1. Imperialism America Claims an Empire
Chapter 10
Imperialism
America Claims an Empire

2. Section 1 – Defining Imperialism and Americans’ Views on Imperialism
Do you think it will be looked on it favorably or unfavorably?

3. What is Imperialism? What is an empire?
Imperialism: The policy by a stronger nation to attempt to create an empire by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, or militarily.
What is an empire?
Imperialism is very similar to colonialism, with one major difference: colonial powers settle the countries of which they gain control, while imperial powers do not. The term “imperialism” does not seem to exist prior to the 1800s.
Def: a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or other powerful sovereign or government:

4. European Nations had long established imperial colonies
British  India
French  Indochina
Spanish  Pacific and Caribbean
What about United States?
Africa

5. Most Americans gradually warmed to the idea of Imperialism
Why? (wait to list)
Economic competition among industrial nations…
Political and military competition - some believed U.S. lacked powerful armed forces and not able to defend its economic interests
Belief in the racial and cultural superiority of Anglo-Saxon (English) descent as compared to nonwhite people
$$$

6. #1 reason – Economic The Industrial Revolution
Advances in technology after Civil War enabled farmers and factories to produce more than American citizens could consume
US need raw materials and new markets for its manufactured goods
Solution to overproduction – FOREIGN TRADE (sell more than you buy)
Unemployment – Job Creation

7. What do we see happening…?
#1 What are they saying?
“…Whether they will or not, Americans must now begin to look outward. The growing production of the country demands it. And increasing volume of public sentiment demands it…” Alfred T. Mahan (meet him later)
“But today we are raising more than we can consume. Today we are making more than we can use. Today our industrial society is congested; there are more workers than there is work, there is more capital than there is investment. We do not need more money – we need more circulation, more employment. Therefore, we must find new markets for our produce, new occupation for our capital, new work for our
labor.” Senator Albert J. Beveridge
?? What course of action are Mahan and Beveridge
suggesting for the United States and Why?
What do we see happening…?

8. #2 - Military Strength and Alfred Mahan? Who was he?
Other nations establishing a global military presence…American experts agreed the US should build up its own military strength
* Admiral; Pres of Naval War College; outspoken advocate of American military expansion
Wrote - The Influence of Sea Power upon History
 Argued for a strong US navy to defend the peacetime shipping lanes essential to economic growth
 Also needed strategically located bases where fleets could refuel

9. Suggested… 3 Part Plan Naval bases in Caribbean Canal through Panama
Acquire Hawaii and other Pacific Islands

10. Transformed us into the world’s 3rd largest naval power
Military Strength
To demonstrate, Congress approves to build up American sea power
Includes 9 steel-hulled cruisers
- called Great White Fleet* (ex: Maine, Oregon)
Under Roosevelt  used to demonstrate growing American military power and naval capability. Hope  to enforce treaties and protect overseas holdings
*popular nickname
Transformed us into the world’s 3rd largest naval power
Any Guesses - #1 and #2?
#1 Great Britain
#2 Germany

11. #3 Ideological Motives - Cultural
A desire to “civilize” non-Europeans also spurred the development of imperialism
During this time – rise of a philosophy called Social Darwinism – a belief that free-market competition (def: A market economy based on supply and demand with little or no government control) would lead to the survival of the fittest with a belief in the racial superiority of Anglo-Saxons
All European nations who participated in imperialistic activities during this time period supported missionary activity in one way or another. In addition, a belief in the superiority of the white race produced the idea that whites had a responsibility to civilize non-whites. Although the term “survival of the fittest” was first used by Herbert Spencer in 1851, it gained greater fame when Charles Darwin used it in his discussion of natural selection in The Origin of Species. The late 19th century saw the rise of a philosophy known as “Social Darwinism,” which (among other things) used the principle of natural selection to explain the need for stronger countries to dominate weaker ones. Ideological motives both rationalized and provided a measure of justification for European imperialism.
Darwin’s handwritten cover page for The Origin of Species
Herbert Spencer

12. Literature of the time “The White Man’s Burden”
By British author Rudyard Kipling
Published in the February, 1899 issue of McClure’s Magazine and London Times
In this poem, British author Rudyard Kipling urged “civilized” nations to extend their control over those who were “half-devil and half-child.” (Note: The slide shows the first two stanzas of the poem.)
“The White Man’s Burden” was first published in McClure’s magazine, and it generated a tremendous response.
Let’s take a look at the poem…

13. Compare and Contrast White Man’s Burden Brown Man’s Burden
In what ways do these poems reflect a larger debate concerning Imperialism?  
What central ideas are being debated?

14. Background – The White Man’s Burden
Coincided with the beginning of the Philippine-American War
U.S. Senate had begun ratification of the treaty that placed Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba, and the Philippines under American control (Prize of winning Spanish-American War*)
Kipling's aim was to encourage the American government to take over the Philippines
Kipling friend of Roosevelt – he sent him a copy of the poem
Theodore Roosevelt (Gov. of NY  soon to become vice-president and then president) copied the poem and sent it to his friend, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
T.R. commenting that it was “rather poor poetry, but good sense from the expansion point of view.”
Lodge responded that it was "better poetry than you say," while apparently agreeing about its "standpoint
Not everyone was as favorably impressed as Roosevelt
The racialized notion of the “White Man’s burden” became a euphemism for imperialism
Both for Imperialists and anti-imperialists (opposition)

15. Defined civilization according to the standards of only one culture
The “White Man’s Burden” appeared in children’s books and even in advertisements of the time period.
US had a responsibility to spread Christianity and civilize the world’s “inferior” people
Highly racist – why?
Defined civilization according to the standards of only one culture
The advertisement in this slide shows U.S. Admiral George Dewey washing his hands with Pears’ Soap while surrounded by illustrations symbolizing “progress and civilization.” It was published on the inside front cover of the October 1899 issue of McClure's magazine.

16. Many authors wrote poems of their own mimicking “The White Man’s Burden” and attacked Kipling’s ideas Let’s take a look at Henry Labouchère’s “The Brown Man’s Burden” (offered a particularly harsh response).

17. Anti-Imperialism Some Americans believed in ethnic superiority to justify it BUT others saw imperialism as a threat
Rejected on moral and practical grounds
“To ‘protect the weak’ has always been the excuse of the rule and
tax-gatherer, the chief, the king, the baron; and now, at last,
of ‘the white man.’ “ Jane Addams (activist)
Nothing justified dominion of other countries
Those claimed were not given U.S. Constitutional protections
Suggested that US citizens were superior to the residents of the territory
Ex: The American Anti-Imperialist League
- created to battle the American annexation of the Philippines
Opposed expansion
Believed that imperialism violated the fundamental principle that just republican government must derive from "consent of the governed."
Argued that such activity would require the abandonment of American ideals of self-government and non-intervention —
ideals and values expressed in the United States Declaration of Independence and Constitution, George Washington's Farewell Address and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

18. Anti-Imperialism Some Americans believed in ethnic superiority to justify it BUT others saw imperialism as a threat
Cost of maintaining military force large enough to enforce U.S. claims abroad
Fear that expansion would take away jobs from U.S. workers…sounds like an argument of today…

19. Tweet Debate
marktwain
empirerocks

20. Mark Twain - Active Anti-Imperialist
Became outraged when the US became involved in imperialism.
 In Spanish-American war
Began with intervention on behalf of the Cubans, but the American victory in Cuba led to the Spanish surrender of all their possessions in the Pacific.
The United States had to decide what to do with them…Kipling wrote to keep them
President McKinley decided to keep most of the possessions.
Most controversial was the Philippines.
The Filipinos resisted American rule  Philippine American War
Forcing the Philippines to accept American rule outraged Twain.