With your partner…

• Make a list of five country you consider powerful vs five country you consider weak

• How do you come to that perception? Think of things the countries on the left have over the ones on the right

What are the four ingredients for an imperialist country?

IMPERIALISM-

Strong Government

A country that dominates over weaker nations by controlling it

Culture-diverse with religion, language, heritage and nationalism

Economic- This country has money and a strong economy

Militarism- strong navy and army to protect itself and other nations

Pros and Cons of US Expansion• PROS:• Gain naval bases *sea

power is the key!• Gain status around

world/power to acquire land

• Spread democracy• Convert “third world”

natives to Christianity • Expand Big Business

• CONS:• We will look like a

bad guy• Natives may not like

us oppress them (number one reason)

• If we help countries now, they may EXPECT it

When and WHY did America become “imperial”?

• Late 19th century• America needed to join race for expansion• Build up of navy and sea power was needed• Big Business- wanted expansion to expand

markets and find new products• US wanted to dominate/ “police” the

Western Hemisphere• Land= power

Land America had their eyes on at the turn of the century….

WHY THESE PLACES?

The Spanish American War AKA Spanish American Cuban

Filipino War1898-1902

Cuba

• Since Columbus founding of Cuba it was considered the “Pearl” of the Spanish Empire because of its beauty and vast sugar plantations

The Beginning of the War

• We supported Cuba during their Revolution against Spain.

• We had a lot of money invested in Cuba. (Farms, Mining)

• Spanish had put Cubans in reconcentrados. These were camps that kept people under Spanish control.

• Americans objected to this.

Reconcentracion Policy

• In 1896, General Weyler of Spain implemented the first wave of the Spanish "Reconcentracion Policy" that sent thousands of Cubans into concentration camps.

• Cubans had 8 days to relocate, disobeying meant death

Horrid Conditions

• The housing in these areas was typically abandoned, decaying, roofless, and virtually uninhabitable. Food was scarce and famine and disease quickly swept through the camps. By 1898, one third of Cuba's population had been forcibly sent into the concentration camps. Over 400,000 Cubans died as a result of the Spanish Reconcentration Policy.

225,000 Cuban civilians died in 18 months 1896-97

Reconcentrados

Why do you think headlines like this sell?

Yellow Journalism• Yellow Journalism was like today’s

Tabloids at the grocery store.

• One story was the Maine

• “Send me the pictures, I’ll send you the war.”

Yellow Journalism-Sensationalized or exaggerated

news stories (USS Maine)

Sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor

• USS Maine explodes in Havana, Cuba Harbor• Most Americans believe it was Spain’s fault

• 1976 US Navy analyzed the sunken ship, decided that the hull blew OUT not IN

• “Spark” that started the war• “Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!”

•

Oh, It’s On Now

• Yellow Journalism made the country believe that the war was a good idea.

• Sensational stories designed to sell papers.• The last straw was the De Lome letter. A Spanish

diplomat wrote his government and said that Pres. McKinley was weak and would not jump in to help Cuba.

• When the Yellow Press got a hold and published it, we got fighting mad.

The Spanish American War Starts In the Philippines

• We had a fleet under the command of Adm. George Dewey stationed in Hong Kong.

• Dewey sailed into Manila Bay and tore that place up. He defeated the Spanish fleet of 10 or so ships without losing a single battle casualty. Battle took about an hour

• Our ships were better quality than Spain’s.

Teddy and his buffalo soldiers go to Cuba

The Rough and the Buff

• San Juan Heights- Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders take this important ridge, kind of.

• In reality it was Teddy and mostly Buffalo Soldiers, that took the hill. The Rough Riders were a black regiment that was formed to fight the Plains Indians.

• 4 Buffalo Soldiers won Medals of Honor during this conflict.

Not A Long War• The War ended in August of 1898. • Next stop Puerto Rico. We took Puerto Rico

in 2 weeks. • The fighting sparked again in the

Philippines until 1902 when we colonized this country.

• More people died from disease in this war than bullets. 380 combat deaths, 2060 from illness

The Aftermath- Effects of the War

• The Platt Amendment- After the war. We put this in the Cuban Constitution. It said basically that Cuba had to give us land for a Navy base and we could step in to their affairs whenever we wanted. Some freedom, huh? What land did we get?

TREATY OF PARIS

• 1898 Treaty says:

• 1. US will get: Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines from Spain

• 2. US will pay Spain $20 million bucks

THE ROOSEVELT CORROLLARY

• Teddy said:

– 1. Europe needed to stay out of the Western Hemisphere (Monroe Doctrine)

– 2. Adds: Any problems in Latin America, the US WILL INTERVENE to protect it’s interest.

– US is “Continent Police” This is his “speak softly and carry a big stick” foreign policy

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU5l4yQCpMM&list=LPrmvHhh54F6I&index=1&feature=plcp