Areas of US Involvement

Alaska & HawaiiAlaska & Hawaii

1867 – America buys Alaska from RussiaMany American’s believed this would be foolish but

Secretary of State William Seward believed Alaska to be rich in resources

Seward’s Folly – nickname given to the Alaska purchase by people who believed it to be a bad move for the United States.

Alaska & Hawaii cont…Alaska & Hawaii cont…

1850 – American business leaders become interested in the ample sugar plantations in Hawaii

Wealthy white plantation owners struggled with the Hawaiian monarchy for control of the sugar crop

Queen Liliuokalani – Hawaiian Queen who opposed the wealthy plantation owners

1898 – US Troops aid owners – US annexed Hawaii

CubaCuba

1895 – Cuban people were under Spanish rule and rebelled.

Spain sends 150,000 troops to restore order and locate thousands of Cuban rebels in concentration camps.

Pressure rose in the states for the United States to intervene

The Media Plays it’s HandThe Media Plays it’s Hand

William Randolph Hearst (The New York Journal) & Joseph Pulitzer (The New York World) – engaged in writing dueling stories about the events in Cuba

Their stories were exaggerated and untrue – they were meant to do what?

Became known as Yellow Journalism – brand of journalism that downplays legit news for eye-catching headlines

Rise of JingoismRise of Jingoism

These articles caused citizens to call for a tougher foreign policy stance

Jingoism – form of extreme patriotism through aggressive foreign policy *VIDEO 75*

Leading voice of this cause was Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt

When US goes to war, Roosevelt resigns from his post to become Lt. Colonel and lead a group of volunteers known as the Rough Riders – 1st United States Volunteer Calvary Regiment

Spanish-American War

USS MaineUSS Maine

February 15th, 1898 – Exploded while sitting anchored in a harbor of Cuba

Immediate public reaction was to blame Spain and citizens called for War

It was later determined explosion was an accident

Following, Congress passed war resolution on Spain, April 1898

War Escalates War Escalates

US Commodore George Dewey – sets sail towards the Philippines – another Spanish colony

Dewey ambushed the entire fleet and easily seized control

In CubaIn Cuba

Roosevelt leads the Rough Riders on charges at Kettle & San Juan Hills

In less than 3 months, the US had defeated Spain in both Cuba and the Philippines

John Hay, future secretary of state referred to it as “a splendid little war”

Post War Events Post War Events

War officially ends with the Treaty of Paris (1898)As part of the resolution to war, Congress had attached a

piece of legislation known as the Teller Amendment – this promised that the US would allow Cuban independence, not annex the territory. There would however be 3 years of US military involvement

1900 – Cuba began drafting own constitution – Platt Amendment – included in Constitution, limited Cuba’s government and gave two Navy bases to US

US gains Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Guam *VIDEO 76*

The Panama CanalThe Panama Canal

1901 – President William McKinley is assassinatedTheodore Roosevelt becomes 26th President

Wanted a canal across Panama (would allow for to transporting of goods from Pacific [Philippines, Guam, & Hawaii] and Atlantic [Cuba & Puerto Rico] instead of going around South America

Columbian Government was in controlPanamanian people revolt in 1903 and US supported Allowed US to lease land needed, 1914 – Panama Canal

*VIDEO 77*

Trouble in MexicoTrouble in Mexico

At same time the Panama Canal project was underway, there was civil war in Mexico

August 1914 – US aided Venustiano Carranza’s take over of the Mexican Government

Carranza’s enemy, Pancho Villa – crossed the Rio Grande into New Mexico and killed 19 people

President Woodrow Wilson – responded by sending 15,000 troops led by General John Pershing “Black Jack” to capture Villa

World War I eventually pulls attention of the US and Villa is never captured. These attempts to capture Villa were known as the Pancho Villa Raids

PresidentsPresidents1. George Washington2. John Adams3. Thomas Jefferson4. James Madison5. James Monroe6. John Q. Adams7. Andrew Jackson8. Martin Van Buren9. William Henry Harrison10. John Tyler11. James K. Polk12. Zachary Taylor13. Millard Fillmore

14. Franklin Pierce15. James Buchanan16. Abraham Lincoln17. Andrew Johnson18. Ulysses S. Grant19. Rutherford B. Hayes20. James A. Garfield21. Chester A. Arthur22. Grover Cleveland23. Benjamin Harrison24. Grover Cleveland25. William McKinley26. Theodore Roosevelt

Underline – Died in Office, Bold - Assassinated