US? Imperialists?
Top Ten People and Events
1. Purchased Alaska
(1867): U.S.
bought Alaska from Russia
for $7.2 million.
2. Annexation
of Hawaii (1898): Queen Liliuokolani was forced to give in to America
and became part of the United States.
3. Spanish-American
War (1898): a USS Maine ship was blown up in Havana
which started the war.
4. Plat
Amendment (1900): stated that America
wouldn't be an imperialistic nation.
5. Philippines
fight the U.S.
(1899): leader of the Philippines,
Emilio, fights us because he doesn't want to join the U.S.
and the Filipinos lose within days.
6. Theodore
Roosevelt gets Panama:
T.R. offers money to Columbia for Panama,
but they refuse. So the U.S.
fights for it and wins easily. We end up paying France,
to get out, Columbia, for the war,
and Panama, for
us to build the canal.
7. Roosevelt
Corollary (1904): Stated with his typical disregard for the subtleties of
complex affairs, might require outside intervention.
8. "Open
Door Policy" (1902): asked the powers to agree to respect the trading
fights of all countries and to improve no discriminatory duties within their
spheres of influence. It also stated that Chinese tariffs should continue to be
collected.
9. Boxer
Rebellion (1902): this was the response of the boxers in China.
They trapped Americans in the walls of Peking and
treated them awful and unable to contact anyone.
10. "Gentleman's
Agreement" (1907): Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace
Prize for helping out Japan
and Russia negotiate a peace treaty.
By causing a coup and backing the side
that won we are able to use Panama for the Isthmian or Panama Canal, it is completed in 1914.
11. Cleveland sides with the Venezuelans to help end British
control in South America in the Venezuelan Border Dispute.
Notable Quotes
"Don't bluster, don't flourish
a revolver and never draw unless you intend to shoot." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"Sea power is essential to the greatness of every
splendid people." (Henry Cabot Lodge)
"We do not want to take them for ourselves. We do not
want any foreign nations to take them for themselves. We want to help
them." (Elihu Root)
"I have about the same desire to annex it (Dominican
Republic) as a gorged boa constrictor might have to swallow a porcupine wrong-end-to"
(President Roosevelt)
"Walk softly and carry a big
stick." Theodore Roosevelt on Foreign Policy
Summary
As the west was
won the United
States
felt further growing pains and wanted to spread Democracy, Freedom, and
Christianity. We also wanted to win power and prestige among the world of
nations. One other big thing was in the Capitalist head if the United States, and that was money. The business was beginning to
build so we worked with it. These things caused the US. to hop on the opportunities
to control foreign lands when we could. First in Hawaii then the Caribbean, Philippines, Cuba, South America, and even into China in the hope of big business. As our power grew we did what it took to get our way.
Using either money or soldiers we created a South America that is free offoreign
intervention. Along the way we also happened to gain prize things like the Panama Canal, land in Cuba, and bases in the Pacific. We were lucky and
fortunate that we could aquire these things in our
quest for global freedom.