American Pageant Chapter 2 Summary

Before 1890, America was against imperialism, which is acquiring colonies for the sole reason of building an empire. America was once a colony, so they were only interested in trade than colonization as they expanded into more territories. In 1867, Russia offered the Americas Alaska in exchange for seven million. President Andrew Johnson, at that time, wasn’t entirely convinced on taking Alaska, but Vice-President Seward convinced that the U.S. would gain not only more land, but new resources such as gold and oil. For Hawaii at first was trade then establishing business. The Reciprocity Treaty came to pass in 1875 when missionaries settle in and eventually the sugar cane gets big in the business. Some natives opposed of foreigners in their

Spanish-American war of 1896, Cuba was the last remaining colony of Spain in the new world. Cuban sugar cane workers were rebelling because of poverty and bad conditions. William Randolph Hearst, a sensationalist reporter who was investigating the war, sent an artist to Cuba to sketch the action. Unfortunately for him, nothing violent was happening, so Hearst exaggerated the truth. Pressured into war the president sends the Maine to harbor, but it suddenly exploded. Congress approves force to stop the violence, but Spain declares war. In the end though, the U.S. won. The results led to the Treaty of Paris (1898), the Insular Cases of 1901, and acts/amendments on Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Cuba: Teller Amendment (gives independence to Cuba) and the Platt Amendment (Cuba is a protectorate if they don’t have agreements with foreign countries without U.S. approval). Puerto Rico: Fonaker Act of 1900 and Jones Act 1917. Philippines: William Howard Taft and Tydings-McDuffle Act of 1934 (Philippines will be given independence after ten

In Latin America, it was the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904 that stated U.S. police made sure debts got paid, and European countries won’t invade. This was probably used as an excuse to come over known as “Big Stick Diplomacy." The Dollar Diplomacy, written by William H. Taft, encouraged and protected American businesses in foreign countries. In China, the Open-Door Policy in 1899, which gave nation’s equal rights in China, resulted in Bower Rebellion in 1900 that wanted foreigners out of China. Although U.S. takes down the rebellion, the country made certain colonization (other countries splitting the nation for their own power) stop in China . Through many of these circumstances, America emerges as a major imperialistic power through many