American Imperialism
REMEMBER THE MAINE*
Key Points to keep in mind in determining how and why the United
States became an Imperialist Power
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American Expansion in Asia prior to the Spanish-American War
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Forces Behind Expansion: Economic--trade with China and Japan; Religious--new
fields for American Protestant missionaries; Strategic--acquistion of coaling
stations for America's new navy (ex: PagoPago in Samao, Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii)
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US interest in Hawaii: American sugar planters; Way station for trade
with China; 1893 revolt against Queen Lilioukalini; 1898 Annexation. For
additional information, see
Age
of Imperialism: Expansion into the Pacific
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The Spanish-American War
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Was Roosevelt alone in Cuba or did he have some help? See Roosevelt's
first hand account Rough Riders
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The Fruits of Victory: Filipino Insurrection 1899-1902
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The question remained. Should the United States make the Philippines
an American colony, thus formally joining the ranks of other imperialist
powers? Annexationists like Roosevelt saw annexation as confirmation of
America's Great Power status. President William McKinley rejected independence
inasmuch as the Philippines were unfit for self government. Instead, he
declared that it was America's duty to to democratizeand Christianize the
Islands. Anti-imperialists argued that annexation of the Philippines violated
the principles on which Americans were governed and would unnecessarily
entangle the United States in Asian politics.
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Even as the debate went on, the Filipinos made it clear that they had
no desire to become an American colony. The Filipino insurrection began
in 1899 just as the United States Senate was voting on the Treaty of Paris
ending the Spanish-American war. The Filipino Insurection was a bitter,
bloody affair, resulting in far more casualties than Americans had experienced
in Cuba. No quarter was given as this cartoon indicates. The caption reads
"Kill everyone over ten. Criminals because they were born ten years before
we took the Philippines."