AMERICAN EXPANSIONISM

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CHAPTER 18

• Section 1 and 2

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AMERICAN EXPANSIONISM

• Imperialism-the policy in which stronger nations
  extend their economic, political, or military
  control over weaker territories.
• Three factors fueled the new American
  imperialism
• -desire for military strength
• -thirst for new markets
• -belief in cultural superiority

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• THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
• Anti-Spanish sentiment in Cuba erupted into a war
  for independence.
• José Martí, a Cuban poet and journalist in exile
  in New York, launched a revolution in 1895
  against Spain
• Public opinion was split between business men
  wanting to keep their investments and other
  people who were enthusiastic about the rebel
  cause.

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• The De Lôme Letter
• When President William McKinley took office in
  1897, he tried peace with Spain.
• A private letter written by Enrique Dupuy de
  Lôme, the Spanish minister of the U.S., was
  leaked to the New York Journal, later published,
  critized President McKinley.
• Americans were angry over the insult.

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The U.S.S. Maine Explodes

• President McKinley had ordered the U.S.S. Maine
  to Cuba to bring home American citizens. February
  15, 1988, the ship blew up in the harbor of
  Havana. More than 260 men were killed.
• No one knew why it exploded, but American
  newspapers blamed the Spanish and the newspaper
  offered a 50,000 reward for the capture of the
  Spaniards responsible.

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WAR WITH SPAIN ERUPTS

• On April 11, McKinley asked Congress for
  authority to use force against Spain. After a
  week of debate, Congress agreed, and April 20 the
  United Sates declared war.
• The War In The Philipines
• On April 31, Comodore George Dewey gave the
  command to open fire on the Spanish fleet at
  Manila, the Philipine capital, destroying every
  ship there. Over the next two months, 11,000
  Americans joined forces with Filipino rebels. In
  August, Spaish troops in Manila surrendered to
  the U.S..

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• Rough Riders
• Cuba in June 1898. A volunteer cavalry under the
  command of Leonard Wood and Theodore Roosevolt.
• The most famous land battle in Cuba took place
  near Santiago on July 1. The first part of the
  battle, on Kettle Hill, featured the Rough Riders
  and 2 African-American regiments in an uphill
  charge.
• Their victory cleared the way for an infantry
  attack on the strategically important San Juan
  Hill.