Hawaii

Use textbook pg548-51

On December 18, 1893, President Grover Cleveland said to Congress, “Thus it appears that Hawaii was taken possession of by the United States forces without the consent or wish of the government of the islands, or of anybody else so far as shown, except the United States minister.” President Cleveland was referring to the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, led by Queen Liliuokalani.

Local residents, largely of American or European origin had revolted, led by business leaders, such as plantation owners, who complained of corruption and incompetence. U.S. troops landed to prevent violence, effectively blocking the Hawaiian government from preventing the takeover of the government building in Honolulu. The new republic wanted American annexation but had to wait until 1898, after the end of the Cleveland administration, to bring this about. Plantation owners gained much, but the impact on the Hawaiian language, culture and society was far-reaching. In 1959, the residents of Hawaii voted to become the 50th state.

What were the United States’ motivations for expansion into the Pacific Ocean?

  • Increased trade with China and Japan led to increased need for a Pacific trading port.
  • Hawaii had a favorable climate for growing sugar cane, a product not easily grown on mainland United States.

Imperialism

Imperialism is a practice by which a foreign power extends political and economic influence or control over another country. Following Reconstruction, in a period known as the Age of Imperialism, European countries and the United States sought to extend their political and economic influence throughout the world. Even as the United States was halting immigration from China through the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and anti-Asian sentiment in the western region of the United States was on the rise, the United States still looked to Asia as a potential region for economic gain. The United States believed it was its destiny to expand overseas and spread its civilization to other people, particularly to countries with abundant resources.

European countries searched for raw materials and markets in countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. They competed for economic power and influence in areas across the world. For example, in the late 19th century, European powers and Japan divided China into spheres of influence. These were areas where Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and Japan held positions of influence. Each country controlled trade within its sphere.

The Spanish-American War

Use textbook pg 553-55

An uprising against Spanish ruled Cuba occurred in 1895. Though President Cleveland declared United States neutrality, many in Congress wanted to intervene. Interest in Cuba was bolstered by the yellow journalism of newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Both men sensationalized events in Cuba as a way to boost sales and incite public opinion.

PulitzerHearst

In 1898, the USS Maine, stationed in Spanish-controlled waters off the coast of Cuba, inexplicably blew up. Some 266 American sailors died. Though an investigation found that Spain had not attacked the ship, Hearst and Pulitzer jumped at the chance to capitalize. Pro-war legislators saw a free Cuba as an opportunity for economic development. Proponents of a large American navy and overseas expansion saw war with Spain as an opportunity to extend influence and gain territories.

The Spanish-American War erupted two months after the sinking of the USS Maine. During what Secretary of State John Hay described as “a splendid little war,” future President Theodore Roosevelt led his calvary unit, the Rough Riders, at the Battle of San Juan. In 1901, the United States granted Cuba independence, providing Cubans agreed to the Platt Amendment to Cuba’s news constitution. This said that Cuba would not make treaties with other nations that were against America’s interests and gave America control of the naval base at Guantanamo Bay. It was canceled in 1934.

The first shots of the Spanish-American War occurred in the far-off Spanish-ruled Philippines. There the U.S. defeated the Spanish navy and took over the city of Manila. Filipino rebels seized the island of Luzon. The Americans captured the city of Manila with rebel help. The rebels declared the Philippines independent of Spain. A failed revolt against American rule followed. The Philippines eventually achieved complete independence in 1946.

Panama Canal

Use textbook pg 566-67

From 1881 to 1887, France attempted to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Eager to take over the project, in 1903 the United States signed a treaty that granted it a permanent lease over a 10-mile-wide swathe across the isthmus for $10 million and an annual rent of $250,000. Work on the Panama Canal began the next year. Over 40,000 people worked on the canal, which opened on August 15, 1914. The canal reduced the voyage of a ship traveling from New York to San Francisco by almost 8,000 miles. The building of the Panama Canal was part of an American foreign policy whose intent was to extend American influence throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

Use textbook pg 568

In 1904, President Roosevelt issued his Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The policy established the United States as the policing power of the Western Hemisphere. President Roosevelt and his political and military advisors believed that United States should intervene in order to stabilize the political and economic affairs of small countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Roosevelt wanted these countries to be able to collect tariffs and taxes so they could pay their international debts, and especially wanted to keep Europeans from interfering.

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”

President Theodore Roosevelt applied this proverb to American foreign policy. How does this cartoon explain American imperialism in the early 1900s?

Immigration Restrictions

Use the textbook pages 464-65

Many native-born Americans thought of their country as a melting pot, a mixture of people of different cultures and races who blended together by abandoning their native languages and customs. Many new immigrants, however, did not wish to give up their cultural identities. As immigration increased, strong anti-immigrant feelings emerged. One response to the growth in immigration was nativism, or overt favoritism toward native-born Americans. This idea gave rise to anti-immigrant groups & led to a demand for immigration restrictions.

A large number of Chinese immigrants began entering the United States during the 1800s through Angel Island on the west coast. Many worked on railroads and were willing to take lower wages for jobs. This created an anti-Asian sentiment among native-born Americans who feared that jobs would go to Chinese immigrants.

In 1882, Congress slammed the door on Chinese immigration for ten years by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act. This banned entry to all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials. In 1892, Congress extended the law for another ten years. In 1902, Chinese immigration was restricted indefinitely; the law was not repealed until 1943.