U.S. History Imperialist Presidents

American Imperialism (1)

Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, and Latin America

Open Ended

What do you already know about Imperialism?

Major Presidents During Imperialism

William McKinley 1897-1901

Major Presidents During Imperialism

Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909

Major Presidents During Imperialism

William H. Taft 1909-1913

Anti-Imperial Sentiment

From the Civil War until the 1890s, most Americans had little interest in territorial expansion:

Imperial rule seemed inconsistent with America's republican principles.

The US did not welcome people with different cultures, languages, and religions.

Acquisition of Alaska

An exception to the rule was Alaska. In 1867, Sec. of State William Seward arranged to buy Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million. Rich

European Imperialism

By the mid-1890s, a shift had taken place in American attitudes toward expansion. Why? Between 1870 and 1900, the European powers seized 10 million square miles of territory in Africa and Asia. About 150 million people were subjected to colonial rule.

Fear of Competition

In the United States, a growing number of policy makers, bankers, manufacturers, and trade unions grew fearful that the country might be closed out in the struggle for global markets and raw materials.

Belief in Darwinian Struggle

A belief that the world's nations were engaged in a Darwinian struggle for survival, and that countries that failed to compete were doomed to decline, also contributed to a new assertiveness on the part of the Untied States.

The White Man's Burden

During the late 19th century, the idea that the United States had a special mission to uplift "backward" people around the world also commanded growing support.

Dependency on Foreign Trade

By the late 19th century, the American economy was increasingly dependent on foreign trade. A quarter of the nation's farm products and half its petroleum were sold overseas.

A New Assertiveness

During the late 1880s, American foreign policy makers began to display more assertiveness on the world stage.

A Desire for Sea Power

Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval strategist and the author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, argued that national prosperity and power depended on control of the world's sea-lanes. "Whoever rules the waves rules the world," Mahan wrote.

Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan

• To facilitate trade with Asia, four black ships commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry anchored at Edo (Tokyo) Bay in 1853. Never before had the Japanese seen ships steaming with smoke and so heavily armed.

• The Japanese government, in no position to defend itself against a foreign power, signed a trade treaty with the US that opened up two ports to American vessels, and allowed American ships to buy coal and other necessary supplies in Japanese ports.

• No longer allowed to be isolationist, Japan began to "westernize". By 1890s Japan had built a powerful navy and set out to build their own empire in the East.

Annexation of Hawaii

In 1893, a small group of sugar and pineapple-growing businessmen, backed by the US military, deposed Hawaii's queen, seized 1.75 million acres of land, and conspired for US annexation of the islands (achieved in 1898). Hawaii became a state in 1959.