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3 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Philosophical Background to 20th Century US Foreign Policy |
SA War is when we acquire an empire
Manifest Destiny = God wants us to expand
Imperialism everywhere else, don't want other nations to become more powerful than us
Moral impetus for imperialism provided by the combo of ethnocentrism, belief in manifest destiny and Anglo-Saxonism
European nations desperate for new markets because of the Second Industrial Revolution and also want strategic locations for military bases
Anti-imperialists argued from two perspectives: - Moral position: colonial domination wrong from idealism of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, hypocritical - Anglo-Saxonism: fear of "race mixing" with "tropical people"
Pro-imperialists offered three arguments to support their position - Social Darwinism - Manifest Destiny - "Christianize and Civilize" - missionaries were excited |
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Historical Background to War |
1820s James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine that declared Central and South America to be under the protection of the US - any European nation who tried to colonize these nations would risk war with US - first official foreign policy statement
Spain had already colonized Cuba before the MD—a sore point for US—but in 1895 Cuban nationalists launched their own war for independence - Spain is a dying empire
Spain manages a brutal campaign against the Cuba people and many die of starvation and disease - battle between Spain and Cuba, Cubans in concentration camps, 25% of population died from starvation
Newspapers compete to cover the most violent and sensational stories—"Yellow Journalism" - William Randolph Hurst - "You furnish me the pictures, I'll furnish you the war"
Americans clamor for humanitarian intervention
McKinley sends USS Maine on a peace-keeping mission to Cuba and it explodes February 15, 1898 - "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain"
Congress declares war against Spain in April 1898 |
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Battles of the Spanish-American War |
Less than a week after declaration of war, US Navy wipes out Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, Philippines - US claims Philippines and other small islands owned by Spanish - wants Philippines because of China - large population to sell to, military base
Troops land in Cuba on June 22 and Spanish surrender July 17
Teddy Roosevelt recruits the Rough Riders and wins sensational victories in the Battle of San Juan Hill and becomes a public figure - half were cowboys, half were Ivy League friends |
