WARM-UP HONORS

 Explain in your own words the following quote:

“American People can use; American soil is

producing more than they can consume. Fate
has written our policy for us; the trade of the
world must and shall be ours…”
 AMERICAN IMPERIALISM
1880-1914

Imperialism-

policy in which stronger

nations extend their
economic, political,
and/or military control
over weaker territories
 Sphere of Influence
 Exerting some kind of
indirect cultural,
economic, military or
political domination over
an area

 Jingoism – extreme
nationalism, often to the
point of belligerency
MOTIVES FOR IMPERIALISM
I. ECONOMIC MOTIVES

 Want colonies to obtain

cheap raw materials &
trade goods

 Need overseas markets

to sell manufactured
goods
 Why?

Overproduction of goods in the

US
II. AGGRESSIVE MOTIVES

 European Nations were

active overseas- the US
needs an overseas
presence to preserve its
political and economic
sphere of influence.
 Nationalism
III. MISSIONARY MOTIVE

 Missionaries wanted to
spread Western Culture
& Christianity

 Humanitarian concerns

 Manifest Destiny- US
was destined to keep
spreading it’s influence
IV. STRATEGIC MOTIVES

 Ports/ fueling station/

military base (especially
Hawaii)

 Navalist Captain Alfred

Mahan argued for a
modern navy to
preserve U.S. naval
power
 V. LEADERSHIP MOTIVE

- Some Americans combined Social

Darwinism with an assumption of
the racial superiority of Anglo-
Saxons.

-They argued that the United States

had the responsibility to spread
Christianity and to “civilize” the
“inferior peoples.”

-“White Man’s Burden

KIPLING’S “WHITE MAN’S BURDEN”

 Belief in the inherent

superiority of the
Anglo-Saxon race
and the thought that
with privilege comes
responsibility
WHITE MAN’S BURDEN HANDOUT
VI. COLONIAL MOTIVE

 Colonies serve as
 An outlet for surplus population

 Gain control of natural resources

 Outlet for criminals

US ACQUIRES ALASKA 1867

 Alaska purchased from Russia

 $ 7.2 million

 Minerals
US ACQUIRES HAWAII 1893

 White planters overthrew the last Hawaiian

queen
 Why?
 They
wanted Hawaii to be part of the US so their sugar
wouldn’t be charged a tariff in the US

 Naval base in Pearl Harbor

MOTIVES FOR IMPERIALISM HANDOUT