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America’s acquisition of Alaska
-An early supporter of American expansion was William Seward
-In 1867, Seward arranged for the U.S. to buy Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million
-Seward had trouble persuading the House of Representatives to approve funding for the purchase
-Some people thought it was silly to buy what they called "Seward’s folly"
-In 1959, Alaska became a state. For about two cents an acre, the United States had acquired a land rich in timber, minerals, and, as it turned out, oil -
Reasons for the Growth of American Imperialism
-Imperialism: the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political or military control over weaker territories—was already a trend around
the world. -Reasons for imperialism:
Global competition
Desire for military strength
Thirst for new markets
Belief in cultural superiority -
The Spanish-American War
-The U.S. goes to war with Spain and won the war quickly and with low casualties.
-As a result, the U.S. gains the Spanish colonies of Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines.
-U.S. involvement in Latin America and Asia increased greatly due to the war and continues today.
-Despite the Spanish concessions, public opinion favored war.
-On April 11, McKinley asked Congress for the authority to use force against Spain. After a week of debate, Congress agreed, and on April 20, the United States declared war -
America’s acquisition of Hawaii
-In 1867, the United States took over the Midway Islands
-No one lived on the islands, so the event did not attract much attention
-The Hawaiian Islands had been economically important to the United States for nearly a century
-Since the 1790s, American merchants had stopped there on their way to China and East India
-On August 12, 1898, Congress proclaimed Hawaii an American territory, and in 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States -
America and the Philippines
-To the American people, McKinley was led to annex the Philippines
-Emilio Aguinaldo believed that the United States had promised independence
-In February 1899, the Filipinos, led by Aguinaldo, rose in revolt
-After suppressing the rebellion, the United States
set up a government similar to the one it had established for Puerto Rico
- Under American rule, the Philippines moved gradually toward independence and finally became an independent republic on July 4, 1946. -
America and Cuba
-When the United States declared war against Spain in 1898, it recognized Cuba’s independence from Spain
-Though officially independent, Cuba was occupied by
American troops when the war ended.
-In 1900, the Cuban government wrote a constitution for independence
-The main reason for the United States to maintain a strong political presence in Cuba was to protect American businesses that invested in the island’s products
-The U.S. continued to push for control of its Latin American neighbors. -
America and China
-U.S. imperialists saw the Philippines as a gateway to the rest of Asia, particularly to China
-China was seen as a vast potential market for American products
-The United States began to fear that China would be carved into colonies and American traders would be shut out
-Although China kept its freedom, Europeans dominated most of China’s large cities
-After the Boxer Rebellion, the United States feared that European nations
would use their victory to take even greater control of
China -
America and Puerto Rico
-Not all Puerto Ricans wanted independence; some wanted statehood, or local self-government as an American territory
-During the Spanish-American War, United States forces occupied the island
-Congress retained the right to extend U.S. citizenship, and it granted it to Puerto Ricans in 1917
- They had the right to elect both houses of their legislature
-Many Puerto Ricans feared that the United States would not give them the measure of self-rule that they had gained under the Spanish -
Theodore Roosevelt and the World
-Theodore Roosevelt was elected President in 1900 and was re-elected in 1904
-Financial factors drew the United States further
into Latin American affairs
-During the next decade, the United States exercised its police power on several occasions
-The Taft administration followed the policy of using the U.S. government to guarantee loans made to foreign countries by American businesspeople
-This policy was called dollar diplomacy by its critics -
Woodrow Wilson and the World
-The Monroe Doctrine had warned other nations against expanding their influence in Latin America
-Mexico had been ruled for more than three decades by Porfirio Díaz
-Wilson adopted a plan of “watchful waiting”
-Carranza was in charge, but like others before him, he
did not have the support of all Mexicans
-With the American public demanding revenge, President
Wilson ordered Brigadier General John J. Pershing and an expeditionary force of about 15,000 soldiers into Mexico to capture Villa
