American Expansionism: From Monroe Doctrine to the Spanish-American War
The US-Mexican War (1846-1848)
1. What did the Monroe Doctrine establish?
The Monroe Doctrine was a declaration by President James Monroe in 1823. It stated that the US would no longer tolerate any attempts of European expansion in the Western Hemisphere. It also stated that the US would not interfere in the internal affairs of European nations.
2. Who was the Secretary of State who outlined it?
John Quincy Adams
3. What is imperialism?
It is the practice of exploiting nations and their people. It can be done either directly, such as through military occupation, or indirectly, such as through economic domination of resources and markets.
4. What was “Manifest Destiny”? Who came up with this term?
Manifest Destiny was a doctrine first expressed in 1845. It promoted the belief that the expansion of the Americas by white people was inevitable and ordained by God. The term was originally coined by columnist John L. O’Sullivan when he wanted to promote the annexation of Texas.
5. Who is Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna?
He was the president of Mexico and a political leader. He famously stormed the Alamo, gave Texas independence, and was kicked out of office. Santa Anna was president many times, was exiled three times, and brought back twice to save the nation.
6. Why was James Polk considered the “Manifest Destiny” president?
Polk’s presidential victory was largely due to his expansionist ideas. He advocated “Manifest Destiny” and wanted to reoccupy the Oregon territory. In addition, he wanted to annex Texas.
7. Describe the internal opposition President Polk faced leading up to the war.
Originally, Polk just wanted to have territorial concessions from Mexico and avoid war. Polk later asked his cabinet to support a declaration of war since Texas had become part of the Union, and he wanted to force the Mexicans to fight or negotiate. However, his cabinet hesitated because Polk had not yet convinced the majority of US citizens that the war was necessary and unavoidable.
8. What was the outcome of the war?
The outcome was devastating for Mexico. Mexico’s army was destroyed, along with many of Mexico’s important cities and ports. Their foreign markets and imports were ruined, their transportation routes were conflicted, and thousands of civilians were killed.
9. Describe the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
This treaty ended the US-Mexican War and was signed in 1848 by President Manuel de la Peña. The treaty gave the US the northern half of the country. The Mexicans living in the ceded area would become US citizens and keep their lands.
The Emergence of the Americas in Global Affairs (1880-1929)
1. Describe the role expansionism played in US involvement in foreign affairs.
After the US emerged from the Long Depression, it entered a period of rapid economic expansion. There was more money, which caused industrial businesses to increase their use of natural and human resources, which in turn brought labor from Southern Europe and Asia. Also, Russia had strong interests in the North American continent. This caused President Monroe to establish the Monroe Doctrine.
2. What is considered a “moral duty”? What role did the eugenics movement play?
At the time, the US considered its expansion a moral duty. Many thought that whites were a superior race and that the US also had a liberal democracy and Christianity. This belief that they were a superior race made people think that it was their obligation to expand. The eugenics movement was promoting the idea that we could selectively breed people who have “desired traits” and even sterilize those with “undesirable traits.” This further enforced the idea that certain people were inferior and superior to others, like the whites who promoted expansionism.
3. Why did some consider it a practical necessity?
Some considered it a necessity because the US was expanding rapidly. The US was growing and expanding in terms of population, economy, and geography. Realists tried to take a practical approach and see how they could protect the expansion of the US and ensure further growth.
4. What were the economic reasons for expansion?
US oil and steel companies wanted new markets and resources internationally, other than just Europe. There was a sense that by the 1890s, the US would be producing more than could be consumed by their current domestic and foreign markets. Therefore, they had to expand.
5. Describe the situation in Venezuela under President Cleveland and the role the Monroe Doctrine played in this.
Gold was found on the border of Venezuela and British Guiana. It caused a boundary dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain. Cleveland advocated for arbitration and in a note reasserted the Monroe Doctrine. Eventually, the US and Britain ended up agreeing on arbitration.
6. What led up to the Spanish-American War?
The Cuban Revolution and Cuban nationalists spurred the movement for war. What intrigued the US was that they had invested in Cuba and the revolution was hurting business interests. There were also many organized Cuban committees in the US who advocated for Cuban independence and tried to raise funds to fight the war.
7. How did public opinion of the American people play a role?
The public played a role through the yellow press. Newspapers would exaggerate stories to make the Spanish look bad, which caused many US citizens to be pro-war. Also, after an explosion on a US battleship that killed 260 people, the public and press increasingly called for aggressive action against Spain.
8. Who is Jose Marti?
José Martí was a Cuban poet and nationalist. Martí played an influential role in the fight for Cuban independence. In 1895, Cuban guerrillas started to attack the government and its troops.
9. What is “yellow journalism” or “yellow press”? How did it start? Who was behind this?
The “yellow press” was a group of sensationalist newspapers at the end of the 19th century. These newspapers’ stories were intended to grab the interest of the public even if it meant not being truly accurate. They were constantly competing against each other by printing shocking but exaggerated/inaccurate stories about incidents in the Cuban Revolution. The main editors were William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
10. What pushed Congress towards a declaration of war?
President McKinley was responsible for pushing Congress to authorize the war. Ironically, at the start of his presidential term, he actually wanted to steer the US away from any involvement in war. However, after an explosion on an American battleship, which killed 260 of its members, the public wanted aggressive action against Spain, which is what led McKinley to do so.