01:512:104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Valeriano Weyler, Pago Pago, Cuban Americans
13 May 2018
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Chapter 20 - The Imperial Republic
1)Stirrings of Imperialism
a)The New Manifest Destiny
i)American attention shifted to foreign lands b/c “closing of the frontier” 1890s
led some to fear natural resources would dwindle and must be found abroad,
growing importance of foreign trade and desire for new markets, fears that Eur
imperialism would lead America to be left out of spoils
ii)Justifications provided by Social Darwinism- only fittest nations survive,
therefore just for strong nations to dominate weaker ones
iii) Josiah Strong’s Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present
Crisis (1885) states Anglo-Saxon “race” represented liberty, Christianity and
should spread them; John Burgess wrote that duty of A-S to uplift less
fortunate ppl
iv)Famous Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote in The Influence of Sea Power
Upon History (1890) that countries w/ sea power great nations of history- US
needed to have foreign commerce, merchant marine, navy to defend routes,
and colonies to provide raw materials and bases- claim Pacific Islands, HI
b)Hemispheric Hegemony
i)Sec of State James Blaine 1880s sought to expand US influence in Latin
America to provide markets for surplus goods- 1889 organized Pan-American
Congress. Pres Cleveland 1895 had dispute w/ GB over Venezuela border
c)Hawaii and Samoa
i)Hawaii appealing b/c Navy wanted Pearl Harbor as base, Americans who
had settled on island had come to dominate political + economic life of islands
ii)Hawaii had been series of islands w/ self-sufficient communities. After 1810
American traders, missionaries, planters began settling there. Disease
decimated Native populations; by 1840s Americans spread thru islands
iii)1887 US Navy negotiated to use Pearl Harbor as Navy base; by that time
sugar exports to US basis of economy, American plantation system was
displacing natives from their lands
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
iv)In response elevated nationalist Queen Liliuokalani 1891. 1890 US
eliminated duty-free status of HI sugar, American planters felt only way to
survive to join US- 1893 stages revolution. Pres Harrison signed annex
agreement 1893 but delayed by Dem Senate and Dem Pres Cleveland until
1898 return of Repubs
v)Samoa had served as station for US chips in Pacific trade; Pres Hayes 1878
got treaty to use harbor at Pago Pago for Navy. Power share btwn US, GB,
Germany over islands- 1899 US and Germany split islands, compensated GB
2)War with Spain
a)Controversy Over Cuba
i)Cubans had resisted Spanish rule of Cuba since 1868 for independence; in
1895 Cubans rose up violently again, Span under Gen Valeriano Weyler used
harsh tactics + concentration camps in turn- US press skewered mainly Span
ii)Pulitzer’s NY World and Hearst’s NY Journal catered to broad, economically
lower audience- used sensational “yellow journalism” + Cuban crisis to fight
each other for circulation; Cuban Americans urged Cuba Libre as well
iii)Pres Cleveland proclaimed American neutrality; Pres McKinley took office
1897, protested Spanish conduct- withdrew Weyler
iv)Two events Feb 1898 ruined peaceful settlement: the leak of a letter from
Spain’s minister to Washington touting McKinley as “bidder…of the crowd;
and the destruction of the US battleship The Maine in Havana Harbor- Spain
initially blamed, Congress mobilized for war- war declared in April
b)“A Splendid Little War”
i)Sec of State John Hay called Spanish-American War “a splendid little war”
b/c only lasted April-August, few US battle deaths (but 5000+ from disease)
ii)War effort hampered by army supply problems, regular army w/o experience
fighting large-scale war (used to Indian battles)- Nat’l Guard units used like in
Civil War. Racial conflict w/ black army unites used in invasion
c)Seizing the Philippines
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Crisis (1885) states anglo-saxon race represented liberty, christianity and should spread them; john burgess wrote that duty of a-s to uplift less fortunate ppl iv)famous admiral alfred thayer mahan wrote in the influence of sea power. America to provide markets for surplus goods- 1889 organized pan-american. 1890 us eliminated duty-free status of hi sugar, american planters felt only way to survive to join us- 1893 stages revolution. Pres harrison signed annex agreement 1893 but delayed by dem senate and dem pres cleveland until. 1898 return of repubs v)samoa had served as station for us chips in pacific trade; pres hayes 1878 got treaty to use harbor at pago pago for navy. Germany over islands- 1899 us and germany split islands, compensated gb. 2)war with spain a)controversy over cuba i)cubans had resisted spanish rule of cuba since 1868 for independence; in. 1897, protested spanish conduct- withdrew weyler iv)two events feb 1898 ruined peaceful settlement: the leak of a letter from.
