The United States began expanding its overseas interests in the mid-19th century. In 1853, Commodore Perry opened trade with Japan after sailing a warship into Tokyo Bay. The US later purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. By the late 1800s, expansionists argued that overseas expansion was needed to promote economic growth and spread American values. This contributed to the US gaining control over Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines after defeating Spain in the Spanish-American War of 1898, making the US an imperial power.

1. The United States Looks Overseas
1853-1915

2. Eyes on the Pacific

3. Opening Japan to Trade
 U.S.
 Merchants were eager to trade w/ Japan
 Japan
 Had blocked outside trade & barred foreigners from entering or leaving
country for 250 years
 1853
 U.S. warship commanded by Commodore Matthew C. Perry sailed into
Tokyo Bay
 Presented Japanese w/ a Presidential letter calling for trading rights to Americans
 Japanese were amazed by U.S. warship & its guns
 1854
 Perry returned to Japan & signed a treaty opening Japan for trade
 Japan also recognized their weakness w/ Perry visit
 Set out to transform Japan into an industrial nation that could compete
in modern world

4. Purchasing Alaska
 1867
 Alaska purchased from Russia for $7.2 million
 Alaska was viewed as a stepping stone for trade w/ Asia
& the Pacific
 Increased the area of the U.S. by almost 1/5
 Purchase was opposed by many Americans
 Was a frozen wasteland
 Views changed when gold was discovered in 1897

5. The Expansionist Mood
 Until late 1800s
 Americans followed George Washington’s advice to steer clear of
permanent alliances
 Isolationism policy followed
 Avoiding involvement in other countries’ affairs
 European nations undertook policy of imperialism during this time
 Building empires by imposing political & economic control over peoples
around the world
 Late 1800s
 New spirit of expansionism
 Arguments for increased involvement in world affairs
 Promoting economic growth & spreading American values
 New view of history also encouraged expansionism

6. The Turner Thesis
 1893
 Frederick Jackson Turner
 Thesis: western frontier had defined
American history, built individualism &
democratic values
 Conclusion: “And now, four centuries from
the discovery of America, at the end of a
hundred years of life under the
Constitution, the frontier has gone, and
with its going has closed the first period of
American history.”
 Few historians accept his thesis
 Idea of a closing frontier influenced
expansionists like Theodore Roosevelt
 Overseas expansion was the new frontier
 Would help renew nations vitality & strength

7. Promoting Economic Growth
 U.S.
 Powerful industrial economy
 Produced more than would be
bought in U.S.
 Nervous that expanding European
empire would close global
markets & access to raw materials
 Alfred T. Mahan
 Expansionist support
 Naval captain & author
 U.S. prosperity depended on trade
 Key was a strong navy to control
world’s sea lanes, protecting U.S.
access to foreign markets

8. Spreading American Values
 Late 1800s
 Americans
 Believed “Anglo-Saxon race” was superior
 American had divine duty to spread Christian values &
western civilization around the world

9. Gaining Footholds in the Pacific
 Pacific Islands
 Essential for expanding trade & U.S. influence
 Rivalry for Samoa
 U.S. Steamships Co. & Navy wanted to set up coaling stations
 Britain & Germany also wanted Samoa
 1889
 Warships from 3 countries were sent to Samoa
 Typhoon struck & destroyed most of the warships
 1899
 U.S. & Germany divided the islands of Samoa
 People of Samoa had no say in the matter

10. Interest in Hawaii
 Location between Asia & U.S.
 Could serve as U.S. military outpost
 1st people
 Came by canoe from other Pacific islands in 600s
 1778 Captain James Cook arrived
 1820 1st American missionaries arrived
 To convert Hawaiians to Christianity
 Later other Americans acquired land & set up plantations
 Sugar industry
 As it grew so did power of American planters
 1887
 American planters forced Hawaiian king Kalakaua to accept a new
constitution that gave them great influence
 1891
 Kalakaua died & was succeeded by his sister Liliuokalani
 She was a strong advocate for Hawaiian independence & refused to recognize the
1887 constitution
 Wanted to restore power of monarchy & reduce foreign influence

11. Annexing Hawaii
 1893
 American planters organized an uprising
 w/o U.S. gov’t consultation they had 50 U.S. Marines
overthrow the queen & set up a pro-American gov’t
 Annex proposal was rejected by President Grover
Cleveland
 Revolt was illegal & not supported by Hawaiian people
 William McKinley, Cleveland’s successor supported
annexation & a treaty to do so
 July 7, 1898
 Congress voted to make Hawaii a territory of the U.S.

12. Carving up China
 Later 1800s
 China just finished an unsuccessful war
 European powers & Japan seeing China’s weakness
forced Chinese empire to grant them land & trading
rights
 Divided China into spheres of influence
 Areas where another nation has economic & political control

13. Open Door Policy
 U.S. excluded from initial
dividing of China
 Feared to be excluded from
the China trade
 1899
 U.S. Secretary of Sate John
Hay issued to other powers
 Called for open door in China
 Wanted the guarantee for all
nations to be able to trade w/
China on an equal basis
 Response was quick, mostly
saying neither yes or no
 Hay publicly announced the
Open Door Policy had been
accepted

14. Boxer Rebellion
 Many Chinese resented foreign influences
 Secret society, Righteous and Harmonious Fists, was formed
 Called Boxers by Europeans
 1900
 Boxers rebelled to expel foreigners
 Back by Chinese gov’t they attacked & killed westerners & Chinese
Christians
 Churches were burned & homes of foreigners
 Outside powers, including U.S., sent 18,000 troops w/ modern
weapons in
 Freed trapped foreigners, crushed the rebellion, looted the
capital, & killed thousands of Chinese

15. The Open Door Again
 Secretary Hay feared Boxer rebellion would cause
powers to seize more Chinese territory
 Issued 2nd Open Door note
 Repeated principle of open trade & made stronger
statement about American intentions to preserve trade
 China should remain one country & not be broken up

16. The Spanish-American War

17. War Clouds Loom
 Cuba
 Under Spanish rule since 1492
 Discontent w/ Spanish harsh rule
 1868 Cuban uprising began, but put down 10 years later

18. Rebellion in Cuba
 1895
 Cuban uprising
 Spanish began reconcentration policy
 Forced movement of large numbers of people into detention
camps for military or political reasons
 Food was scarce & sanitation poor
 200,000 died
 Cuban exiles in U.S.
 Led by Jose Marti
 Urged U.S. to help rebels

19. Americans React
 Americans were sympathetic to Cuban rebels
 Urged U.S. gov’t to help oust Spain
 Others for economic reasons
 Safeguard U.S. investments in Cuba ($50 million invested in Cuban sugar & rice
plantations, railroads, & iron mines)
 President Cleveland
 Ignored calls for intervention
 William McKinley
 Became President in 1897
 Also ignored calls for intervention
 New York press
 Loudest supporters of intervention
 William Randolph Hearst
 Rival of Joseph Pulitzer
 Worked for New York Journal
 Used sensational stories & headlines
 Both Pulitzer & Hearst focused their attention on Cuba in their writings

20. “Remember the Maine”
 1898
 Fighting broke out in Havana, Cuba
 McKinley ordered battleship Maine to Havana harbor to
protect American lives & pr0perty
 February 15 @ 9:40 p.m.
 Great explosion sank the Maine & killed 260 men
 Cause unknown to this day
 Press & public blamed Spain; demanded revenge

21. The U.S. Goes to War
 McKinley
 Favored peace @ 1st
 War would disrupt U.S. economy
 Gave in to public pressure
 April 11, 1898
 Asked Congress to declare war on Spain
 9 days later they did

22. Surprise in the Philippines
 1st great battle not fought in Cuba
 Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt
 Eager to expand U.S. naval power
 After Maine sunk, ordered Commodore George Dewey
(head of Pacific fleet) to move ships to Philippines
 May 1
 Dewey & small fleet of American warships sunk entire
Spanish squadron at Manila Bay
 No American ship or life was lost

23. Fall of Manila
 Filipinos
 Also revolting against Spain
 Emilio Aguinaldo
 Rebel leader
 Enlisted by Dewey to seize Manila
 U.S. quickly gained control of Philippines
 Aguinaldo was major help
 Overlooked that he was fighting for Philippine
independence
 Soon he would be fighting the U.S.

24. War in the Caribbean
 Santiago & Sea
 Main place fighting took place
 American ground forces arrived in June
 Poorly trained & equipped, eager to fight though
 Rough Riders
 Led by Theodore Roosevelt
 Best known unit
 July 1st led his men on a successful charge up San Juan Hill
 Most celebrated event of war
 Americans black & white fought in Santiago
 U.S. ships trapped Spanish fleet in Santiago
 Tried to escape & was destroyed by U.S.; 24,000 surrendered two weeks
later
 U.S. troops invaded Puerto Rico next
 Quickly brought under U.S. control

25. An American Empire
 December 1898
 Spain & U.S. signed peace treaty
 Spain: accepted Cuban independence
 U.S. : acquired Puerto Rico, Philippines, Guam, & Wake
 Paid Spain $20 million

26. Debating the Treaty
 Angry debate followed treaty signing
 Taking colonies violated principle of the Declaration of
Independence
 Also brought risk of future wars
 Expansionists: gave U.S. important bases & provided
new business opportunities
 Duty to spread the ideas of democratic government
 Treaty ratified on February 6, 1899
 U.S. now had overseas empire

27. Governing Cuba & Puerto Rico
 U.S. new Caribbean power
 Cuba did not gain independence sought
 Forced to sign Platt Amendment in 1902
 Limited Cuba’s power to make treaties or borrow money & gave U.S. right
to intervene in Cuban affairs
 U.S. could also have naval base @ Guantanamo Bay
 Cuba was made a protectorate of the U.S.
 An independent country whose policies are controlled by an outside
power
 Foraker Act of 1900
 Set up gov’t in Puerto Rico w/ U.S. appointed governor
 Limited self-rule
 U.S. developed Puerto Rico’s economy & educational system
 1917 were made citizens of the U.S.
 Many still wanted to be free from outside control

28. Revolt in the Philippines
 Emilio Aguinaldo
 Renewed Filipinos fight
for independence
 3 year war followed
 4,000 American & 20,000
Filipinos were killed
 1901 Aguinaldo was
captured & fighting
came to an end
 1946 Philippines gained
independence

29. The U.S. & Latin America

30. Linking the Oceans
 During Spanish-American war
 Took naval ships too long to sail around South America
 Faster Way?
 Canal across Central America
 President Theodore Roosevelt was determined to build that
canal
 Would improve global shipping
 Easier for navy to defend the nation’s new overseas empire

31. Choosing a Site
 Isthmus of Panama
 50 miles wide
 Perfect place for canal
 1902
 Panama was province of Colombia
 Roosevelt offered Columbia $10 million in cash & $250,000
yearly in rent to allow U.S. to build canal
 Some opposed
 Give U.S. permanent control over stretch of land & land was
worth more money
 Gov’t held out for more money; Roosevelt was impatient &
did not want to lose time in bargaining

32. Revolt in Panama
 Roosevelt Plan
 Knew Panamanians disliked Colombia
 Secretly let them know U.S. would help them claim
independence
 Panamanians would reap rewards of canal
 November 3, 1903
 U.S. gunboats waited in harbor to provide support
 U.S. marines landed to prevent Colombian troops from
reaching Panama City
 Americans criticized Roosevelt’s “gunboat diplomacy”

33.  U.S. recognized independent Republic of Panama
 3 days later a Frenchman acting for Panama signed a
treaty
 Gave U.S. Permanent use & control of 10 mile wide zone
 U.S. paid $10 million plus $250,000 yearly rent

34. The Panama Canal
 1904
 U.S. began building canal
 Fighting Disease
 1st obstacle was malaria & yellow fever
 Worked could not start until these were controlled
 William C. Gorgas
 U.S. expert on tropical diseases
 Took challenge of fighting diseases
 Carlos Juan Finlay
 Cuban doctor
 Discovered a certain type of mosquito transmitted diseases
 Ronald Ross
 English doctor
 Found another type of mosquito that transmitted diseases
 William Gorgas ordered workers to clear brush & drain swamps were
mosquitoes lived
 1906
 Gorgas wiped out yellow fever & reduced malaria

35. The “Big Ditch”
 3 Construction Tasks
 Cut through a mountain
 Dam a river
 Erect the canal’s giant locks
 Big Challenge
 Digging Gaillard Cut
 9 mile ditch through the mountains
 Thousands worked under extreme temps & rainstorms & constant
mudslides
 Engineers & supervisors were from U.S.
 Laborers were West Indians of African descent
 6,000 lost their lives during construction
 Work on canal finished 6 months early
 August 15, 1914
 Panama Canal opened

36. Wielding a “Big Stick” in Latin
America
 Roosevelt wanted the world to know that if diplomacy
failed U.S. would not hesitate to use military force to
protect its interests
 “Big Stick Policy”

37. Roosevelt Corollary
Big Stick Policy
 Applied in Latin America
 U.S. was leader in Western Hemisphere
 Wanted to prevent European nations from becoming too powerful in the region
 1904
 European nations
 Considered using force to collect overdue debts from Dominican Republic
 Roosevelt announced new policy
 Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
 Corollary: logical extension of a doctrine or proposition
 Theory
 When U.S. neighbors got in disputes
 U.S. had right to “exercise…an international police power” to restore order
 Marines sent in to Dominican Republic & took over country’s finances

38. Dollar Diplomacy
 William Howard Taft
 Dollar Diplomacy: policy based on the idea that
economic tie were the best way to expand American
influence
 Want U.S. bankers & businesses to invest in Asia & Latin
America
 Led to more military interventions
 Nicaragua, Haiti, & Honduras
 Latin Americans resents U.S. involvement

39. Relations With Mexico
 Woodrow Wilson
 Became President in 1913
 Own foreign relation ideas
 Aim to support & nurture democracy
 1st test of policy was w/ Mexico
 Mexico
 Overthrew dictator Porfirio Diaz
 Violent revolution followed until 1917
 Wilson followed watchful waiting policy
 1914
 U.S. sailors who went ashore were arrested in Mexico
 Later released w/ apology
 Wilson sent navy to occupy port of Veracruz
 100 Mexicans died ; U.S. & Mexico close to war; peace talks cooled
tempers

40.  Francisco “Pancho” Villa
 Mexican rebel general
 1916 rebels crossed into New Mexico
 Raided & burned town of Columbus, killing 18 Americans
 Mexican president allowed U.S. pursue Villa into Mexico
 General John J. Pershing led thousands of soldiers across
the border
 11 months later they withdrew w/o capturing Villa