Imperialism: America Looks Abroad

1. Imperialism: America Looks Abroad Ch. 12 Section 1

2. US in the late 1800s • Late 1800s- US emerging from focus on Reconstruction era • Begin to renew quest for Manifest Destiny & expand beyond continental borders Americans begin to support expansion: 1. desire to be a world power 2. Feelings of cultural superiority

3. Acquisition of Alaska • Sec. of State William Seward arranges to buy Alaska in 1867. • Russia willing to sell it for less than 2 cents an acre. • US pays $7.2 million • Congress took 4 months to approve the transaction. • Labeled “Seward's Folly”

6. Did we really need Alaska?

7. Imperialism vs. Isolationism • Imperialism: the economic and political domination of a strong nation over other weaker nations • Isolationism: Separation of the political affairs of other countries

8. Need for New Markets • 1800s- industrialized countries had placed high tariffs against each other • Result: nations begin searching for overseas markets to sell products • European nations begin to exert control over their new markets • Protectorate: imperial power gives advice and protection in exchange for stable market

9. I’m American… and better than you • Americans buy into idea of Social Darwinism • Social Darwinism: nations compete against each other (politics, military, economy) - only the strong survive • Used to justify American expansion

10. Anglo Saxonism • Anglo Saxonism: English-speaking nations have superior character, ideas, and governments = destine to dominate planet • Idea is supported by American historian John Fiske and minister Josiah Strong • Strong links religious missionary work to the idea

11. Expansion into the Pacific • Americans had been making treks to East Asian markets since early 1800s • US wants to create trade with China & Japan • Problem: Japanese rulers believe excessive contact with West = destruction of their culture

12. Perry opens Japan • 1852: President Franklin Pierce orders Commodore Matthew Perry to take a naval ships to negotiate a treaty with Japan • July 8, 1853: Perry arrives in Tokyo Bay with four American war ships • Japanese: impressed by technology & firepower decide to sign trade agreement • Signal to Japan to modernize

13. Hawaii • Hawaii becomes point of interest- good stopping place on Pacific journey • American settlers begin growing sugarcane • US creates treaty and mounts pressure on Hawaiians for greater control • Queen Liliuokalani fights American influence but is overthrown • Result: US annexes Hawaii in 1898.

14. Latin America Expansion • Pan-Americanism: idea that US and Latin American nations should work together • Latin American nations had bought most of their goods from Europe • US hopes to have an advantage in Latin American due to the Monroe Doctrine • Monroe Doctrine had stated that Americas are closed to future European Colonization.

15. A Stronger Navy • International incidents= need to strengthen navy • 1890-Capt. Alfred Mahan wrote about the power of expanding navies and the need for new naval bases • US had only 3 modern ships. • Congress passes a law for 4 new ships in 1890 and 15 more by 1895.

16. Original King of Imperialism • In 1909 the British Empire encompassed 20% of the land area of the Earth • Led to the phrase “The sun never sets on the British empire” • Can the United States be considered an imperial empire?

17. The sun never sets on McDonald’s • Over 34,000 restaurants worldwide • More than 119 countries on six continents

22. McDonald’s in Kuwait