Chapter 12:

The Empire and The

People
Monica Paz
CHS 245 OL- 14004

Ideology of Expansion

In strict
confidence.I
should
welcome
almost any
war, for I think
this country
needs one.Theodore
Roosevelt

The panic of 1893 caused a major economic depression

in 1893. people were desperate to sell their products
and get back on their feet. The idea of expansion began
to develop and spread across the United States. They
thought that perhaps overseas markets for American
goods might relieve the problem of under consumption
at home and prevent the economic crisis that in the
1890s brought class war

Ideology of Expansion
The idea of Expansion and trade over seas

was nothing new to some Americans already.

Americans must now begin to look forward

The American armed

forces had already
made 108
intervention
between 1798-1945
with other
countries . Which
include Argentina,
Nicaragua, Japan
and China.

Captain A. T . Mahan of the U.S navy, helped

with the progression of expanding their trade
to other countries. He greatly influenced
President Theodore Roosevelt and other
powerful leaders.

Poor Poetry, but good sense from

the expansionist standpoint.
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts was
another huge supporter of expanding American
markets to other countries. It is a movement which
makes for civilization and the advancement of the
race. As one of the great nations of the world the
United States must not fall out of line of march.
Although expansion did seem to have more gains than
loses for the United States, Howard Zinn and a
editorial from the Washington Post both wondered that
perhaps this wasnt about just about economic reasons
but perhaps a lust for aggression. Was it just a way
to become more powerful than other countries?
We are face to face with a strange destiny.
The taste of Empire is in the mouth of the people even
as the taste of blood in the jungle

Of course it was!
Cuban- The United States was in full support of the

Cuban revolution , not because they wanted to help

the rebels gain their independence but because they
wanted to use Cuba for their own benefit. Another
major reason for the intervention of the United States
in Cuban was that if the Cuban rebels won of their
own they feared another all Black republic would
form. Teller Amendment
the United states was allowed help Cuba gain

independence but the needed to withdraw all its

troops from the country.

February 1898-Battleship Maine

mysteriously exploded, 268 men were
lost. President McKinley and rich
business owners were desperate in
getting Spain out of Cuba. The only way
possible was war. They quickly used this
event to trigger It by blaming the
explosion on Spain.

Spanish-American War
Many histories of the Spanish-American war have said that

public opinion in the United States led McKinley to declare war

on Spain and send forces to Cuba
American labor unions felt sympathy for the Cubans, they were

against any American expansionism.

Socialists were also against the war , they believed it was a

favorite method of rulers for keeping the people from redressing

domestic wrongs.

This has been a poor mans war-paid for by

the poor man. The rich have profited by it, as
they always do.
Benefits of the war
iron and coal are at an all time high
More jobs are available
Higher wage
Downside of the war
The poor became poorer
The prices on products increased

The Spanish were defeated within three

months
American Military ignored the presence of
the Cuban rebels.
When the Spanish surrendered no Cuban
was allowed to confer or sign on it
Old Spanish authorities were left in charge
not the Cubans
The U.S. only cared about the business

American Takeover
Americans began to take over Cuban railroads, mines and sugar.
Within the next few years, $30 million of American capital was invested.
1,900,000 acres of Cuban land was bought for merely 20 cents per acre.
United fruit moved in the Cuban sugar industry.
By 1901, 80 percent of Cuban exports was American.
American lumber industries planned on taking over the 1,9000,000 acres

Cuba wanted to be fully independent and rule their own

of forest
country.
Workers went on strike. the workers of Cuba will no
longer tolerate remaining in total subjection
Strikers were arrested, U.S. troops took over their jobs.
Police went through out the city of Havana breaking up
meetings.
The Platt Amendment was a loop hole to the Teller
Amendment.
The U.S. was not allowed to annex Cuba, but under the
Platt Amendment, but the U.S."the right to intervene for
the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance
of a government adequate for the protection of life,

December 1898
-Peace treaty was signed with Spain.
-Spain turned over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines , in return the U.S
Paid $20 million dollars.
-The United States did not know what to do with the Philippines.
-President McKinley stated The truth is I didn't want the Philippines.
And one night late it came to me this way -- I don't know how it was, but it
came:
1) That we could not give them back to Spain -- that would be cowardly and
dishonorable.
2) That we could not turn them over to France or Germany, our commercial
rivals in the Orient -- that would be bad business and discreditable.
3) That we could not leave them to themselves -- they were unfit for selfgovernment -- and they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there
worse than Spain's was; and
4) That there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all and to educate
the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God's grace
do the very best we could by them, as our fellow men for whom Christ also
died. And then I went to bed and went to sleep and slept soundly.

Filipinos fight back

The Filipinos did not get the same message

from God
February 1899, rebelled against American rule

just like how they rebelled against Spanish Rule.

Emilio Aguinaldo , Filipino leader

First brought from China to lead soldiers into Spain.
Became leader of the insurrectos, aided the fight
against the
United States.
proposed Filipino independence under U.S.
protectorate, but
his proposal
wasinrejected.
Philippine American
war ended
1902, it took three years for the
United States
to crush the rebels.
-four times as many troops were
used than in Cuba
- Filipino death right was

The taste of empire was on the lips of politicians and

business interests throughout the country now
Albert Beveridge of the senate , stated on January 9,1900,the

Philippines are ours forever... that it was the United States destiny
to take advantage of the land, and use it in the name of freedom.
The Philippines was there entrance into trade with the Chinese

markets.

Imperialism: "an unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in

the form of an empire, based on ideas of superiority and practices of
dominance, and involving the extension of authority and control of one
state or people over another.(Dictionary of Human Geography)
It became very clear to the Filipinos and some Americans, that the
United States was going to take full advantage of the Philippines, and
get rid of anyone who got in their way .

William James
Harvard philosopher, wrote a letter to the Boston
Transcript saying that the Philippine operation
reeked of the infernal adroitness of the great
department store, which has reached perfect
expertness in the art of killing silently, and with no
public squalling or commotion, the neighboring small
concerns

Anti-imperialist League
Formed of American businessmen, politicians and intellectuals.
Wanted to educate the American people of the horrors of the
Philippine war and the evils of Imperialism.
Everyone in the group had different opinions, but they all agreed to
the statement made by William James ,God damn the U.S. for its
vile conduct in the Philippines Isle.
Racism increased during this time, the soldiers stationed in the
Philippines were careless about what happen to the Filipino people.

Racism at an all time high!

Between the years 1889 and 1903, racism in the United States was intense.
African Americans suffered greatly during this time, on average , every

week, two negroes were lynched by mobshanged, burned, mutilated.

Filipinos were also a target for their distinct characteristic differences to those
of the White people.

In 1901,the Manila correspondent of Philadelphia Ledger

reported what was really going on in the Philippines, innocent
people were being killed by the hundreds.
However the United States military showed no remorse for their
actions.
Instead they would come up with excuses for their actions. That
they only shot in self defense.

Philippines had no chance

The Americans had more advanced firepower than the Filipinos.
Dead Filipinos were piled so high that the Americans used their bodies for

breastwork
Although there was no denying the brutality that went on during the Philippine
American war and the accusations made by the anti-imperialism league, some
trade unions were in full support of the crimes committed in the Philippines.
If it meant they could sell their products to other countries and make big money, it
was all worth it.
Annexation of the Philippines was completely out the question.
Although the Anti-imperialist league provided arguments against taking the
Philippines, most of the members were working class, women and Blacks. Giving
people at the time even less reason to listen to them .

Blacks in the military

Some theories on why African Americans joined the army are:

To get ahead in society, the military offered opportunities to
them they couldnt get anywhere else.
Race pride, the need to show that blacks were courageous, as
patriotic as anyone else
Black soldiers still had to deal with racism outside the United
States.
Their White comrades were just as brutal to them as they were
in the States.
The Filipino rebels often addressed themselves to the Colored
American soldier in posters, reminding them of lynching back
home, asking them not to serve the white imperialist against
other colored people.
Many Black soldiers joined the Filipino rebels.

Home sweet home?

Back in the United States a groups of African Americans sent a

message to President McKinley, basically saying they were tried of

his ignorance of their suffering. How he was just as bad as the
people who slaughter innocent Blacks for no reason.
And how when he did go visit them in the south he would almost

commend the murders for their crimes, and turn the other cheek
for the victims who actually needed him.
In the first few years of the twentieth century ,despite all the

demonstrated power of the state, large numbers of Blacks, Whites,

men, women became impatient, immoderate, unpatriotic.

Reference page
Slide #2 : Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States:

1492 to Present. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg297)

Slide #3: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States:

1492 to Present. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg299,300)

Slide#5: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492

to Present. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg306)

Slide #6: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States:

1492 to Present. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg308)

Slide #7: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States:

1492 to Present. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg310,311)

Slide #8: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States:

1492 to Present. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg312,315)

Reference page
Slide #9: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg313)

Slide #10: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg313)

Slide #11: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg314,315)

Slide #12: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg315)

Slide #13: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg316)

Slide #14: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg318)

Slide #15: Zinn, Howard.A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present.

New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Print.(pg320)