Where in the World is Uncle Sam?

Rise of the United States as a World Power Project – 100 points

DUE DATE: MONDAY JANUARY 31st
Purpose & Aim
 To analyze the reasons America developed a global empire early in the 20th Century
 To determine where America expanded its influence and political reach in the World
for the first time
 To understand how America cemented its status as a Global Super Power by the end
of WWII

Essential Questions
 What was the history of U.S. expansion before this time period?
 Why and how did the United States develop an Empire in the late-1800s and
early 1900s?
 What were the major criticisms of expansion while this process was taking
place? Who were the people and groups that were at the forefront of these
anti-expansion criticisms?

Type of Finished Product

Glogster – Glogster.com
Requirements:
 15 Photos
 2 Videos embedded within the Glog that reinforce your research work
 5 links to websites that helped you arrive at information
 1 Written article done with Google Docs that answers the essential question linked to
Glog

VoiceThread – VoiceThread.com
Requirements:
 15 photos
 1 Video
 Recorded audio of your voice explaining each photo
 1 Written article done with Google Docs that answers the essential question

Digital Story – MovieMaker, Photo Story, iMovie (Mac), Online Resources

Requirements:
 5 to 10 minute video – Original video/Photos/stock footage/animation with original
audio narration about history covered
 Uploaded to YouTube
 1 Written article done with Google Docs that answers the essential question
Written Document Requirement
 700-750 word Creative Writing piece, answering the Essential Questions
 Free of spelling and grammar errors
 Creative writing: Examples will be given in-class; this is not your typical essay
 Either typed or uploaded to Google Docs – you need to sign up for an account if you
don’t have one – and either attached to your final product of given directly to me

Research
 Keep the essential questions in mind while researching
 Follow the Research Focus prompts to give you a holistic idea of where “Uncle Sam”
went during this time and to understand the reasons for expansion and what
happened during expansion
 Use websites and resources I have pulled for you, but you can also use resources from
your own original research
Resources:
 Textbook
 Crossen’s Website – Imperialism Unit site

Research Focus
Why did we expand further than our Coasts?
• Economic Reasons – Profit, New Markets, Industrial Revolution
• Military Reasons – develop military, new Navy, modernize military
• Social Reasons – Religious reasons (spread of Christianity), Social Darwinism, Americanism
is Unique
• Political Reasons – Control of geographic locations, Compete with European
Countries, have a say on Global matters
History of Intervention
• Louisiana Purchase
• War of 1812
• Monroe Doctrine
• Manifest Destiny
 Mexican-American War
 Annexation of Texas, Oregon
Where did we expand? How did it turn out in each place? – this will take the
longest!
Alaska, Hawaii, & Japan China
 Purchase & Takeover  Open Door Policy
 Access to Japan and Asian markets  US military actions in China?
Spanish-American War  Reasons why? What is to be gained?
 De Lome Letter Latin America
 U.S.S. Maine  Roosevelt Corollary
 Yellow Journalism  Panama
 Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam  Venezuela
 Teddy Roosevelt- Rough Riders  Nicaragua
 Mexico

CLASS COMPETITION: THE PERIOD WITH HIGHEST % ON-TIME TURN-IN

GETS 10 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT ON INDIVIDUAL GRADE!!
Who resisted, what was their reasoning, and why?
Mark Twain & the Anti-Imperialist League
 Who were they?
 What were their reasons for being against expansion?
 What was their influence on Americans and American Imperial policy?

WWI: A dress rehearsal for World Domination?

 America’s Neutrality phase during WWI
 America’s Participant phase during WWI
 Wilson’s 14 Points – what were they, what did they communicate, what were their effects?

CLASS COMPETITION: THE PERIOD WITH HIGHEST % ON-TIME TURN-IN

GETS 10 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT ON INDIVIDUAL GRADE!!