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America Becomes
an Imperial Power

© Edward T. O’Donnell, 2009

 My Approach to Teaching History

• Conflict: Finding and Exploring Conflict and Debate

• Agency: Recognizing How People Shape Their Era

• Choices: History is the study of Choices - Nothing is

inevitable!

• Relevance: Make Connections (carefully) to the

Present

• Documents and Images

 Some Big Questions
Does Imperialism Violate American Principles of
Democracy and Respect for Human Rights?

To What Extent Is Imperialism Motivated by Racism?

Is It Possible to be An Empire for Good?

Is the United States Obligated to

Intervene in the Affairs of Some Nations?
U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century
Isolationist (mostly)
Three Main Points

1. The City Upon A Hill”

Ideal
2. Avoid Foreign
Influence
3. Expand Influence in
Western Hemisphere
U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century
1. The “City Upon A Hill” Ideal
“For we must consider that we
shall be as a City upon a hill.
The eyes of all people are upon
us. Soe that if we shall deal
falsely with our God in this work
we have undertaken, and so
cause him to withdraw his
present help from us, we shall
be made a story and a byword
throughout the world.”
U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century
1. The “City Upon A Hill” Ideal

This religious ideal (promote Christianity)

from the 17th century …

… Becomes a secular (promote democracy)

ideal in the 19th century
U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century
1. The “City Upon A Hill” Ideal

“Liberty Enlightening the World”

U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century
2. Avoid “The Insidious Wiles
of Foreign Influence”
“Against the insidious
wiles of foreign influence
… the [attention] of a free
people ought to be
constantly awake; since
history and experience
prove, that foreign
influence is one of the
most baneful foes of
Republican Government.”
-- Farewell Address, September 17, 1796
 U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century
3. Expand Influence (and Territory) in
Western Hemisphere

Louisiana Purchase
1803
Florida 1819
Texas 1845
Oregon 1846
Northern Mex. 1848
Emanuel Leutze, The Course of Empire
U.S. Foreign Policy in the 19th century

3. Expand Influence (and Territory) in

Western Hemisphere
“We have a destiny to perform,
a ‘manifest destiny’ over all
Mexico, over South America,
over the West Indies.”
-- DeBow’s Review, 1850

Filibuster - William Walker

 America Becomes an Imperial Power
Incidents of U.S. Imperialism
• 1867 Purchase of Alaska
• 1878 Naval Bases Established in Samoa (Pacific)
• 1893 Hawaii annexed
• 1898 Spanish-American War:
U.S. acquires Cuba, Philippines, & Puerto
Rico
• 1899 "Open Door" policy established with China
• 1899-1902 U.S. puts down Philippine insurrection
• 1904 Columbia "Revolution" = Panama = Panama Canal
• 1909-10 US troops occupy Nicaragua
• 1912-25 US troops occupy Nicaragua
• 1926-33 US troops occupy Nicaragua
• 1914 US intervenes in Mexican Revolution
• 1916-1924 US troops occupy Dominican Republic
• 1915-1934 US troops occupy Haiti
Why Become an Imperial Power?
Imperialism Defined -
• The policy of extending a
nation's authority over
other nations by territorial
acquisition or the
establishment of economic
and political hegemony.
• Also known as colonialism
How to Read a Historical Image

S scan for important details

I identify the conflict or tension
G guess the creator’s intent or message
H hear the voices
T talk about your observations

S.I.G.H.T. tm © 2008 Edward T. O’Donnell

 John Gast, “American Progress,” 1872
John Gast, “American Progress,” 1872
The World’s Constable
Why Become an Imperial Power?

Let’s check some documents

Why Become an Imperial Power?
Historians Offer Some Explanations

1. Psychological – Loss of the Frontier

2. International Competition and
Concern over Security
3. Military – Naval Power
4. Economic – The “Need” for Markets
5. Idealism – The Crusader Nation
6. Racism – The “White Man’s Burden”
 Why Become an Imperial Power?
1. The Psychological Explanation
• The 1890 Census declared the
American Frontier “closed”
• 1893 Frederick Jackson Turner
published his “frontier thesis”
• American values and strength
came from the frontier experience
“American democracy was born of no theorist's dream; it was
not carried in the [ship] Susan Constant to Virginia, nor in the
Mayflower to Plymouth. It came stark and strong and full of life
out of the American forest, and it gained new strength each
time it touched a new frontier.”
 Why Become an Imperial Power?
1. The Psychological Explanation

No More Frontier =
• Fading Democracy
• Diminished Equality
• Weakened Individualism
• Lost Manliness

Unless We Found New Frontiers

Why Become an Imperial Power?
1. The Psychological Explanation

Theodore Roosevelt, the Cowboy from Manhattan

Why Become an Imperial Power?
2. The International Competition Explanation
Why Become an Imperial Power?
2. The International Competition Explanation
Why Become an Imperial Power?
2. The International Competition Explanation
 Why Become an Imperial Power?
3. The Military Explanation

Makes the case for naval strength

In the Caribbean and Pacific

1890
 Why Become an Imperial Power?
3. The Military Explanation

U.S. Navy builds 200

ships in the 1890s

• 1880 US Navy 12th in the world

• 1900 US Navy 3rd in the world
Why Become an Imperial Power?
3. The Military Explanation

The Martial Spirit

“The clamor from the

peace faction has
convinced me that
this country needs a war”
-- TR during the Venezuela crisis
Why Become an Imperial Power?
4. The Economic Explanation
America Now An Industrial Power
1860 1900 % INCREASE

FACTORIES 140,500 510,000 263

VALUE FACTORY PROD. $1.9 bil $13 billion 584

INDUSTRIAL WORKERS 1.3 mil 5.1 mil 292

PATENTS ISSUED 4,589 95,573 1,983

1860 1900 % INCREASE

OIL 500,000 barrels 45,824,000 barrels 9,065

RAILROADS 30,000 miles 193,000 miles 543

STEEL 13,000 tons 10,382,000 tons 7,9762
Gross Nat. Product $7 billion $19 billion 171
Why Become an Imperial Power?
4. The Economic Explanation
The Search for New Markets
Why Become an Imperial Power?
4. The Economic Explanation
The Panic of 1893 = Great Depression
 Why Become an Imperial Power?
4. The Economic Explanation
The Panic of 1893 = Great Depression

The Homestead Strike of 1892

Why Become an Imperial Power?
5. The Idealism Explanation

America has an
obligation to
promote
democracy and
human rights

Unacceptable to
simply to sit by and
watch injustice –
i.e., Cuba
Why Become an Imperial Power?
5. The Idealism Explanation

The World’s Constable

 Why Become an Imperial Power?
6. The Racism Explanation

• The Dark Races of the World Live in Savagery

– Therefore: Imperial Powers must take up “The
White Man’s Burden”
• Primitives are “Unfit for Self-Rule”
– Therefore: Imperial Powers will rule them
• Primitive Societies are “wasting” the natural
resources that surround them
– Therefore: Imperial powers are obligated to take
them
Why Become an Imperial Power?
6. The Racism Explanation
John Bull [England]
– “It’s really most
extraordinary what
training will do.
Why, only the other
day I thought that
man unable to
support himself.”
(Philadelphia Inquirer)
Before the US
intervened on
behalf of these
oppressed people

After the US had

rescued them from
their oppression
The first step toward
lightening
The White Man’s Burden
Is through teaching the
virtues of cleanliness

Pears’ Soap
is a potent factor in
brightening the dark corners
of the earth as civilization
advances while amongst the
cultured of all nations it holds
the highest place—it is the
ideal toilet soap.
Why Become an Imperial Power?
5. The Racism Explanation

“There is no human right

to the state of barbarism”
-- John W. Burgess
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

1. Psychological – Loss of the Frontier

2. International Competition and Concern over
Security
3. Military – The Martial Spirit and Naval Power
4. Economic – The “Need” for Markets
5. Idealism – The Crusader Nation
6. Racism – The “White Man’s Burden”
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

Cuba – the last Spanish

colony on the Western
Hem.

1860s - Cubans rebel to

gain independence from
the Spanish

Spanish crush rebellion

1895 – Cuban launch a

second rebellion led by
Jose Marti.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
1890s – News of Spanish Atrocities

Spanish Governor-General Valeriano Weyler orders

Cuban men, women, and children into concentration
camps
The “Yellow Press”

New York World

(Joseph Pulitzer)

New York Journal

American
(William R. Hearst)
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
News of Spanish Atrocities
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
News of Spanish Atrocities
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
News of Spanish Atrocities
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

New York Journal:

“Blood on the roadsides,
blood on the fields,
blood on the doorsteps,
blood, blood, blood!
The old, the young,
the weak, the crippled— The New York World :
all butchered without mercy” “Is there no nation
wise enough,
brave enough
to aid this
blood-smitten land?
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

In 1896
both the Republican
and Democratic
parties
included planks in
their platforms
calling for Cuban
independence
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

• McKinley is mainly
concerned with American
business investments in Cuba
• So, he pressured the
Spanish to adopt reforms and
end the human rights
violations
• By late 1897, Spain agrees
and offers Cuba limited self-
rule.
• But Cuban rebels reject the
reforms and insist on
complete independence.
William McKinley
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

•Relations between Spain

and the US quickly
deteriorate
• In early 1898 the NY
Journal publishes a letter
from the Spanish minister
to the US that mocked
McKinley as weak.
• Yellow Press clamors for
war
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
Then on February 15, 1898 the US battleship Maine
exploded in Havana harbor, killing 260 American sailors.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

“a sort of
bellicose fury
has seized the
American
nation.”
-- The French ambassador
in Washington reporting
back to his government
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War

• late March, McKinley

issues an ultimatum to the
Spanish.
• They must -
- Declare an immediate
cease fire
- end the reconcentration
camps
- agree to US arbitration
of the conflict
• This last point strongly
implied Cuban
independence.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
• Spain calls a cease fire and
ends the reconcentration
camps.
• But by then McKinley’s has
decided on war.
• On April 11 he requests
Congress grant him the
authority to use force in Cuba
“in the name of humanity, in the
name of civilization, in behalf of
endangered American
interests.”
• Two weeks later, on April 25,
1898 Congress declares war on
Spain.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
• First important battle -
the Philippines (not
Cuba)
• May 1, 1898 (1 week
after the declaration of
war)
• Commodore George
Dewey led America’s
Pacific fleet into Manila
Bay and quickly
destroyed the Spanish
fleet.
• Sent an occupying
army ashore.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
• one month later (June 22)
the American army invaded
Cuba.
• poorly organized, poorly
outfitted, and poorly trained
(volunteers).
• The army provided
antiquated rifles,
spoiled food, and wool
uniforms
• 5,000+ of these men would
die from disease.
Only 379 from actual combat-
related wounds.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
The “Rough Riders”
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
The Hero’s of San Juan Hill?
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
• Aug 12 cease fire
• Peace treaty = the
US acquired the
Philippines, Puerto
Rico, and Guam.
• Cuba given
nominal
independence, but
remained under US
dominance for
decades to come.
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
 Some Big Questions
Does Imperialism Violate American Principles of
Democracy and Respect for Human Rights?

To What Extent Is Imperialism Motivated by Racism?

Is It Possible to be An Empire for Good?

Is the United States Obligated to

Intervene in the Affairs of Some Nations?
 Teaching American History

“Who dares to teach must

never cease to learn”
-- Librarian and Educator, John Cotton Dana

“Trying to plan for the future

without knowing the past
is like trying to plant cut flowers.”
-- Historian Daniel Boorstin
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War
 Teaching American History

“Who dares to teach must

never cease to learn”
-- Librarian and Educator, John Cotton Dana

“Trying to plan for the future

without knowing the past
is like trying to plant cut flowers.”
-- Historian Daniel Boorstin
America Becomes an Imperial Power
The Spanish-American War