Before 1890, America was against imperialism, which is acquiring colonies for the sole reason of building an empire. America was once a colony, so they were only interested in trade than colonization as they expanded into more territories. In 1867, Russia offered the Americas Alaska in exchange for seven million. President Andrew Johnson, at that time, wasn’t entirely convinced on taking Alaska, but Vice-President Seward convinced that the U.S. would gain not only more land, but new resources such as gold and oil. For Hawaii at first was trade then establishing business. The Reciprocity Treaty came to pass in 1875 when missionaries settle in and eventually the sugar cane gets big in the business. Some natives opposed of foreigners in their …show more content…
Spanish-American war of 1896, Cuba was the last remaining colony of Spain in the new world. Cuban sugar cane workers were rebelling because of poverty and bad conditions. William Randolph Hearst, a sensationalist reporter who was investigating the war, sent an artist to Cuba to sketch the action. Unfortunately for him, nothing violent was happening, so Hearst exaggerated the truth. Pressured into war the president sends the Maine to harbor, but it suddenly exploded. Congress approves force to stop the violence, but Spain declares war. In the end though, the U.S. won. The results led to the Treaty of Paris (1898), the Insular Cases of 1901, and acts/amendments on Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Cuba: Teller Amendment (gives independence to Cuba) and the Platt Amendment (Cuba is a protectorate if they don’t have agreements with foreign countries without U.S. approval). Puerto Rico: Fonaker Act of 1900 and Jones Act 1917. Philippines: William Howard Taft and Tydings-McDuffle Act of 1934 (Philippines will be given independence after ten …show more content…
In Latin America, it was the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904 that stated U.S. police made sure debts got paid, and European countries won’t invade. This was probably used as an excuse to come over known as “Big Stick Diplomacy." The Dollar Diplomacy, written by William H. Taft, encouraged and protected American businesses in foreign countries. In China, the Open-Door Policy in 1899, which gave nation’s equal rights in China, resulted in Bower Rebellion in 1900 that wanted foreigners out of China. Although U.S. takes down the rebellion, the country made certain colonization (other countries splitting the nation for their own power) stop in China . Through many of these circumstances, America emerges as a major imperialistic power through many
The Kingdom of Hawaii was of great interest to several countries during the early eighteen hundreds. The chain of islands are strategically placed in the Pacific ocean, the land is great for growing many types of crops, and adding more land to territories was of huge importance during this time for many nations looking to expand their power. The possibility of gaining a hold over the the Hawaiian islands was significant to numerous nations such as the United States, Great Britain, and France. Getting the rights to have a place in the Kingdom of Hawaii was an ongoing race that was won in 1875 with the signing of the Treaty of Reciprocity. The Treaty of Reciprocity of 1875 was an exclusive free trade agreement between the United States and
Dani Nelson 2/25/2017 Dr. Jones American Foreign Policy in Gilded Age and Progressive Era (1880-1920) HIST111: United States History After 1877 Over 100 years ago, the United States was looking to become the international power it is today. Establishing foreign policy through territorial expansionism in Hawaii, interventionism in Cuba, and imperialism in the Philippines was the major reason for the United States becoming a modern world power between 1880-1920. Before the 1880s, the United States had never really had foreign policy with any countries on the other side of the world. Policy had always been based upon the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that European nations were not allowed to interfere with nations in the Western Hemisphere,
After the Civil War Hawaii’s profits on sugarcane were incredibly large. This made American’s want Hawaii even more. But President Harrison didn’t exactly see it that way. He instead saw it as a threat to America’s sugar trade. He then passed the McKinley Tariff in 1890 which raised the import rates on foreign sugar.
The Spanish American war was a product of Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis and the urbanization of America. In 1895, a rebellion broke out in Cuba, as Cuban patriots wanted independences from Spain. Through the yellow journalism, reports of Spain’s cruel military tactics lead to a public uproar in the U.S. However, most of these stories were exaggerated as a form to promote war. After an American battleship, the USS Maine, was destroyed, America was “forced” to start war and stop Spanish occupation.
However, around 1890, an event occurred which changed the relation of the U.S. market and Hawaiian plantation workers. When the approval, created by the Congress, of the “McKinley Tariff” was established, the sugar planters of Hawaii were marked down in the American business, leading to depression of an economic downturn in the Hawaiian islands. The Tariff revolved around increasing the price of import rates over foreign sugar from the Hawaiian islands. Due to the Congress’s decision-making, the Hawaiian sugar growers were required to sell resources in the American market for a price lower than regular. The belief, among the sugar farmers of mostly white Americans, which referred to the annexation of Hawaii to the U.S. causing for the tariff conflict to be solved, had been wondered if it is something truthful to be aware of.
In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was established in order to evenly divide unclaimed lands between Portugal and Spain. This led to the Line of Demarcation, in which the non-European world was divided into two zones. Portugal had rights to the eastern hemisphere, and Spain had rights to the western hemisphere. This allowed Spain to colonize areas in the New World. Even though they had this opportunity, they were not able to colonize specific areas in North America due to competition with other European countries.
Hearst and Pulitzer manipulated public opinion in order to have the American people intervene. The U.S.S. Maine was located in the Havana harbor two hundred and sixty sailors died due to the explosion. This gave the American government exactly what they needed in order to go into cube. They came up with the slogan “Remember the Maine to Hell with Spain.”
“Subsequent diplomatic failures to resolve the Maine matter, coupled with United States indignation over Spain’s brutal suppression of the Cuban rebellion and continued losses to American investment, led to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in April 1898” (History 1). They were justified in doing this because many people were killed, it caused problems not just with them, but with families and it affected the country. “…killing 260 of the fewer than 400 American crew members aboard” (History 1). This took away opportunity for 260
This policy would prevent countries of influence within China to interfere or discriminate with another country of influence. The policy was deemed definitive by the United States and used as a sphere of influence. Throughout various ways of Imperialism the United States has bettered itself and the countries imperialized by boosting economics and protection for both sides involved. The United States annexed Hawaii for economic purposes, but at the same time protected Hawaii from being imperialized by Britain or another large force.
This explosion finally made the Americans want to go to war, and so the United States decided to get involved. On April 25, 1898, the United States officially went to war with Spain to help Cuba. Instead of the battles being fast and right away, the United States was hesitant and patient. After multiple articles from Hearst and Pulitzer exposing the horrors in Cuba and the rumors about the explosion of the U.S. Mains, America finally got involved in the Spanish American
Even a foreign trade policy was made to promise national prosperity because almost all Americans favored economic expansion: more markets for manufacturers and farmers, greater profits for merchants and bankers, more jobs for workers. (Goldfield pg. 634) During that time, Mahanism was established by Alfred Thayer Mahan, which he indicated that the United States has to stop the isolation and “begin to look outward”. Hawaii was a key for its strategic position; as the United States wanted to extend the power and influence, overthrow the Island’s Queen. The Memoir of Queen Liliuokalani was published and said, “as they deal with me and my people, kindly, generously, and justly, so may the Great Ruler of all nations deal with the grand and glorious nation of the United States of America.
Before the 20th century the United States was an isolationist nation but around the late 19th century America decided to convert into an imperialist power. They had numerous reasons to shift into being an imperialist nation. America didn’t want to begin imperializing to settle and live in the nations they were taking over, they already had America for that reason, they wanted to adopt these nations for what they had to offer, which was many things. America saw an opportunity to improving their nation and took it. Even if there were many causes for America to imperialize, three of them stood out the most.
At the start of the 19th century, America was already expanding its territory. In 1803, the United States of America had bought the Louisiana Territory, it was bought from France which had made the country two times larger. In 1819 Spain had given up their territory of Florida to the United States. President Monroe issued the “Monroe Doctrine” in 1823, its main purpose was to warn the European countries to not enter the Western Hemisphere. In order for America to achieve its goal of becoming an imperialist nation they had conquered other countries economically, culturally, and with a strong military in the late 1800’s.
The Spanish/American War started when Cuba wanted freedom from Spain. Two rival American newspapers were fighting for readers when word got out about Cuba, so they began making up stories to make it seem more exciting. This scared American citizens and they demanded war on Spain. America wanted Spain to clear the American hemisphere but Spain did not want to leave Cuba. Spanish, Cuban, and American diplomats were meeting up quietly to try and solve their differences.
Over time America started to gradually incorporate the Hawaiian islands as an extension of its territory even though Hawaii was largely recognized as its own monarchy by many global nations. It wasn’t until the 1840s when The States Department regularly intimidated other foreign countries that America would finally have full control over Hawaiian commodities. America used Hawaii as a way to solve its problem with its overpopulated naval harbors by signing the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 which allowed the US access to Pearl Harbor. American businessmen took advantage of Hawaii’s most notable product, sugar cane, which was readily available and cheap due to Hawaii’s close proximity to American coastlines.