causes of imperialism in america Flashcards
what were the causes of america becoming an imperialistic nation
-the economic downfall in 1893 which led to America i seeking interest in china
-closing of the frontier in 1890
-spanish american war 1898
-national prestige due to the increase of naval power
-Panama canal
-Philippine war
-
explain the reasons for the economic downfall in america in 1893
- the US economy suffered from an unstable banking system and overdependence on the
domestic market. - Anyone could set up a bank and small-scale banks would often invest unwisely.
-Railway speculator Jay Cooke’s company borrowed $100 million; its bankruptcy in 1873 destroyed hundreds of banks.
-In 1893, bankruptcies in industries ranging from banks to railways sparked a crisis,
which caused a shortage of cash.
-Industry laid off workers and unemployment rose from 3 million in 1892 to 12 million in 1894.
how did the economic downfall in america led to imperialism
-The sudden economic downturn in 1893 alerted businessmen to the dangers of over-reliance on the
domestic market, and they suggested that the remedy was to sell more goods abroad.
-Large-scale farmers in the south and west, for example, argued that they needed access to overseas markets in
order to maximise their profits
what led the usa to evade china
-Opportunities for the USA to expand its overseas trade were restricted.
- European nations practise protectionism throughout their empires, making it difficult for the USA to break into potentially
lucrative markets.
- At the same time, the USA was facing growing competition for trade with South
America, where European countries were increasing their commercial involvement.
-By 1900, for example, Britain had overtaken the USA as the main trading partner of Argentina, the largest South
American market.
-As a result, access to markets in China and the Far East were increasingly viewed as
vital for the USA’s future prosperity.
-It was clear that the effective exploitation of the Far Eastern market would require investment in a strong navy to protect merchant ships, and the acquisition of overseas bases to protect US interests.
how did navy power influence imperialism
- The idea that the USA should increase the size and strength of its navy as a means of enhancing and protecting overseas trade proved popular with many powerful
Americans – not least the future president, Theodore Roosevelt, who had befriended Mahan at the Naval War College
explain how the usa took over hawaii
-Following a series of trade treaties commencing in the 1840s, Hawaii
had become important to the USA as a base for supplying American whaling vessels and a source of sugar cane. By 1870, American interests dominated much of the local economy, and in 1887 the USA established a naval base at Pearl Harbor. Realising the strategic importance of Hawaii to American trade with the Far East, and in line with its new imperial policy, the USA formally annexed Hawaii in
1898.
how did the panama canal make the usa more imperialist
-There had long been a desire in the USA to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by canal, thus avoiding the long and dangerous sea journey around the tip of South America.
-In the 1860s, the US Secretary of State William Seward had attempted to start negotiations for the building of a canal to
achieve this. These negotiations were, however, stopped by the US Senate.
- By 1902, the situation had changed. The USA had become an imperial nation, with a desire to extend its overseas trade, which renewed its interests in building a canal.
-The Spooner Act of 1902, enthusiastically supported by
President Roosevelt, authorised the USA to purchase the assets of a French company that had
unsuccessfully tried to construct a canal through what is now Panama, which was then under the control of Colombia.
-When the Colombians showed no interest in the treaty, the USA provided support to a Panama
independence movement. Panamanian independence followed in 1903, with rapid recognition by the
USA.
-The presence of the US navy off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Panama made any retaliation by the Colombians impossible.
- The USA then acquired a strip of Panamanian land, some 16 km (10 miles) wide, through which the canal could be built. -The Panama Canal was finished by 1914,
built largely with American money and engineering skills.
when did roosevelt become president
Less than a year into his second term, McKinley was assassinated, and Vice-president Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in. Roosevelt fully supported the new imperialistic direction of US foreign policy,
believing that it was ‘incumbent on all civilized and orderly powers to insist on the proper policing of
the world’. He was to play a decisive role in the USA’s adoption of a more imperialistic foreign policy.
what impacts did the panama canal create
- The canal was to play a major part in the development of the USA as a Pacific power.
-In 1904, President Roosevelt announced a Corollary (addition) to the Monroe Doctrine.
-The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 was intended to protect the independent countries of the Americas by warning Europe
to stay out of the region. - The Corollary now sanctioned US armed intervention if any country in the region was threatened by internal or external factors. In effect, the USA was establishing a sphere of influence within the Caribbean region, within which it had the right to intervene whenever it considered its interests (particularly economic) were at risk
-. In 1905, for example, Roosevelt sent the
US marines to the Dominican Republic, allegedly to prevent European powers taking action to collect debts owed to them. –However, protection of massive US investment was a more likely reason for American intervention.
what did roosevelt do when he become the president
-President Roosevelt also started a major expansion of the US navy.
-He argued that a strong navy was essential to protect American economic interests, given that European nations and Japan were all
increasing their own naval capabilities.
-Roosevelt ordered the building of 16 new battleships
-
what did he do in 1907-09
Between 1907 and 1909, Roosevelt sent the ships on an international tour to make sure that the world
was fully aware that the USA was now a major naval power.
Roosevelt’s policies were, of course, in marked contrast to the USA’s isolationist tradition. Roosevelt
justified them in two ways.
- First, such policies were necessary to protect America’s trading and commercial interests.
-Second, they were to prevent European (especially German) intervention in the
Americas, something that was seen as a real threat to the USA’s security.
By 1914, therefore, the USA had emerged as a prosperous and strong regional power, with an everincreasing influence over world financial markets and a new-found commitment to its own form of
imperialistic expansion.
