanded as much as it could in North America
Manifest Destiny: Americans still believed that God favored their way of life and wanted them to spread elsewhere

4. Frederick Jackson Turner
1861 – 1932
Historian / Professor
1893: Proposed his “Frontier Thesis” which argued that American society had evolved as a result of always having a Western frontier; now that the frontier was closed, US was at risk of stagnation
Many interpreted this as meaning that the US needed to find new frontiers in order to maintain our position

5. Social Darwinism
Political, economic, and military competition between nations leads to the failure of the weak and the “survival of the fittest”
Small, “inferior” states will be overpowered by “superior” states

6. Anglo-Saxonism
Belief that English speaking nations were destined to rule due to superior character, ideas, and systems of government
Popular in Britain and the US
Fit well with American idea of “Manifest Destiny”

7. John Fiske 1842 – 1901 Writer / Historian
Argued that physical evolution of man had ended due to social developments
As a result, the society which is superior will be the dominant force in social evolution

8. Josiah Strong 1847 – 1916 Protestant minister
Americans should support imperialism because it spreads Christianity
The Anglo-Saxon race have a responsibility to “civilize and Christianize” the rest of the world
Identified 7 “perils” for American society: Catholicism, Mormonism, Socialism, intemperance, wealth, urbanization, & immigration

9. Capt. Alfred T. Mahan
1840 – 1914
1890: Wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History
Argued that powerful nations have powerful navies
Powerful navies require naval bases worldwide
His ideas won widespread political support in both Congress and the White House

10. The Great White Fleet
Fleet of 16 US battleships sent out on a world tour to demonstrate American naval might between 1907 and 1909 on orders of President Theodore Roosevelt
Greatly enhanced American prestige