American Imperialism and World War I: A Historical Overview
Asian Americans
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Came for better work, life, and pay
Many lied in California
“Gentlemen’s Agreement”
Allowed no more Japanese people to immigrate, but wives and family could join family members already in the country.
Negotiated by Woodrow Wilson to appease California Nativists
Native Americans
Dawes Act of 1887: Divided reservation lands into family plots
Many Native Americans did not believe in land ownership and sold the land to white farmers for low prices.
Society of American Indians: Worked for social justice and tried to educate white Americans about Indian life
Supported stopping reservations = forced assimilation into “American” society – end of culture
Chapter 23: Isolation and Expansion
Isolation
To have little to do with the political affairs of other nations
Expansion
Extending its national boundaries
The Opening of Japan
Cut themselves off from the world
America wanted trade = July 1853 entered Tokyo Bay with 4 warships
Signed Treaty of Kanagawa = helped sailors and opened two ports for trade
Seward Looks to the Pacific
Annexed Midway Islands in the middle of the Pacific
Land Deal: Purchased part of Alaska, which increased US trade with Asia and the Pacific
“Seward’s Folly” – Found gold in Alaska and lowlands good for farming – natural resources
Imperialism
Is the policy of powerful countries seeking to control the economic and political affairs of weaker countries or regions – many countries seeking power
Why? Need raw materials and new markets for industry in Europe & racism: many felt it was their duty to spread their religion and culture to people whom they considered to be less civilized & competition: take over to keep others out because then it closes the market for them there
America seeking an empire: World leaders in both industry and agriculture, but people believed the market would crash if they didn’t get new foreign markets
Had the right and duty to spread western culture
Make up for the loss of the frontier (cities and no new land) helped
Expansion westward had boosted the economy
New Navy: Bigger navy = protect American Merchant Ships – Great White Fleet = new modern steam-powered navy
Rivalry over Samoa
Chain of islands in the South Pacific – good harbor = naval base and commercial port
Germany and Great Britain also wanted the islands
In 1889, Germany fired on friendly American villages in Samoa. For months, German and American warships engaged in a standoff.
Until a powerful storm sunk ships of both sides and eased the tension
Hawaii
Chain of eight large islands and over 100 smaller islands
Had rich soil, warm climate, and plentiful rainfall
Made islands attractive for farmers and fruit growers
Westerners first “discovered” Hawaii in 1778 when British explorer Captain James Cook stopped at the island chain on his way to China.
American Missionaries arrived in 1820 with the intention of converting native Hawaiians.
By the mid-1800s, Americans had set up large sugar plantations in Hawaii.
As the sugar industry became more profitable, planters’ power grew.
Forced King Kalakaua to accept a new constitution that limited royal power
Kalakaua died in 1891.
In 1891, a struggle ensued between the two most powerful groups in Hawaii, the wealthy planters and the new Hawaiian Queen, Liliuokalani.
The planters rebelled against the queen’s plan to limit their power.
U.S. marines arrived and helped topple the queen.
The planters then set up a republic and asked the U.S. to annex Hawaii.
Debate raged in Congress for months over whether to annex the islands.
President Grover Cleveland blocked any attempt to annex Hawaii, calling the American intervention “disgraceful.”
Eventually, Hawaii was annexed two years after Cleveland left office.
Trading with China
Late to the race for Pacific and Asian territory
Fighting for power over China
The Open Door Policy: Was created so that China would keep permitting any nation to trade in the spheres of others (sphere of influence: an area, usually around a seaport, where a nation had special trading privileges)
Boxer Rebellion: People trapped foreigners in Belgium, and an International army was created to free them.
People saw this as an excuse to get more land in China.
Spanish-American War
Started over the issue of Cuban Independence
Cubans first rebelled in 1868.
The first rebellion was crushed after ten years.
The next rebellion launched in 1895.
Spain responded by sending a new governor, Valeriano Weyler, whose brutal tactics and “reconcentration camps” earned him the nickname “Butcher Weyler.”
U.S. public outraged over Spanish tactics
Ignored brutal tactics of rebels
Outrage intensified with the explosion of the warship Maine
Cause of explosion unclear
After attempting to keep peace, President William McKinley finally succumbed to public pressure and asked Congress to declare war on Spain, which they did.
The war lasted four months.
Over 5,339 Americans killed, most from tropical disease
War on land = ineffective & many casualties
War on the sea = success & quick win
Causes
A crumbling Spanish Empire
Brutal treatment of Cubans by “Butcher Weyler” – reconstruction
Dealing tariff on sugar in the U.S.
Yellow Journalism – Sensationalist, shocking stories, even exaggerated or blatantly untrue ones, sold more newspapers.
U.S. economic interests
Election of McKinley – jingoism (extreme patriotism – warlike foreign policy)
Explosion of USS Maine in Havana harbor
Unclear what caused the explosion
However, the public believed it was the work of Spanish agents, and the calls for war reached a fever pitch.
Conclusion
Platt Amendment, 1901, allowed the U.S. to intervene in Cuba and gave the U.S. control of the naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
Made Cuba an American protectorate (a small country whose independence is limited because it is indirectly controlled by a more powerful country)
Teller Amendment, 1898, owns Cuba almost
Pacific Islands Won by the U.S. in the Spanish-American War
Guam – Given to the U.S. by Spain after the Spanish-American War
Philippines – Given to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War for $20 million, several revolts, all stopped by the U.S., finally allowed to govern themselves in 1946
Pacific Islands
Most acquired during the Spanish-American War
Midway – Guano = gunpowder
Civil war
Obtained Midway, Hawaii (exceptions), American Samoa, Guam, Wake Islands (all World War II fights)
Puerto Rico
Foraker Act – 1900 & Jones Act – 1917 = keep P.R. annexed but not a state
Cuba
Teller and Platt
Guantanamo Bay
Philippines
Results of the Spanish-American War
Insurgency against America = long war = 1946 colony ends
China
Spheres of Influence
Open Door Policy
Cause and Effect: Chinese not able to care for themselves
Panama Canal
U.S. interests/reasons
Rule of Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Panama “independence” – 1903
Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty – 1903
Building the canal from 1905 – 1914
Goethals (engineer – built NYC bridge and highways)
Panamanian Resentment = Revolt in 1964
1977 treaty – 1999 Panama Canal returned = Panama gets money and controls it
Dollar Diplomacy
Policy of building strong economic ties to Latin America
Took Latin American resources and helped with the economy and technology
Problems = revolts and affairs in other countries
Moral Diplomacy
To condemn imperialism, spread democracy, and promote peace
Causes of WWI
For years, tensions had simmered among the Balkan nations, who had formed secret alliances with the major European Powers.
1870s France and Germany had gone to war over territory.
Resulted in France giving Germany Alsace-Lorraine, an iron territory.
Nationalism fueled France’s determination to regain this territory.
Imperialism fueled rivalries
Between 1870-1914, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia searched for colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Militarism: The policy of building up strong armed forces to prepare for war.
European countries like Germany and Britain started expanding their armies and navies; this caused major stress.
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Alliances: Triple Alliance = Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, Ottoman Empire
Triple Entente = France, Russia, and Britain, then America would join
Terms from WWI
Stalemate: Deadlock in which neither side is strong enough to defeat the other
Propaganda: Spreading ideas that help a cause or hurt an opposing cause
Lusitania: British passenger ship torpedoed by German U-Boats, 1200 people dead, 128 Americans
Warmonger: Person who tries to stir up war
Zimmerman Telegram: Telegram that instructed the minister to urge Mexico to attack the U.S. if the U.S. declared war.
In return, they would help the Mexicans regain their lost territories.
Selective Service Act: Required all men ages 21-30 to register for the military draft
Draft: A law requiring people of a certain age to serve in the military
Liberty Bonds
Pacifists: People who refuse to fight in any war because they believe war is evil (aka Gandhi)
Socialist
Battle of Belleau Wood
Harlem Hellfighters: Black people that fought in the war
Armistice: Agreement to stop fighting
Abdicate: Give up power
Epidemic: Rapid spread of a contagious disease among large numbers of people
Was a terrible influenza epidemic between 1918 and 1919; it killed 30 million worldwide.
Fourteen Points
End secret agreements
Freedom of the seas
Self-determination
League of Nations
Big Four
U.S., Italy, France, and Britain
Treaty of Versailles
Isolationists
New Technology and Tactics Introduced
Equally matched armies will cause destruction because of weapons.
Thought cavalry was stronger than all other weapons
Using barbed wire to stop cavalry
Used cavalry for taking out artillery at the end of the battle.
New cavalry = tanks and helicopters
Marches into battle = old generals keep old tactics – have to get used to new tactics
Equipment was not good – planned for a short battle – longer than expected
Trench warfare comes after the war begins.
Cult of offense = must attack = get mowed down by new guns
Both sides trying to win = one must move