american expansionism
TRANSCRIPT
AMERICA BECOMES A GLOBAL POWER
(1867-1919)
Should the United States intervene in the affairs of
another country?
I can explain the political, economic, & cultural factors that fueled the growth of American imperialism.
Learning Target
Imperialism
Definition Illustration
Causes Effects
Definition
Imperialism is a policy in which stronger nations extend their political or military control over weaker territories.
Examples?
Causes
Desire for Military Strength
Other nations around the world were establishing a global military presence
Admiral Alfred T. Mahan urged government officials to build American naval power in order to compete
Construction of the Great White Fleet US became the world’s 3rd largest naval power
The Great White Fleet
Causes
Thirst for New Markets
The US needed raw materials for its factories & new markets for its agricultural & manufactured goods
Causes
Belief in Cultural Superiority
Some Americans combined Social Darwinism with a belief in the racial superiority of Western Europeans
They argued that the US had a responsibility to spread Christianity & “civilize” the world’s “inferior” people
White Man’s Burden
Effects
The US Acquires Alaska
In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward arranged for the US to buy Alaska from Russia $7.2 million
Called “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox”
Effects
The US Takes Hawaii
Hawaii had been economically important to the US since the 1790s
By the mid-1800s, American-owned sugar plantations made up about 75% of the islands’ wealth
In 1887, the US built a naval base at Pearl Harbor
Effects
The US Takes Hawaii
In 1891, American business groups organized a revolution & overthrew Queen Liliuokalani
Sanford B. Dole was put in charge of the new government
Effects
The US Takes Hawaii
President Grover Cleveland recognized the Republic of Hawaii & called for a vote of the Hawaiian people
On August 12, 1898, Congress made Hawaii an American territory although Hawaiians were never given the chance to vote
The Fate of Hawaii