1. Dream of Empire

Question 0

What was the Turner Thesis (1893)?

Answer 0

• The existence of free land was essential to U.S. identity, part of their nature to colonise
• By 1890s this ‘frontier’ was closed, nowhere else to settle on the U.S. mainland
• First stage of American history is over

Question 1

What were the three principles of the Monroe Doctrine and how was it enforced?

Answer 1

Three Key Principles:

1. Unless U.S. interests were involved U.S. policy was the abstain from European Wars
2. “American continents” we’re not “subjects for future colonisation by any European powers”
3. U.S. would construe any attempt at European colonisation in the New World as an “unfriendly act”

Essentially enforced in South America by the British navy

Question 2

What were Alfred T. Mahan’s naval theories regarding expansion?

Answer 2

• Need to go out to sea to expand, need to strengthen the navy
• The U.S. has two oceans, need two navies = Panama Canal will link the two
• Need oversea territories for both economic expansion and strategic bases
• Battleships ran on coal, need to refuel on a regular basis
• Need a battleship navy not just destroyers

Question 3

Explain the concept of Manifest Destiny.

Answer 3

• Racial superiority/Social Darwinism
• Divine right to expand and to spread both Christian and democratic ideas
• Contributing factor to the emergence of U.S. exceptionalism
• Missionaries

Question 4

How did overproduction effect the U.S. economy and their desire to expand in the 1890s?

Answer 4

• Insufficient market for the products they made
• Senator Albert J. Beveridge suggests new colonies can make new markets and solve overproduction
• Asia and Latin American seen as potential markets
• U.S. particularly wanted a foothold in the Chinese economic market

Question 5

What was happening to the Spanish empire in the 1890s?

Answer 5

• Cuban independence revolts
• U.S. ‘yellow press’ drummed up support for Cuban independence
• Spanish empire in the Pacific is losing power
• Spain also owned Puerto Rico and the Philippines both of which the U.S. was interested in acquring

Question 6

What was happening to China in the 1890s?

Answer 6

• European and Japanese intervention in China, U.S. wanted to avoid its colonisation so it could still access its economic markets
• Open Door Policy
• Levels the economic playing field but allows political/social intervention by other countries

Question 7

What is U.S. Exceptionalism?

Answer 7

• The U.S. does not think of itself as a ‘formal empire’, a new strain of imperialism based on racial superiority and religious claims to expansion
• Colonialism benefits the countries they annex - spreading democracy and religion

Question 8

Ultimately how useful were the Philippines as an economic market?

Answer 8

• Too poor to buy U.S. goods, market extension is a failure
• Underdeveloped areas of the country, U.S. had to develop their economy, long term process
• Political and social problems scare of U.S. investors
• Overproduction is ultimately solved as soon as the U.S. starts to produce products Americans want to buy e.g. domestic products, cars