Questions for Part II—The Spanish-American War
1. What connections did the U.S. have to Cuba in the late 1800s? List at least two.
1. We had 50 million dollars invested in the island's sugar industry.
2. We were the largest consumer of Cuban Sugar.
2. What were the Spanish “reconcentration camps”?
The Spanish Reconcentration camps were towns that hundreds of thousands of cubans were herded into that were policed by Spanish trorops. They lacked adequate food, housing, and sanitation.
3. List three reasons why the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba.
a. Yellow Journalism
b. The explosion of the USS Maine
c. De Lome letter
4. Which do you believe was the most important reason? Why?
I beleive the De Lome letter was the most important reason because it was the thing that finally tipped the scales and made us go to war with Spain. It was an insult to our president, which offended the American people as well as him. The newspapers blew it out of porportion saying it was the worst insult to America in its history.
5. What did the Teller Amendment say?
The Teller Amendment said that the US had no interest in asserting "sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control" over Cuba and promised to, "leave the government and control of the island to its people" once peace was restored.
6. Why was a portion of the Spanish-American War fought in the Philippines?
A portion of the Spanish-American war was fought in the Philippines because the Spanish fleet was based in the Philippines.
7. Dewey's victory in the Philippines sparked an outpouring of pride in the United States.
8. Why did Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders want to fight in Cuba?
Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders wanted to fight in Cuba because of the win in the Philippines in Manila Harbor.
9. a. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
Many African-Americans were eager to serve in the Spanish-American War because they saw the war as an opportunity to elevate the status of blacks in the US. They hoped that black participation in the fighting would win the African-American community new respect and chip away at the wall of discrimination.
b. What forms of discrimination and prejudice did they encounter?
They were the most elite of the units and yet they were denied promotion into the officer corps. Also, the black volunteers were not given the chance to fight in Cuba.
10. How did racism influence American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines? Give two examples of events where racism affected U.S. policy after the war.
Racism influenced the American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines because it made the American people think that the people inhabiting these places were savage animals, who were very uncivilized. These opinions were backed by scientific racism, which said that their people were greatly inferior to the whites in the United States. It also caused many American leaders to doubt that the blacks and asians in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines could be a force for progress.
a.We did not beleive that Cuba could form a democracy all on its own.
b.Cuban rebels needed guidance in their affairs.
Showing posts with label Imperialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imperialism. Show all posts
Monday, November 2, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Imperialism: The Origins of a Global Power
1. Why did American plantation owners and U.S. Marines topple Hawaii’s queen in 1893? Why was Hawaii considered to be a valuable prize? What was President Grover Cleveland’s reaction? Do you agree or disagree with his quote on page 1?
-American plantation owners and U.S. Marines toppled Hawaii's queen because they favored bringing the islands officially under U.S. control.
-President Grover Cleveland's reaction was that he withdrew the treaty because he believed that the annexation would corrupt traditional American values of freedom and equality. He also opposed Hawaii's new leaders, who in his mind had unjustly deprived the Hawaiian queen of her throne.
-I do not agree with his quote because i believe that we needed Hawaii and we shouldn't have to worry about the welfare of the Hawaiians. Most of the economy was dominated by American sugar plantation owners anyway.
2. Identify five important changes that transformed American in the nineteenth century. How did these five changes affect Americans?
-Change: Massive land acquisitions to the west Effect: held resources that increased the country's wealth and as a result the US built up significant economic and political power.
-Change: Immigration Effect: Broadened America's ethnic diversity.
-Change: Urban Growth Effect: overburdened transportation systems, inadequate sanitation, rising crime, substandard housing and political corruption. It also cause agriculture to slip from its central place in American society.
-Change: Trade Effect: huge numbers of goods that other countries valued were being made by the immigrants, which increased the annual value of American exports exponentially.
-Change: 1893 Depression Effect: Bankrupcy of two major railroads, new yourk stock echange tumbled, many people went bankrupt, millions of americans lost their jobs
3. How did the economic depression that began in 1893 deepen the divisions in American society? Which groups suffered the most during the depression?
It deepened the divisions in American society by making the workers realize how vulnerable they were in an economy based on industry and manufacturing. It was the actual americans that suffered the most during the depression.
4. What were the values many Americans attached to the frontier? Why did many Americans fear that the closing of the frontier would harm America’s national character?
The values attached to the frontier were resourcefulness, bravery, pragmatism, ingenuity, individualism, egalitarianism, and patriotism. Many feared that closing the frontier would harm America's national character because they viewed it as the American identity. It also had fueled the country's economic growth.
5. Why did some Americans suggest greater involvement overseas?
Some Americans suggested greater involvement overseas because of the fear about the changing American character and the belief in American power combined to convince some people that a more aggressive approach to dealing with other nations would be the best way to ensure the continued economic success of the US. They believed that expansion would fuel economic growth.
6. What policy did expansionists say would ensure the economic success of the United States? What did imperialists say?
Expansionists thought creating some ports to open doors to new foreign markets would be sufficient but imperialists believed that the course of history was pointing abroad.
7. How did the theories of social Darwinism and scientific racism lend support to the cause of American imperialism? How were these pseudo-scientific theories used to justify racist policies and imperialism? Are they still used today?
-Social Darwinism explained differences among the world's racial and ethnic groups in terms of evolution. It was survival of the fittest and the social Darwinist believed that we had demonstrated our superiority. Scientific racism showed that mental abilites and persnality traits were racial characteristics. Whites were considered superior to the other races. They are still used today with discrimination of people because of their race or sexuality.
8. What did many Protestant churches say was America’s role in the world?
Many protestant churches said America's role in the world should be to lift up the downtrodden of other nations.
9. Why did the United States become involved in several Latin American nations in the nineteenth century? Summarize why the United States became involved in Samoa, Hawaii, and other Latin American nations.
The US became involved in several Latin American nations in the nineteenth century because we wanted to stabilize them so that trade would be safe. We became involved with Samoa, Hawaii, and other Latin American nations so that we could get safe fueling points to facilitate trade.
10. Why was the United States concerned about British involvement in Venezuela? What concept did U.S. Secretary of State Richard Olney invoke in response?
The US was concerned about British involvement in Venezuela because we thought they were bullying them, and it shared a border with the British colony of Guiana and held large deposits of god. Olney did not want Britain or any other European countries to get the idea they could carve up Latin America for colonies as they had recently done in Africa. Such action would prevent the US from expanding its own commercial ties to Latin America.
-American plantation owners and U.S. Marines toppled Hawaii's queen because they favored bringing the islands officially under U.S. control.
-President Grover Cleveland's reaction was that he withdrew the treaty because he believed that the annexation would corrupt traditional American values of freedom and equality. He also opposed Hawaii's new leaders, who in his mind had unjustly deprived the Hawaiian queen of her throne.
-I do not agree with his quote because i believe that we needed Hawaii and we shouldn't have to worry about the welfare of the Hawaiians. Most of the economy was dominated by American sugar plantation owners anyway.
2. Identify five important changes that transformed American in the nineteenth century. How did these five changes affect Americans?
-Change: Massive land acquisitions to the west Effect: held resources that increased the country's wealth and as a result the US built up significant economic and political power.
-Change: Immigration Effect: Broadened America's ethnic diversity.
-Change: Urban Growth Effect: overburdened transportation systems, inadequate sanitation, rising crime, substandard housing and political corruption. It also cause agriculture to slip from its central place in American society.
-Change: Trade Effect: huge numbers of goods that other countries valued were being made by the immigrants, which increased the annual value of American exports exponentially.
-Change: 1893 Depression Effect: Bankrupcy of two major railroads, new yourk stock echange tumbled, many people went bankrupt, millions of americans lost their jobs
3. How did the economic depression that began in 1893 deepen the divisions in American society? Which groups suffered the most during the depression?
It deepened the divisions in American society by making the workers realize how vulnerable they were in an economy based on industry and manufacturing. It was the actual americans that suffered the most during the depression.
4. What were the values many Americans attached to the frontier? Why did many Americans fear that the closing of the frontier would harm America’s national character?
The values attached to the frontier were resourcefulness, bravery, pragmatism, ingenuity, individualism, egalitarianism, and patriotism. Many feared that closing the frontier would harm America's national character because they viewed it as the American identity. It also had fueled the country's economic growth.
5. Why did some Americans suggest greater involvement overseas?
Some Americans suggested greater involvement overseas because of the fear about the changing American character and the belief in American power combined to convince some people that a more aggressive approach to dealing with other nations would be the best way to ensure the continued economic success of the US. They believed that expansion would fuel economic growth.
6. What policy did expansionists say would ensure the economic success of the United States? What did imperialists say?
Expansionists thought creating some ports to open doors to new foreign markets would be sufficient but imperialists believed that the course of history was pointing abroad.
7. How did the theories of social Darwinism and scientific racism lend support to the cause of American imperialism? How were these pseudo-scientific theories used to justify racist policies and imperialism? Are they still used today?
-Social Darwinism explained differences among the world's racial and ethnic groups in terms of evolution. It was survival of the fittest and the social Darwinist believed that we had demonstrated our superiority. Scientific racism showed that mental abilites and persnality traits were racial characteristics. Whites were considered superior to the other races. They are still used today with discrimination of people because of their race or sexuality.
8. What did many Protestant churches say was America’s role in the world?
Many protestant churches said America's role in the world should be to lift up the downtrodden of other nations.
9. Why did the United States become involved in several Latin American nations in the nineteenth century? Summarize why the United States became involved in Samoa, Hawaii, and other Latin American nations.
The US became involved in several Latin American nations in the nineteenth century because we wanted to stabilize them so that trade would be safe. We became involved with Samoa, Hawaii, and other Latin American nations so that we could get safe fueling points to facilitate trade.
10. Why was the United States concerned about British involvement in Venezuela? What concept did U.S. Secretary of State Richard Olney invoke in response?
The US was concerned about British involvement in Venezuela because we thought they were bullying them, and it shared a border with the British colony of Guiana and held large deposits of god. Olney did not want Britain or any other European countries to get the idea they could carve up Latin America for colonies as they had recently done in Africa. Such action would prevent the US from expanding its own commercial ties to Latin America.
Friday, October 23, 2009
US Imperialism Begins
1. Name at least five factors that fueled American Imperialism.
Five factors that fueled American Imperialism were desire for military strength, thirst for new markets, beleif in cultural superiority, global competition and technological advances.
2. Choose two of the above five factors and describe them in your own words.
The factor for military strength was that the american people wanted more navel ports such as Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and the thirst for new markets was brought about by investors who wanted the new things that other places in the world had to offer. For instance Alaska had many natural resources, which is the main reason we bought it. Also with the new forms of transportation these resources could be brought back to the states much easier and efficiently.
3. What was known as “Seward’s Folly” and why?
Alaska was known as "Seward's Folly" or "Sewards Icebox" because the American people did not beleive we could gain anything from it. It turned out that Alaska was an abundant source of natural resources.
4. What plantation-based product accounted for three-quarters of Hawaii’s wealth in the mid-19th century and who controlled this product?
The sugar product accounted for three-quarters of Hawaii's wealth in the mid-19th century, and it was American-Owned.
6. Using as much detail as possible, outline the sequence of events that led to America gaining possession of Hawaii? In other words, why was the United States interested in these Pacific islands?
The US was so intered in Hawaii because it is in the center of the Pacific Ocean, meaning that if we owned it we controlled the Pacific. It was also a coal station for our steam ships, and was also a good place for a military base. Mahan said that Hawaii was ripe for the picking and he wanted it because of its military importance, and because we could use Pearl Harbor.
Five factors that fueled American Imperialism were desire for military strength, thirst for new markets, beleif in cultural superiority, global competition and technological advances.
2. Choose two of the above five factors and describe them in your own words.
The factor for military strength was that the american people wanted more navel ports such as Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and the thirst for new markets was brought about by investors who wanted the new things that other places in the world had to offer. For instance Alaska had many natural resources, which is the main reason we bought it. Also with the new forms of transportation these resources could be brought back to the states much easier and efficiently.
3. What was known as “Seward’s Folly” and why?
Alaska was known as "Seward's Folly" or "Sewards Icebox" because the American people did not beleive we could gain anything from it. It turned out that Alaska was an abundant source of natural resources.
4. What plantation-based product accounted for three-quarters of Hawaii’s wealth in the mid-19th century and who controlled this product?
The sugar product accounted for three-quarters of Hawaii's wealth in the mid-19th century, and it was American-Owned.
6. Using as much detail as possible, outline the sequence of events that led to America gaining possession of Hawaii? In other words, why was the United States interested in these Pacific islands?
The US was so intered in Hawaii because it is in the center of the Pacific Ocean, meaning that if we owned it we controlled the Pacific. It was also a coal station for our steam ships, and was also a good place for a military base. Mahan said that Hawaii was ripe for the picking and he wanted it because of its military importance, and because we could use Pearl Harbor.
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