1. America Claims an Empire Chapter 10
Imperialism and
America
10.1 Notes

2. What is Imperialism?
Policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political,
or military control over weaker territories
America looking to expand
Pacific Ocean area – Hawaii
Join Europe and establish colonies

3. Global Competition Africa = prime target of European expansionism
Ethiopia and Liberia – only independent countries
Asia
Competition for China w/ Japan and Europe
Manifest Destiny led U.S. to conquer all of America

4. Factors Fueling Imperialism
Desire for military strength
Other countries establishing
military presence
Admiral Alfred T. Mahan – U.S.
Navy
Urged expansion of U.S. naval
power
9 steel-hulled cruisers built by
1890
Modern battleships
Maine and Oregon
Become 3rd largest naval power

5. Thirst for new market needed too Foreign trade = solution to
Advances in technology
Farms and factory production extremely high
Americans couldn’t consume everything
Need to sell abroad
More raw materials
needed too
Foreign trade =
solution to
overproduction,
unemployment,
boosting economy

6. Belief in cultural superiority
Philosophy of Social Darwinism
Free market competition would lead to the survival of the fittest
Belief in racial superiority of Anglo-Saxons
U.S. responsibility to spread Christianity and “civilization” to “inferior people” of the world

7. U.S. Acquires Alaska
William Seward – expansionist Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson
Arranged to buy Alaska from Russia, 1867
$7.2 million
House of Reps
skeptical
“Seward’s Icebox” or
“Seward’s Folly”
1959 – Statehood
Rich in timber,
minerals, oil for 2 cents / acre

10. U.S. Takes Hawaii
Took over vacant Midway Islands (1,300 miles N. of HI) – 1867
HI economically important to U.S.
Stopping point for American merchants
Missionaries set up there
Children and grandchildren –
sugar planters
Crops mostly sold to U.S.

11. ¾ of HI wealth = American-owned sugar plantations
Laborers imported from Japan, Portugal, China
HI natives
outnumbered
by 1900
U.S. agree to import
sugar duty-free (no tax)
Production increased 9X’s
McKinley Tariff revoked duty-free sugar
HI planters forced to compete in markets

12. Militarists, economists knew value of HI
Pressured HI to allow U.S. naval base
Pearl Harbor becomes best port
Refueling station for U.S. ships too