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Transcript

What is IMPERIALISM?

Imperialism is the United States extending beyond its borders to acquire overseas colonies and territories

Causes of Imperialism

Security

  • 1890: Captain Alfred T. Mahan- suggested in his book titled “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History” the United States must build a powerful navy if it ever hoped to be a world power and protect it’s interests abroad
  • By 1900, United States had one of most powerful navies in the world

Economic

  • could create more economic markets
  • Spheres of Influence concept: territories or nations over which a nation exercised control
  • Mercantilism-policy which holds that the nation should accumulate wealth by exporting more products than imports

Causes of Imperialism

Adventure & Purpose (National Spirit & Destiny)

  • United States had conquered the western hemisphere, so it was time to tackle the eastern hemisphere
  • Frederick Jackson Turner 1861-1932: FRONTIER THESIS

Manifest Destiny

  • United States should expand it’s borders nationwide and even past the Pacific & Atlantic Oceans
  • Many saw it as God’s plan for United States to take the responsibility of whites civilizing and taking democracy to the rest of the world

Racial Superiority

  • People like Josiah Strong 1847-1916 believed in racial superiority
  • Anglo-Saxon Superiority: idea that English speaking whites are biologically superior to other races thus expansion was both noble and nation’s destiny
  • Social Darwinism - United States should exercise it’s control over “less fit” and “inferior” races and nations

Imperialism

late 19th and early 20th century

Effects of Imperialism

Alaska:

  • 1867: Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the buying of Alaska from Russia
  • Most people in US thought it was a useless purchase
  • Transaction became known as “Seward’s Folly”
  • However, Seward correctly saw Alaska as a land rich in natural resources and full of great economic potential for the US

Hawaii:

  • As time passed, these owners gained economic control over the islands
  • Also struggled for power with the Hawaiian monarchy
  • 1893: wealthy white plantation owners (led by Sanford B. Dole) rebelled against Queen Liliuokalani (1838-1917)
  • Queen Lil opposed the increasing control of the owners
  • With the help of US troops from a nearby ship, the plantation owners seized the islands and deposed the queen
  • 1898: the United States annexed Hawaii and made it a US territory
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