The Path of Empire 18901899

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The Path of Empire1890-1899

• The American Pageant
• Chapter 29

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Imperialist Stirrings

• Large product/food exports forced isolationist
  U.S. to develop outward focus.
• Problems of labor/agrarian unrest could be eased
  through access to foreign markets.
• Pulitzer/Hearst papers wrote of excitement abroad.

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Imperialist Stirrings (2)

• Missionaries inspired by Strongs Our Country
  encouraged export of American religion/values to
  backward peoples.
• T. Roosevelt Lodge believed in geopolitical
  Darwinism world goes to strong fit.

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Imperialist Stirrings (3)

• Sense of urgency other nations grabbing
  territories in Africa, gaining concessions from
  China.
• Mahans The Influence of Sea Power (1890)
  stimulated steel naval race, renewed calls for
  U.S.-built isthmian canal.

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Imperialist Stirrings (4)

• New outward focus shown in Blaines Big Sister
  policy to open Latin American markets.
• Led to 1st Pan-American Conference (1889).
• With outward focus came diplomatic crises

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Imperialist Stirrings (5)

• 1889 Dispute w/ Germany over Samoan Islands.
• 1891 Lynching of 11 Italians in LA almost
  brought war.
• Chile/US barely avoided war over deaths of 2 U.S.
  sailors.
• Disputes showed aggressive new national mood.

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Venezuelan Squall

• 1895-96 50-year dispute over Venezuela/British
  Guiana boundary intensified w/ gold discovery in
  disputed area.
• Anti-British sentiment in U.S. led Cleveland
  Sec. of State Olney to accuse Britain of flouting
  Monroe Doctrine.

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Venezuelan Squall (2)

• Olney Britain must submit to arbitration, U.S.
  was now cal-ling shots in W. Hemisphere.
• Brits dispute is not U.S. busi-ness, Monroe D.
  irrelevant.
• Cleveland call for commission of experts as
  prelude to war.

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Venezuelan Squall (3)

• Britain, through more power-ful, did not want war
  had own problems with Germany.
• Britain consented to arbitra-tion were awarded
  most of disputed area anyway.
• Cleveland made Monroe Doct. claim stick, Europe
  upset.

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Venezuelan Squall (4)

• Latin American republics pleased with
  U.S./Clevelands protection of them.
• Britain determined to pursue friendship with U.S.
  as balance against Europeans (Great
  Rapprochement).

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Spurning Hawaiian Pear

• Missionaries (1st in 1820) their children
  brought Amer-ican influence to Hawaii.
• 1840s State Dept. warned nations to leave HI
  alone.
• 1875 Trade agreement.
• 1887 Agreement to give U.S. use of Pearl Harbor.

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Spurning Hawaiian Pear (2)

• 1890 McKinley Tariff hurt HI sugar exports, so
  American planters in HI wanted annex-ation by
  U.S. to avoid tariffs.
• 1893 Minority whites success-fully revolted
  against Queen Liliuokalani, U.S. minister urged
  annexation.

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Spurning Hawaiian Pear (3)

• New pres. Cleveland suspected wrongdoing
  withdrew treaty, sent investigator to HI.
• Probe majority in HI opposed to annexation,
  effort halted.
• Events instigated expansionist debate Cleveland
  criticized for opposing Manifest Destiny.

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Cubans Rise in Revolt

• Cubans dissatisfaction with Spanish rule stoked
  in 1894 U.S. sugar tariff crippled Cuban sugar
  industry.
• Cuban rebels burned cane fields, sugar mills,
  trains in hopes of driving Spanish out or
  inviting U.S. intervention.

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Cubans Rise in Revolt (2)

• U.S. favored rebels due to (1) desire for
  freedom (2) invest-ment/trade and (3) Spanish
  were threat to shipping.
• Concentration camps further increased U.S.
  sympathies.
• Cleveland rebuffed efforts to recognize revolt or
  start war.

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Mystery of the Maine

• Yellow journalists Hearst/ Pulitzer competed to
  scoop each other in Cuba, increased U.S.
  agitation for war.
• Cuban conditions worsen Cuban Spaniards riot
  against proposed Cuban self-rule (1897).

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Mystery of the Maine (2)

• Battleship Maine dispatched to Cuba to
  protect/evacuate Americans if necessary.
• 2/9/1898 Hearst published Dupuy de Lôme letter
  impugn-ing McKinley tensions high.
• 2/15/98 Maine exploded in Havana harbor, 260
  killed.

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Mystery of the Maine (3)

• Cause?
• U.S. explosive submarine mine.
• Spain internal accidental.
• Modern investigation Spanish were correct
  (1976).
• But U.S. believed in Spanish treachery, war now
  inevitable.

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McKinley-Dogs of War

• McKinley attempted to avoid war, especially after
  Spain agreed to U.S. demands of armistice, no
  conc. camps.
• Hanna, Wall St. did not want war, but public
  demanded it.
• McKinley feared that Dems would win in 1900 if no
  war.

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McKinley-Dogs of War (2)

• 4/11/1898 McKinley, believing the people should
  rule, sent war message to Congress.
• Congress declared war, but with Teller Amendment
  once Spain ousted, U.S. promised freedom to
  Cubans.

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Deweys Victory

• Americans excited about war, but observers
  thought U.S. unprepared.
• Army only 2,100 officers 28,000 men, compared
  with 200,000 Spanish in Cuba.
• Navy Spanish appeared more powerful on paper.

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Deweys Victory (2)

• However, the Spanish navy was dilapidated
  compared to new U.S. steel navy.
• So ordered by asst. sec. of navy T. Roosevelt,
  Commodore Dewey attacked easily defeated
  Spanish in Manila harbor (5/1/98).

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Imperialistic Plums

• Dewey, national hero, did not have army to
  capture forts waited for reinforcements.
• Meanwhile foreign warship came to protect their
  nationals Dewey nearly clashed with more
  powerful German fleet, British were friendly.

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Imperialistic Plums (2)

• 8/13/98 American troops captured Manila,
  collaborated with rebel leader Aguinaldo.
• 7/7/98 U.S. annexed HI as a necessary way
  station to supply/reinforce Dewey.
• HI residents given U.S. citizen-ship, made a
  territory in 1900.

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Confused Invasion

• Spanish sent Adm. Cervera to Cuba with run-down
  ships.
• U.S. east coast panicked.
• Cervera blockaded by U.S. navy at Santiago
  harbor.
• Strategy have army come up behind Cervera.

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Confused Invasion (2)

• Woolen-uniformed U.S. army led to Cuba by Gen.
  Shafter.
• Force included Rough Riders undisciplined but
  fearless cowboys.
• Riders commanded by Wood Roosevelt quit navy to
  be offi-cer, though no military exp.

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Confused Invasion (3)

• June, 98 17,000 leave for Cuba, Riders had to
  rush transport, arrived w/o horses.
• Disorganized Spanish offered little resistance,
  but did inflict heavy casualties on Rough Riders
  at San Juan Hill.

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Curtains for Spain

• Cervera knew he was doomed, but ordered by Spain
  to fight for honor entire fleet destroy-ed on
  July 3, only 1 U.S. death.
• Gen. Miles quickly liberated Puerto Rico from
  Spanish.
• 8/12/98 Spain signed armistice, war ended.

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Curtains for Spain (2)

• Malaria, typhoid, dysentery yellow fever had
  devastated U.S. troops in Cuba Roosevelt
  demanded army be moved.
• Only 400 killed in battle, over 5,000 killed from
  disease (esp. typhoid fever).

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McKinley Heeds Duty

• Late 1898 In negotiations with Spanish, U.S.
  secured Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico.
• But what to do with large, populated Philippines?
  
• McKinley felt honor would not allow a return to
  Spanish rule or simple abandonment.

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McKinley Heeds Duty (2)

• Leave alone to anarchy or rule by aggressive
  Germans?
• Acquire Philippines and maybe give freedom later?
• Protestant missionaries wanted to acquire
  Philippines to convert from Catholicism.
• Wall St. wanted profits there.

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McKinley Heeds Duty (3)

• McKinley sought divine guid-ance felt led to
  take Philip-pines to Christianize, civilize.
• Satisfied people, business.
• Problem Manila fell day after armistice, not
  spoils of war
• Resolution U.S. agreed to pay 20M for
  Philippines.

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Course (Curse?) of Empire

• Philippines inhabited by alien race, culture not
  a typical candidate for statehood.
• Prominent Americans (Twain, Gompers, Carnegie,
  James) form Anti-Imperialist League to protest
  expansion.

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Course (Curse?) of Empire (2)

• Anti-imperialist arguments (1) Doesnt
  annexation violate consent of the governed
  principle? (2) U.S. must avoid entanglement in
  Far East.
• Expansionists arguments patriotism, glory,
  natural resources, profits.

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Course (Curse?) of Empire (3)

• Reps. had trouble getting Spanish treaty through
  Senate.
• Dem. Bryan unexpectedly rose to its support
  argued that we already had islands, lets accept
  treaty so we can give Filipinos independence
  sooner.
• 2/6/99 Passed by 1 vote.

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Perplexities in PR/Cuba

• What to do with 1 million poor Puerto Ricans?
• 1900 Foraker Act gave PR some popular govt.
• 1917 Given U.S. citizenship.
• U.S. helped improve educa-tion, sanitation,
  transporta-tion, but many left for NYC.

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Perplexities in PR/Cuba (2)

• Question did U.S. Constitu-tion laws follow
  flag?
• Insular Cases (1901) divided Sup. Ct. said
  Congress could decide what rights/laws to extend
  to acquired territories.
• Rough Rider Gen. Wood led military govt in Cuba.

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Perplexities in PR/Cuba (3)

• Wood greatly improved govt, finance, education,
  agriculture public health.
• Dr. Reed found yellow fever spread by mosquitoes
  wiped out yellow fever in Havana.
• Per Teller Amendment, U.S. left Cuba in 1902.

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Perplexities in PR/Cuba (4)

• But Cuba vulnerable to others.
• Cubans forced to into Platt Amendment could not
  impair independence by treaty or debt, U.S. could
  intervene to restore order, Cuba agreed to
  sell/lease coaling/naval stations, e.g.
  Guantanamo.

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New Horizons

• War showed U.S. was world power, gained intl
  respect.
• But success led to indifference to military
  preparedness.
• New imperialist spirit territorial gains
  worried Latin America, pleased British, made
  Germany envious.

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New Horizons (2)

• W/ Philippines, U.S. became Far Eastern power,
  but Phil. proved to be Achilles heel.
• War did result in support for bigger navy, War
  College.
• War patriotism helped heal North/South division.

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