The emergence of the united states in world affairs study guide

The following texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.

All the information in our site are given for nonprofit educational purposes

The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.

The emergence of the united states in world affairs study guide

GOAL 6 – THE EMERGENCE OF THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD AFFAIRS

Objective 6.01 – The United States’ Increasing Role in World Affairs

• How did the government’s role in economic and political affairs change as America became more imperialistic?
• To what extent did industrialization affect the relationships between government, business, and the worker?
• How did technological advancement lead to the United States’ increased involvement in world affairs?
• To what extent was the government’s changing role necessary and beneficial as America became more imperialistic?

Imperialism – When a stronger nation attempts to create an empire by dominating weaker nations – economically, politically, culturally, and/or militarily.

The United states and other powerful countries such as Russia, Germany, Britain, France, and Japan were seeking out spheres of influence, or areas of economic and political control, in China.

Alfred T. Mahan wrote the book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, which argued that the nation’s economic future rested on gaining new markets (to sell goods) abroad through increasing the size of the Navy.

Leaders like Josiah Strong drew on the ideas of social Darwinism to justify the takeover of new territories. He said that Anglo-Saxons were superior to the societies they conquered, an idea coined, Anglo-Saxon superiority. Those who used this argument believed that they were doing a noble thing for the “heathen,” uncivilized peoples of the world by introducing them to Christianity and modern society.

Conflicts in Cuba attracted the interest of American journalists. Following a surge of yellow journalism in which journalists such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer sensationalized headlines and stories about foreign affairs in Cuba, there was an intense burst of national pride and the desire for an aggressive foreign policy. This burst of pride came to be known as jingoism.

Objective 6.02 – US Military, Economic, and Political Involvement and Influence

• How did America and the world change as the US increased its role in world affairs?
• To what extent have the effects of US actions and policies been beneficial or detrimental to other countries?
• Why did the United States take an active role in world affairs in the late 19th and early 20th century?

The Spanish-American War

Before the War:

The war began after Cuban rebels began pushing back against their rulers, Spain. Cubans repeatedly urged the United States to intervene and help them. The United States continued to refuse help. To get the attention of US business owners, Cuban guerrillas burned down American sugar plantations. With pressure from American business owners, plus the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine (which the US blamed on Spain) and the insults aimed at President McKinley unearthed in the de Lome letter, Congress eventually authorized force (war) against Spain.
Cubans insisted on adding the Teller Amendment to Cuba’s war resolution against Spain. This amendment stated that the United States would not annex Cuba.

“The Splendid Little War”

The “Splendid Little War” was fought on two sides of the world, in the Philippines and in Cuba and Puerto Rico, all three island territories under the rule of Spain.
Theodore Roosevelt led a group of soldiers nicknamed the Rough Riders in a charge up San Juan Hill, which became the most famous battle of the Spanish-American War.

Treaty of Paris

The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in which the United States paid $20 million dollars in return for Cuba’s independence, and the United States’ acquisition of The Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In order to protect American interests, the United States installed a military government in Cuba for the next three years.

After the War

Two years after Cuba won its independence the United States military government in Cuba allowed Cuba to draft a constitution. The United States insisted on including the Platt Amendment which stated that the Cuban government could not enter any foreign agreements, it must allow the US to have naval bases in Cuba, and it gave the US permission to intervene in Cuba whenever the US deemed necessary. The United States established (and still maintains) a military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Dilemma in the Philippines

After the Spanish-American War ended, the United States gained the Philippines from Spain. President McKinley felt like he had to annex the island nation but the Filipinos declared themselves an independent republic. For three years, the United States and the Philippines fought a war over control of the islands. After the death of more than 200,000 Filipinos, fighting slowed. The United States continued to occupy the Philippines until 1946.

US Gains Territories Abroad

Seward’s Folly – In 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward purchased Alaska from Russia. Many people were against the purchase, which is why it became known as “Seward’s Folly.”
Annexation of Hawaii – In 1898, after a power struggle between Hawaiian royalty and planters, Congress approved the annexation of Hawaii in order to protect its world trade. With the help of pineapple planter, Sanford Dole, Queen Liliuokalani was removed from her throne and Hawaii was declared a republic.
The Panama Canal was built under T. Roosevelt’s administration in order to provide a shorter route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This would provide for faster and cheaper global shipping as well as increased naval speed in a time of war. After much controversy between France (who owned the land), Columbia (who ruled over Panama), and Panama itself, the United States recognized Panama an independent country (under the protection of the US) and the US was granted a permanent 10-mile-wide strip of land on which to build the canal.

Objective 6.03 - Policies and actions of the United States government impacting other countries.

• To what extent have the actions and policies of the US affected other countries in the world?
• How has the media shaped US foreign policy?
• As the US becomes increasingly involved in world affairs, should its self-perception be impacted by world opinion.
• How intrusive should a nation be in the affairs of another?

Diplomacy – How a country deals with foreign affairs.

Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” Diplomacy

In 1904 President Roosevelt issued messages to congress called the Roosevelt Corollary which added on to the Monroe Doctrine saying that the US did not want any more territory, they would only protect smaller/weaker nations, and intervene if problems arose.
Roosevelt’s main concern in Asia was keeping an open door to trade with China. The Open Door Policy ensured that the United States would have equal access to China’s market. China, however, was reluctant to have any foreign influence. This led to the Boxer Rebellion in which 300 foreigners and Christian Chinese were killed.

Dollar Diplomacy

President William Howard Taft’s approach to foreign policy was to “substitute dollars for bullets,” meaning that instead of fighting smaller/weaker nations, the United States should maintain orderly societies abroad by investing in their economies.

Missionary (Moral) Diplomacy

Under President Woodrow Wilson, the United States took a moral and legalistic approach to diplomacy. The United States would interfere with other countries when they felt a moral and legal responsibility to.
Because of Wilson’s decision to intervene in Mexico rebel leader Pancho Villa went on a terrorizing streak through border towns in Mexico and the U.S., burning down towns and killing their residents.

Anti-Imperialism

Anti-Imperialism League - Opponents of U.S. policy in the Philippines established the Anti-Imperialist League. Many argued that if the United States took over nations, those nations’ citizens should be entitled to the same rights as US citizens.
Many people were against the idea of Anglo-Saxon Superiority and saw it as racism. They therefore did believe in taking over a smaller, “weaker,” nation because they were “uncivilized.”
Many southerners feared that by taking over other nations, the US would be forced to absorb people of different races into the United States.

Still others believed that imperialism was too expensive and not worth the costs it took to expand.

Source : http://williamhook.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/US_HISTORY_CUMULATIVE_NOTES%5B1%5D.doc

Web site link to visit: http://williamhook.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/

Google key word : The emergence of the united states in world affairs study guide file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly.