From 1867 to 1900, the U.S. actively expanded beyond its borders. The Alaskan Purchase, the annexation of Hawaii, and the Spanish-American War contributed to expansionism and imperialism in the United States.
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. William Seward, Secretary of State, was quick to agree to Russia’s offer. The treaty of purchase was approved on April 7, 1867. President Andrew Johnson signed the treaty on May 28, and Alaska was officially part of the U.S. on October 18, 1867. Many Americans believed that the purchase of Alaska was a waste of money, and it became widely known as “Seward’s Folly”. After gold and oil were discovered in Alaska in 1896, Americans realized that the Alaskan purchase was worth the investment (“Milestones: 1868-1899”, 10/31/15).
In Hawaii, wealthy American planters controlled the economy. Queen Liliuokalani wanted to establish a limitation on ownership of land for those who were not Hawaiian natives. The United States military was sent in to overthrow the queen, claiming that they were there to “protect citizens and investments”
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destroyed the last Spanish fleet in Santiago Harbor, Cuba, on July 3, 1898. On July 17, the Spanish surrendered Cuba to the United States. Spain signed a truce, selling the Philippines to the U.S. for $20 million, which was invested in drainage projects in the Philippines. On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed to end the Spanish-American War. The U.S. took over Guam, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines. Filipinos revolted, but the U.S. suppressed it using the same cruel methods that Hearst wrote falsely about Spain using in Cuba. Cuba made its own Constitution, almost exactly like the U.S. Constitution. They added the Platt Amendment, which prevented Cuban annexation and said that the United States would only intervene if Cubans’ life, liberty, or property were threatened (Conover notes; “Treaty of Paris Ends Spanish-American War”,