The document discusses various aspects of American imperialism between the late 1800s and early 1900s. It provides background on the Spanish-American War, including the humanitarian justification for intervening in Cuba, the sinking of the USS Maine, and the role of yellow journalism in stirring public support for the war. As a result of the war, the US gained control of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. The document also discusses the US acquisition of Hawaii and Alaska, as well as America's growing influence in China through the Open Door policy and involvement in the Philippines through the Philippine-American War.

1. IMPERIALISM/
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
U.S. History
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2. US Imperialism
Policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy
or military force
Imperialism
Examples:
Manifest Destiny: Early 1800s idea, it was America’s God-given right to
control North America from Atlantic to Pacific
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3. British
Colonies in
the New
World
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4. Manifest
Destiny
Early 1800s idea, it was America’s God-given right to control North
America from Atlantic to Pacific
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5. Reasons for Imperialism
1. Raw materials & markets to sell American goods
2. Manifest Destiny
3. Competing with European nations to grab up territories
before they do
4. Provide strategic locations for naval bases which will
encourage trade that will bring wealth and power to the US
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6. American Empire
What territory did the US
purchase from Russia in
1867?
• Alaska
Seward’s Folly
• Seward was the energetic
supporter of the Alaskan
purchase
• called "Seward's Folly"
because Alaska was not fit
for settlement or farming.
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7. American Empire
What did the US annex in
1898?
• Hawaii
Hawaiian Annexation
• By the late 1800s, U.S. had
exclusive use of Pearl
Harbor.
• In July 1898, Congress made
Hawaii a U.S. territory, for
the use of the islands as
naval ports.
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8. Why did the US have an interest in Cuba?
1. Humanitarianism: help Cubans from Spanish rule
2. US business in Cuba needed protection
3. Greater US security – Cuba is close and European influence
would be close
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9. Causes of the
Spanish-
American War
Humanitarianism
The de Lome Letter
USS Maine
Yellow Journalism
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10. Causes of the Spanish-American War
1. Humanitarianism
• Cuba rebelled from Spain beginning February 24, 1895
• US wanted to help Cuba who they thought were being
treated unfairly by Spain
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11. Causes of the Spanish-American War
2. The de Lome Letter
• A private letter written in February 1898
by Enrique de Lome, who was the
Spanish Minister to the U.S.
• A Cuban rebel stole the letter from the
Havana Post Office and turned it over
the New York Word Newspaper which
published it.
• It criticized President McKinley calling
him “weak”.
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12. Causes of the Spanish-American War
3. USS Maine
• A U.S. warship that mysteriously
exploded and sank in the harbor of
Havana, Cuba on February 15, 1898
killing 260 men.
• This is the most immediate cause that
forced the U.S. to declare war with
Spain!
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13. Causes of the Spanish-American War
4. Yellow Journalism
• exaggerated newspaper stories
that paid little attention to the
facts
• purpose was to sell
newspapers, not necessarily
report the events accurately
• people wanted to something to
be done because they got fired
up about what the newspapers
were reporting
• Pulitzer & Hearst’s newspapers 13

14. Course of the Spanish-American War
• The attack on the USS Maine produced public outrage
• Under the guise of supporting Cuban rebellion for independence
from Spain, on April 11, 1898, President McKinley asked
Congress for permission to use armed forces in Cuba
• April 20, Congress declared Cuba independent, and the Senate
added the Teller Amendment
• Cuba remains independent but BUT US has the right to intervene in
Cuban affairs
• becomes independent after the Spanish-American War
• By July 26, Spain sued for peace, and on August 12 an armistice
was signed (less than 4 months after the start of the war)
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15. Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
• “Rough Riders” were US
volunteer mix of cowboys,
miners, and law officers
who fought in Cuba
• Roosevelt led the Rough
Riders
• forced the Spanish to
evacuate
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16. What 2 territories did America gain as a result
of the Spanish-American War?
1. Guam
2. Puerto Rico
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17. What chain of islands did the US buy from
Spain after the Spanish-American War?
Philippines
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18. “White Man’s Burden”
• poem by Rudyard Kipling
• describes why the US has a responsibility to civilize the Filipinos
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19. 19

20. Philippine-American War
Cause
• Philippines want
independence,
attack US soldiers
Course
• US puts Filipinos
in concentration
camps, many die
• US Governor of
Philippines, Taft,
implemented
reforms to win
over Filipinos
Outcome
• The Philippines
gradually became
independent by
1946
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21. China
US policy that allowed for a system of trade in China open to all
countries equally
Open Door Policy
• the goal was to keep Japan from invading China or else they would
risk a war with the US and other countries
anti-foreign, anti-colonial, anti-Christian uprising that took place in
China between 1899 and 1901
Boxer Rebellion
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22. Alfred Mahan & the “Great White Fleet” (1890)
Alfred Mahan
• Pro-Imperialist
• increased overseas business
made it necessary to protect
those investments
• In order to protect those
investments America built the
"great white fleet"
Great White Fleet
• naval fleet to protect America’s
trade interests around the world
• spread American influence and
trade
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23. Teddy Roosevelt
“Speak softly and carry a big
stick.”
What is the “big stick”?
• Strong military – used to
achieve America’s goals
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24. Roosevelt Corollary
• an addition to the Monroe
Doctrine
• US would intervene in Latin
American affairs when necessary
to maintain economic and
political stability in the Western
Hemisphere
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• Declared that Europe should not
interfere in the Western
Hemisphere
• any interference by a European
power would be seen as a threat
to the U.S.
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25. Panama Canal
What is it?
• artificial waterway – short-cut between
Atlantic and Pacific
How did we get it?
• Panama revolted from Colombia with US
support – new Panamanian government
agrees to allow the canal
Why is it beneficial?
• cuts 8,000 miles off the sea route from New
York to California
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26. 1. Which of the following was a cause of U.S. imperialism?
a. belief that the U.S. was melting pot and we needed to learn
about other cultures
b. U.S. needed to focus on American’s wellbeing
c. U.S. had an abundance of natural resources and didn’t need
any more
d. competition
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27. 3. The principle that the United States has the right to act as the
"policeman of the Western Hemisphere" and intervene in the internal
affairs of Latin American nations was established by the
A. Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
B. Marshall Plan
C. Open Door policy
D. Good Neighbor policy
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28. 5. Which statement best describes President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign
policy position toward Latin America in the early 1900’s?
A.The United States should reduce its involvement in Latin American
affairs.
B. The United States should intervene actively in the affairs of Latin
American nations.
C. Latin American nations should form an organization to help them
achieve political and economic stability.
D.The United States should ignore problems in Latin America.
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29. 7. The role of the “yellow press” in the Spanish American War can best be
described as:
A. reporting that painted Cubans as corrupt and totally incapable of self-
government.
B. journalism that promoted peace at all costs, until the U.S. came under
direct attack.
C. articles in leading newspapers that argued that imperialism was a
violation of basic American principles.
D. efforts to sensationalize Spanish atrocities and gain public support for
war.
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30. 4. Which was an immediate cause of the Spanish-American War in 1898?
A. America gave financial support to Cuban nationalists' revolution
against Spain.
B. Americans blamed Spain for the sinking of the USS Maine.
C. The Philippines declared independence from U.S. rule after Spain had
transferred their rule of the Philippines to the U.S.
D. The U.S. withdrew from Cuba
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31. Read the following excerpt written by
Alfred T. Mahan in 1890 and answer
the question below.
“. . . the government should make
itself felt, to build up for the nation a
navy which, if not capable of reaching
distant countries, shall at least be able
to keep clear the chief approaches to
its own. . . . In order to do this, the
enemy must be kept not only out of
our ports, but far away from our
coasts.”
—Source: The Influence of Sea Power
Upon History, 1660–1783
Based on this excerpt, why did the
United States buy the Virgin Islands in
1917?
A. to guard local businesses in the
Caribbean
B. to establish strategic bases in
the Caribbean
C. to monitor immigrant workers in
the Caribbean
D. to protect the plantation system
in the Caribbean
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32. Using the political cartoon and
your knowledge of history, what
aspect of the Spanish American
War does this cartoon of Joseph
Pulitzer and William Randolph
Heart reference?
A. Yellow journalism
B. muckraking
C. Imperialism
D. Colonialism
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33. What conclusion can the reader
make about this cartoon?
A These men respect one another.
B. These men are working to stop
a war from occurring.
C. These men are on opposing
sides and would like to fight
each other.
D. Together, these men are
responsible for building a war.
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34. Look at the following diagram to the left, about the United States and China
during the late nineteenth century.
How did these actions affect the United States?
A. They opposed anarchism.
B. They promoted isolationism.
C. They discouraged absolutism.
D. They encouraged imperialism.
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35. To which issue is Roosevelt responding in this message?
A. Japanese attacks on U.S. forces
B. German U-boat attacks in U.S. waters
C. European interference in Latin American affairs
D. Asian involvement in South American businesses
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