George’s AP US Survival Blog

Incomplete

So after the Civil War, nobody cared about international affairs. Reconstruction and the panics of the gilded age brought internal turmoil that had to be dealt with first. Now that the Gilded Age was over, it was time to focus on the world again.

America Turns Outward

• The Americans realized that their overproduction would cause America’s economy to suffer if it wasn’t dealt with. They needed foreign markets to relieve the pressure from the overproduction, especially in farming and manufacturing.
• Of course, writing also was a big influence on the fervor for foreign involvement. Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst described the foreign exploits as some adventure.
• Rev. Josiah Strong wrote Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis discussed Anglo-Saxon supremacy and the need to spread religion to the “backward” peoples.
• Teddy Roosevelt begged to differ for he thought that social Darwinism would obviously declare Americans the fittest for survival. The rest of the world was hopeless or unselected.
• At this point, imperialism was the cool thing to do. The Europeans carved up Africa and the Japanese, Germans, and Russians took advantage of faltering China.
• Then came another idea, yes we’re all full of ideas aren’t we? Alfred Thayer Mahan…excuse me…Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote a book, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, about how controlling the sea pretty much showed how manly the country was. So now Americans wanted a stronger Navy and to build a canal between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
• James G. Blaine’s Big Sister policy was basically trying to woo Latin American countries to stand behind American leadership and open their markets to the US market.
  • He managed to get somewhere at the Pan-American Conference when he brought his plan up.
• The Americans nearly got into a fight with the Germans when they tried to take the Samoan Islands.
  • It was agreed that the islands will be split. German Samoa is now independent. American Samoa is still under US control to this day.
• The lynching of 11 Italians in New Orleans caused great tension to build between the US and Italy until the US agreed to pay compensation.
• When two Americans were killed at the Chilean port of Valparaiso, war was nearly inevitable until Chile offered to pay an indemnity.
• The US tangled up with Canada when they disputed over seal hunting near the Pribilof Islands. Arbitration resolved this conflict.
• So as you can see, Americans were dead serious about risking war to expand their empire.
• Of course, there was also this Anti-British sentiment developing again and when the British had that border dispute with Venezuela (mainly because gold was discovered and the British thought British Guiana was bigger) Grover Cleveland issued a statement to the British, reiterating the Monroe Doctrine. Secretary of State Olney was also telling the British that the Americans now controlled the Western Hemisphere.
• The British were not amused. Even so, Cleveland sent a message to Congress telling them to prepare for war if the British refused to accept the correct boundaries for British Guiana.
• Britain had other stuff on their hands though such as threats from Germany’s Wilhelm and Dutch-descendant Boers in South Africa.
  • So the ordeal was settled by arbitration and the British and Americans reconciled in the Great Rapprochement.

Spurning the Hawaiian Pear

• Hawaii was used as a popular stopping point for shippers, sailors, and whalers.
• Missionaries then came over and eventually spurred Hawaii into becoming a sugar producing island.
• The US wanted hands off of Hawaii so they issued stern warnings and secured a treaty with the native government to use Pearl Harbor as a naval base.
• Eventually the Japanese and Chinese Immigrants outnumbered the Native Hawaiians and Whites. They were there to work the sugar plantations. Americans were worried that Japan might come and try to avenge the harsh treatment of the Japanese. McKinley’s tariffs also hurt the sugar business and that gave a push for the annexation of Hawaii as American territory.
• There was one problem, Queen Liliuokalani decided that the natives could run the island themselves, without American help.
  • A revolt was led by the whites and this was successful
  • The annexation treaty could not be punched through before Harrison’s term expired and Grover Cleveland thought the whites had wronged Queen Liliuokalani and took the treaty back.

Cubans Rise in Revolt

• Cubans were angry at their Spanish oppressors and tried to overthrow them by the scorched-earth policy. So they pretty much burned their sugar cane and their own land. Personally, I would have picked some for consumption and burned all the rest. I guess the Cubans were already on enough of a sugar high, they didn’t need any more sugar.
• Now the Americans were not so interested in Cuba because the inhabitants had attempted to purge the land out of anything useful. Still, like I did for the 43rd Super Bowl, the Americans rooted for the underdogs.
• The Americans had a $50 million dollar business investment and a $100 million trade stake on Cuba and were not interested in losing it. Also it was believed that the country that controlled Cuba controlled the Gulf of Mexico.
• And then the last straw was when Spanish General Weyler “nickname: butcher” killed many civilians by herding them into re-concentration camps where unsanitary conditions killed them.
• Hearst and Pulitzer used their yellow journalism to spread propaganda about the atrocities in Cuba. As always, they told half the story, just enough for the Americans to go “WHAT!? THEM SPANAIRDS!!!!”
• And they also publicized a private letter between the Spanish minister in Washington D.C., Dupuy de Lome, which was an insult to William McKinley. So now that the Spaniards have done just about everything to anger the Americans, it was time for war and the Maine was sent on a “friendly visit” but stationed to evacuated Americans should some violence flare up.
  • The Maine mysteriously exploded, yellow journalism provided the rest of the story.
  • It was later found out that the explosion was a pure tragic accident but Americans were wooed by the yellow journalism, not the facts.
• McKinley didn’t quite want to go to war but he also wanted Cuba. Bending to public pressure, he sent his war message to Congress. War was declared but there was also a Teller Amendment that stated the Americans would give Cubans freedom after kicking Spain out. Europeans simply laughed at that idea.

Dewey’s May Victory at Manila

• Great job Navy Secretary John D. Long, you took a leave from office and let Teddy Roosevelt take over.
  • So Roosevelt told George Dewey, commander of the American Aslatic Squadron at Hong Kong, to go to the Philippines should war break out.
  • McKinley confirmed Roosevelt’s message, even though nobody could really see what Spanish Philippines had to do with Cuba. The Spanish fleet was soon destroyed…but what about the land forts in Manila? What about them German warships coming in.
  • Then the reinforcements came in and captured Manila on Aug. 13, 1893 along with part Chinese leader – Emilio Aguinado, leader of Filipino insurgents.
  • Then Hawaii was quickly annexed before anybody else could snatch it up.

The Confused Invasion of Cuba

• Spain sent some warships that forced fearful vacationing Americans way but were soon blockaded by American warships.
• General Shafter’s ill equipped troops did not advance. Instead it was the “Rough Riders” or cowboys, ex-convicts, and ex polo players, came in to Cuba, commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood.
• After El Caney and Kettle Hill, the war was pretty much near end as the American army surrounded Santiago and the Spanish fleet was chased into the American fleet.
• Americans also advanced to Cuba and an armistice with Spain was signed on Aug 12, 1898.

America’s Course (Curse?) Of Empire

• Americans also captured Guam because the Spaniards had no telegraph to alert them of a war going on.
• Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the US for war costs and Cuba was freed.
• However, the Philippines were a bigger problem, McKinley did not want to return them to Spain but saw it irresponsible to just simply sail away. But they were also hard to control for it was an ethnically diverse island.
• Eventually, the fervor to christianize/civilize the islands and the businessmen looking for profits gave way to annexation.
  • Americans paid Spain $20 million for the islands because they were captured a day after the armistice was signed and could not be claimed from war victory.
  • There was a lot of protest from Americans that thought annexing an island of too much diversity was dishonorable to American commitments to self-determination and anti-Colonialism. William James was a professor that led this. Speaker of the House Thomas Reed resigned in protest.
  • The pro-annexation people thought it would be irresponsible just to abandon the islands.
  • Anti Imperialist League was formed to try and debunk the McKinley Admin’s Imperialistic moves. Professors, presidents of universities and novelists (Mark Twain) and even the tycoons like Carnegie and labor leader Samuel Gompers.
  • Anti Imperialists had these arguments
    • Filipinos wanted freedom, it would be hypocritical to be a nation that adopted the Dec. of Ind.
    • Despotism overseas may cause despotism at home.
    • Annexation would put the US in East Asian dominion.
    • Imperialism wasn’t profitable.
• Unfortunately for the Anti-Imperialists, the treaty punched through the Senate with one vote…America was an empire now.

Puerto Rico and Cuba

• Is it a state? Is it a territory? It was hard to decide on the fate of Puerto Rico.
• the Foraker Act of 1900 granted Puerto Rico a limited degree of popular government.
• U.S citizenship was granted to Puerto Ricans in 1917 but there wasn’t total self rule yet. Some Puerto Ricans wanted independence despite the improvements brought by the American government.
• Others moved to NYC and added to the melting pot.
• So there was a second problem, did the laws, rights and the Constitution apply to all the newly acquired territory? According to a split Supreme Court in the Insular Cases decided that the flag trumped the constitution and that the people were not going to receive all American rights.
• Cuba was also a big deal. General Leonard Wood, a rough rider, led the military government into great improvements in government, finance, education, agriculture, and public health.
• The biggest was the eradication of yellow fever, caused by the stegomyia mosquito.
• The US withdrew from Cuba in 1902 because of the Teller Amendment.
• However, to try and reduce the fear of a country like Germany taking over, the Americans had the Cubans write the Platt Amendment into their Constitution.
• The Cubans were not to make any treaties that would compromise their independence.
• The Cubans were not to take on debt more than their resources.
• US Troops could intervene at any time.
• Two coaling stations, then reduced to just Guantanamo Bay were to be given up.
• The amendment was revoked in 1934 but the US still controls Guantanamo Bay until this day.

New Horizons in Two Hemispheres

• The Spanish-American War, a signal of coming out, was a short 113 day war.
• The Americans were more respected by the Europeans.
• Secretary of War Elihu Root created the general staff for the army and founded the War College in Washington.
• The Spanish-American war also removed bad blood between the Northerners and the Southerners.
• Even so, the far reaching empire would be hard to take care of. The Philippines would be a defenseless island that would eventually be taken advantage of by the Japanese.

“Little Brown Brothers” in the Philippines

• The Filipinos thought they would receive independence like the Cubans but were in for quite the surprise when the Americans decided to stay.
• This led to an insurrection starting Feb 4, 1899. There was guerilla warfare and the “water cure” was developed by the Americans, forcing water down a victim’s throat until they talked or died.
• Future pres. William H Taft tried to befriend his “little brown brothers”. But McKinley did not progress far. He poured all this money at the islands but the inhabitants wanted independence. It would not be until July 4th, 1946 that they would get independence. Still, Filipinos emigrated to the US.

Hinging The Open Door in China

• China was also being carved up by the Europeans and the Americans were worried that a monopoly of the Chinese markets would be established.
• Secretary of State John Hay sent the Open Door Notes urging the European countries to respect certain Chinese rights and the ideal of fair competition.
• At first, Europeans scoffed but eventually all agreed to it.
• Boxer Rebellion occurred because China did not want to be a doormat. This resulted in killings of thousands of foreigners.
• Multinational rescue forces arrived to stop the rebellion.
• Treaty of Wanghia – 1844 – American troops were sent to China to keep the Open Door open.
• The Chinese were given an indemnity of $333 Million and $24.5 million was to go to the US. Later $18 million was remitted to support Chinese students in the US.
• Hay also said that China’s land integrity should be respected. Eventually all these would be incorporated into the Nine Power Treaty of 1922

Imperialism or Bryanism in 1900?

• McKinley and Roosevelt ran on the same ticket – Republicans
• Democrats chose William Jennings Bryan.
• McKinley won by a wider margin than in 1896.

TR: Brandisher of the Big Stick

• McKinley was killed by an anarchist and Roosevelt took the seat of President.
• Roosevelt was an educated man and also believed in imperialism, military, and naval preparedness.
• His most famous quote was “Speak softly and carry a big stick, [and] you will go far.”
• He was an extrovert.
• TR believed that the president should lead boldly and he did not appreciate much of the checks and balances. He wanted to lead. He thought he could do anything as long as the constitution did not say he could not do it.

Building the Panama Canal

• TR’s first proposal was to build that canal in the isthmus between N. America and S. America.
• There was one problem, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty with Britain said that the US agreed not to control any isthmus route. Even so, the British had tons of other problems and decided to allow the US to build a canal with the Paunceforte Treaty in 1901.
• Originally the place of construction would have been Nicaragua but the French Canal Company wanted in on this so they dropped the price of its holdings from $109 million to $40 million, courtesy to Philippe Bunau-Varilla.
• Congress then decided on the Panama Route but now the Colombians were unwilling to accept $10 Million for the 6 mile wide zone.
• So Bunau-Varilla and the US worked together on an uprising on November 3, 1903. This earned him the Prime minister position.
• Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty gave the US a 10 mile wide zone for the same price.
• Of course, US-Latin American relations were not so cool anymore.
• Project was completed in 1914 by Colonel George Washington Goethals.

TR’s Perversion of Monroe’s Doctrine

• Europe was fed up with unpaid debts in Latin America that they came to collect the money, some by violence.
• Roosevelt was fearful that those creditors would remain in the hemisphere.
• Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine – in the event of any financial problems, the US would intervene and pay off the debts in order to keep the Europeans out.
• Of course Roosevelt used this to occupy the Latin American region whenever he wanted including when there was a Cuban Revolt.

Roosevelt on the World Stage

• Japan and Russia were at war over Port Arthur and Japan secretly asked Roosevelt to negotiate a peace.
• It ended up being a peace that satisfied nobody.
• Japan was forced to give up indemnity demand and Russian gave up Sakhalin Island, but got Korea.
• Even so, Roosevelt turned once friendly nations to enemies.

Japanese Laborers in California

• Japanese came to California as immigrants.
• San Francisco’s school board tried to segregate Asians into a different school. The Japanese were angry and threatened war so Roosevelt used his big stick to force the Board of Education to repeal this act by the “Gentleman’s Agreement”.
• Tokyo agreed to withhold passports so immigration would be stopped.
• TR also sent the Great White Fleet to sail around the world as a way to impress the Japanese. There was a warm reception in Japan and the Root-Takahira agreement was signed pledging that both sides would respect each other’s territorial possessions.