Issues Of The Gilded Age Essay

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An Emerging
World Power
(1890-1917)

 Essential Questions! 
• 7.1 Identify causes of American imperialism (i.e., raw materials, nationalism, missionaries, militarism,
Monroe Doctrine).
• 7.2 Identify consequences of American imperialism (i.e. Spanish American War, expanding trade, extractive economies,
Panama Canal, the idea of a superior
Anglo-Saxon culture, yellow journalism, military occupation).

Causes of *Imperialism*

• By the late 1800’s the
U.S. played a major role in world affairs
• Countries began to rush to gain influence all over the world

– Imperialism* strong countries extend their influence over weaker ones
• Japan and Europe did it first

Economic Benefits of Imperialism
• Desire for raw materials and natural resources
– Esp. True for Europe and
Japan
– Extractive Economies*removed from colony and sent to home country

• Desire for Markets to sell goods – Esp. true for the U.S.

Raw Materials

Missionaries

Militarism
Causes of
Imperialism

Monroe Doctrine

Nationalism

Imperialists Stress Military
Strength

• Alfred T. Mahan* helped transform
America into a naval power • Historian who claimed great nations had always had great navies – By 1900 the U.S. had the largest and most modern Navy in the world Imperialists Believe in National
Superiority

• Social Darwinism* belief that life consists of competitive struggles in which only the fittest survive • Isolationists were afraid that if we didn’t take over other places like everyone else then we would get taken over too…
– Manifest Destiny expanded to the Pacific Ocean

Connections!
Quick Cluster…

• Social Darwinism is the belief that the “fittest survive”
– How does that manifest in the social sphere?
– Which robber barons adhered to this philosophy?
•Develop a Theory explaining why this philosophy appealed to these men? “significance of the American
Frontier”

• Fredrick J. Turner* noted that the frontier had closed
– People needed to horizons to explore and peruse their fortunes
– Thought it would promote the safety of citizens b/c if this opportunity was not available it would become cutthroat anarchy… U.S. Power Grows in the Pacific
• Commodore *Matthew
Perry* sailed a fleet into Japan
– Japan had denied access to its ports to all foreign nations
– Japanese people had never seen steamships, and thought Perry’s boats were “Puffing
Dragons”

Perry Opens Japan
• Perry gives the emperor fancy gifts • Emperor sees that Japan has fallen behind by being isolationist
– Perry negotiates a treaty to secure
Japan as an open market to the U.S.

Seward Purchases Alaska
• 1867 William Seward
(Sec. of State) bought AK from Russia for 7.2 Mil.
• Journalists called it
“Seward’s FollY” thought he was stupid for buying a freezer…
– Doubled the countries size
– Rich in oil, timber, etc.

U.S. Influence In Latin America
Grows…

• Had conferences
• Built the Pan
American highway
• Threatened to fight
Britain for violating the Monroe doctrine for involvement in
Venezuela and
British Guinea

U.S. Acquires Hawaii
• Missionaries had established Christian
Churches and schools on the island
• Americans had established Sugar Cane plantations there
• American planters convinced King
Kalakaua to amend their Constitution so only wealthy property owners could vote
– White Americans who farmed there…

Crisis in Hawaii
• U.S. Protective Tariff increases, price of their sugar goes up, their profits go down
• King Kalakaua dies Queen Liliuokalani resents the white man’s power and abolishes the Constitution there
– 1893 (with U.S. backing/funding) the White men overthrew the Queen
– New Gov. under white men, ask President
Harrison to annex Hawaii

U.S. Annexes Hawaii
• Pres. Harrison tries to push it through the
Senate, but runs out of time
• Grover Cleveland becomes Pres. And launches an investigation
– Uncovers the situation
– Refuses to approve annexation b/c it was shady… • William McKinley takes office and annexes Hawaii in 1898

You Decide!
• Evaluate the motives
Show More

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