1. The Imperialist Vision

2. Terms You Need to Know!!! Neutrality: Isolationism: Interventionism:
a policy of staying out of conflicts between other nations
Isolationism:
a policy of avoiding alliances and other political and economic agreements with other nations; “keeping to yourself”
Interventionism:
the policy or practice of becoming involved in the affairs of others, especially when nations become involved in the affairs of other nations; “getting in someone else’s business.”
Nationalism:
a sense of identity and pride in one’s country; patriotism.
Expansionism:
a policy of acquiring more territory

3. More Terms…
Anglo-Saxonism- the belief in the superiority of Anglo-Saxon (English Speaking) characteristics or of the Anglo-Saxon (English Speaking) people
Social Darwinism- Theory to explain the success of certain social groups. “survival of the fittest”,
Survival of the Richest

4. Manifest Destiny
The belief that it was the “obvious fate” of the United States to eventually expand all the way across the North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, and that this expansion was not only inevitable, it was also right and proper.

5. Imperialism
The policy or practice of extending the power and influence of a nation through direct territorial acquisitions. Under imperialism, stronger nations attempt to create Empires by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, and militarily.

6. By 1890, the U.S., not yet a world power, was eager to join the competition for new territories. Manifest destiny had been applied between the 1830s and 1850s to acquire such lands as Texas, California, and New Mexico. These were the early steps toward claiming an American empire.

7. European Imperialism
The late 1800s marked the peak of European imperialism.
At this time, much of Asia and Africa were under foreign domination.
Great Britain, France, and Russia were the leading imperialist powers.

9. Arguments for American Imperialism:
Colonies would serve as a source for raw materials
Colonies would provide new markets for American goods
Imperialism would help to preserve the American spirit and allow the U.S. to take a place among the world’s powers
Anglo-Saxonism
Social Darwinism-mercantilism

10. Anti-imperialists argued:
that to build an empire at the expense of others would betray the American ideal of “liberty for all”
against the danger of the political and military entanglements that would certainly follow the claiming of an empire; many felt that the U.S. should just mind its own business.

11. Feeling of Superiority
Social Darwinism
Anglo-Saxonism
John Fiske
English speaking nations had superior character, ideas, and systems of government
Manifest Destiny
Josiah Strong
Linking missionary work with Anglo-Saxonism

12. Captain Alfred T. Mahan
The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660 – 1783
Protect/Defend
Trade
Want of new markets + Anglo Saxonism + European Imperialism + Mahan’s theories = Congress authorized the construction of a modern navy

13. Building a Modern Navy
Risked/Threatened war 3 times – Became Assertive in Foreign Affairs
1888: Prevent Germany from taking control of Samoa (South Pacific)
1891: Chile forced to pay reparations for attacking American sailors
1895: Backed Venezuela against Great Britain in a border dispute (British Guiana)

14. Commodore Matthew C. Perry
Sent to Japan to open trade (Japan believed excess contact with the West would destroy their culture)
July 8, 1853 – Landed at Edo Bay
“WOW”ed by technology (had never seen a steamship)

15. Treaty of Kanagawa
US could trade at 2 Japanese ports, buy supplies at all ports
Help promised to US ships in trouble (shipwrecked)
Peace
Japanese launched an Industrial Revolution, built a powerful navy and begun building an empire in Asia

16. Alaska/Midway
Sec. Of state William Seward arranged for the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million
“Seward’s folly” or “Seward’s icebox”
Seward also encouraged the annexation of the Midway Islands in the Pacific as a refueling and repair station for the navy

17. Annexing Hawaii
US was looking for ports to refuel and resupply while crossing the Pacific
1872 – severe recession struck Hawaii
1875 – US exempted Hawaiian sugar from tariffs for exclusive rights to a naval base (Pearl Harbor)
Treaty led to a boom in Hawaiian sugar industry…

18. 1887 – Prominent planters (Sanford B
1887 – Prominent planters (Sanford B. Dole) pressured Hawaiian king into accepting a constitution that limited his authority
1892 – Queen Liliuokalani
1893 – Queen L tried to impose a new constitution to reassert power
Planters, backed by US Marines (USS Boston) forced the Queen to step down
1898 – US Annexed Hawaii

19. Diplomacy in Latin America
US leaders wanted to increase the sale of American goods
James G. Blaine (Secretary of State)
Pan-Americanism
October 2, 1889 – 1st Pan-American Conference held in Washington, DC
Rejected Commercial Bureau of the American Republics….now known as Organization of American States (OAS)

20. Why did the US seek to become an imperialist power?
National Pride
Manifest Destiny
New Markets
Yellow Journalism

21. 3 Main Causes of American Imperialism
The belief in the superiority of American culture (democracy and moral ideologies)
The belief that the country needed a large navy for security with bases overseas
The belief that the economy needed overseas markets