US History Semester 2:

US Imperialism Case Study

Your task:
● Tell the story of US intervention and imperialism about a specific place.
● Answer the When? Why? How? Impacts? And what is the status today?
● Highlight the notable resistance movements!
● Answer the “So What?” questions of any history project.
○ What should students of US history know about this case study?
○ How does this case study impact your understanding of our country's history and identity as
a nation?

Step 1: Select ONE of the case study options from the list below.
● Cuba ● Hawaii
● Puerto Rico ● American Samoa
● Guam ● The Philippines

Step 2: Read and take notes on the Background Reading for your topic using the links
below (day 1). Here’s a link to key vocabulary you’ll encounter.
● Cuba ● Hawaii
● Puerto Rico ● American Samoa
● Guam ● The Philippines

Here is an optional space to record notes

Key facts: When? Why? How? Impacts? And what
is the status today?
● Taken post-Spanish-American war
● Divided into Eastern and Western Samoa,
U.S. controlled east, Germany had west
● 1962, Western Samoa free themselves,
1997, changed their name to Samoa
● Until 1977, U.S. appointees governed the
island
● Climate change is a massive issue for
American Samoa, being the island nation
that it is
● Culture is under threat; taught English and
such but not their own history/culture
● There is much strategic interest in Samoa
● Western economy has destroyed the
traditional Samoan economy
Examples of resistance to U.S. imperialism
● Protest against the dumping of nuclear
waste and the overfishing of the waters by
the U.S., Japan, and other nations
● 1962, Western Samoa free themselves
through protest and acitvism, 1997, changed
their name to Samoa
● Protest helped American Samoa remove
their undemocratic American-appointee-
governers
● They have retained much of their oral
culture and folded Western beliefs into it

So what? What should students of US history know Reflect: How does this case study impact your
 about this case study?
● The effects of the climate disaster on
American Samoa is an important model for
the rest of the world
● Democracy and collective land ownership
have deep human roots around the globe,
not just in the West.
● There are some histories that benefit more
to be taught (i.e. why we know about Gandhi
and MLK and not nonviolent protest here, or
why we know about Greek democracy and
not Samoan)
understanding of our country's history and identity
as a nation?
● Honestly, there's sadly not much here that
surprises me or changes my view on
America
● I would expect nothing less from us
● It's more of an interest in the specific and
unique methods and implications than the
overall trend

Step 3: Find TWO additional sources and create an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

for your research.
○ One source must come from the IBW library research databases (Click “Broad
Coverage for HS”) Click here for instructions for how to access when not at school.
○ The second source can come from anywhere
○ The annotated bibliography must include the following information for each source:
a. A full MLA style citation for the source. (Use Easybib)
b. A summary paragraph of what you learned from the source.
c. A paragraph about why the source is a legitimate, trustworthy source of
academic information about your topic.

McMullin, Dan Taulapapa. "American Samoa." Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450, edited by
Thomas Benjamin, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2007, pp. 44-45. Gale In Context: U.S. History,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2587300031/UHIC?u=port&sid=bookmark-UHIC&xid=c2489032. Accessed
16 Feb. 2022.

Taulapapa describes briefly the history of Western colonialism in Samoa, as well as general features of the
islands and the societies that existed beforehand. Taulapapa is an American Samoan himself, who has tapped
into his heritage and his fa'afafine identity (fa'afafine being a Samoan gender identity similar to the non-binary
identity) to create art and educate about history. He provides sources from the U.N., to Columbia College, to the
Samoan government, to the very Samoan oral tradition itself.

Samoa News Staff. “Pacific Islands Forum Warns Japan: Don’t Dump Nuclear Waste in Pacific.”
Www.samoanews.com, Osini Faleatasi Inc., 16 Apr. 2021, www.samoanews.com/opinion/pacific-
islands-forum-warns-japan-dont-dump-nuclear-waste-pacific.

Samoa News was the first daily newspaper in American Samoa, and is a popular newspaper distributed in both
American Samoa and it's independent neighbor. While the article inquisition, which discusses the history of
nuclear testing and dumping in the Pacific, describes public opnion on the issue, and mentions the deals and
treaties made to control the problem, all in the context of a Japanese announcement of the planned release of
nuclear waste from Fukushima into the ocean, is written mostly from an objective standpoint where the facts are
presented and not elaborated upon, the article is also flagged as an opinion piece.

Rust, Susanne. “How the U.S. Betrayed the Marshall Islands, Kindling the next Nuclear Disaster.” Los
Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2019, www.latimes.com/projects/marshall-islands-nuclear-
testing-sea-level-rise/.

I only used a portion of this article for study, but during that portion the author proved to me their credibility.
The article discusses "the Tomb", a giant concrete dome off the coast of the Marshall Islands, an area that has
experienced similar colonization, nuclear testing, and environmental struggles as American Samoa. The article
explains that the Tomb is leaking nuclear waste as the effects of increasingly intense climate disasters continue
to chip away at it. The Tomb is an American built structure, that Marshallese officials say we have neglected
our responsibility for. A team from the Los Angeles Times went to visit the Marshall Islands, and found people
who had suffered horribly as a result of our inaction on this issue. This article is somewhat opinionated, in a
way that a lot of news articles are by nature, in the way that it choses what facts to present and the kind of
language to present them with. That said, it does feature interviews from Pacific Islander people affected by
these issues, and a stronger tone is not unwarranted given the situation at hand. The Los Angeles Times is also a
large and respected newspaper that has been in print for many years.

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Fishing Impacts at the National Marine Sanctuary of American
Samoa.” Sanctuaries.noaa.gov, sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/sentinel-site-program/american-samoa/
fishing-impacts.html. Accessed 18 Feb. 2022.

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, a U.S. government agency tasked with protecting coastal ecosystems from harm and helping to
understand weather, oceans, and coasts. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is in charge of protecting
marine and Great Lake waters and studying them. In this article on their website, they talk about the impacts of
fishing on American Samoa. They go into detail about the effects of overfishing on undersea ecosystems,
provide studies by the agency for further perusal, and ask questions about the specific practices that they are
working on finding answers too. They provide references to their own studies, yes, but this is a government
agency tasked with printing accurate information. They have clearly done their research on the specific
problems in the area, and want to see it fixed as part of the goal of their agency.

Step 4: Write/produce/create something to tell the story of your case study (day 3-4)
● Poster for classroom ● Presentation to class
● Podcast ● Comic strip
● Video ● A play
● Instagram/Snapchat story ● Research essay

Come Again

Fire rains down from on high

A poison light falls from the sky

It haunts the dreams of us, and I

Hope it won't come again

A tomb that floats upon the sea

Reminds us of the memory

Of blinding, screaming death, and we

Hope it won't come again

But we know what evil has caused

This horror in our Land of Nod

We know who did it, and oh God

Don't let them come again

They promised that it all would cease

That all their "testing" would decrease

That they would just leave us at peace

But they have come again

And really they have never left

They hold us tight up to their chest

For all of us belong to them

Don't you dare come again

Their fleets of iron cross the sea

They split out fish supply in three

They spit and chew and bite and eat

Please do not come again

The waters rise because of them

We hold fast and hold hard against

The rising tide they have incensed

Don't let it come again

We hold on now and evermore

As we have done for years before

But one might wonder "How much more

Before they let it end?"

They cannot come again

DUE IN CLASS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 18TH

The Grades:

Critical Reading - the annotated bibliography with two sources

○ One source must come from the Gale databases accessible on the IBW library website; the
second source can come from anywhere. For each source, include the following:
○ A full MLA style citation.
○ Annotation part A - summary paragraph
○ Annotation part B - trustworthiness paragraph (a paragraph detailing your rationale for why
the source is a legitimate, trustworthy source of academic information about your topic).

4 - Nailed it 3.5 - Strong 3 - Solid 2.5 - Close 2 - On track 1 - On my to-do list

_choice of sources _choice of sources _all requirements _all requirements _some elements _annotaed
shows engagement adds complexity to are complete and are complete but are complete bibliography is
in research process understanding of accurate may be missing key _some elements missing or
_summary and the topic _summary and elements are vague, incomplete
trustworthiness _Annotations are trustworthiness _summary and inaccurate, or in
show deep thorough and paragraphs are trustworthiness need of significant
understanding of detailed complete paragraphs are development
the topic vague or limited

Clear & Coherent Writing - your project that tells a story of US imperialism
 ○ Your project must respond the “So What?” questions:
○ What should students of US history know about this case study?
○ How does this case study impact your understanding of our country's history and identity as
a nation?

○ Your Project must use specific details from the background reading and the sources you
include in your annotated bibliography.

4 - Nailed it 3.5 - Strong 3 - Solid 2.5 - Close 2 - On track 1 - On my to-do list

_project shows _project shows _all requirements _all requirements _some elements _project is missing
deep, complex detailed are complete are complete but are complete or incomplete
understanding of understanding of _project shows may be missing key _some elements
the topic the topic accurate elements are vague,
_project presents _project shows understanding of _understanding of inaccurate, or in
nuanced answers to engagement, effort, the topic topic is vague or need of significant
the “so what” care, and attention limited development
questions to detail