1890s

• 1890

  • Alfred Thayer Mahn's book - The Influence of Sea Power upon History - encouraged naval expansion
  • 3rd largest navy by 1990
  • Concept of Social Darwinism popular - US needs to expand in order to survive and spread civilisation.
• 1893

  • US economy in recession
  • Economists argue the market had saturated and they needed to find new markets e.g. Asia and China
• 1894

  • Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act - caused issues for Cuban sugar farmers
• 1895

  • Cuban revolt against Spanish for independence - US concerned as 90 miles from their coastline and had $50 million invested in sugar.
• 1898

  • Spanish American war - highlights US increasing involvement in foreign affairs. Yellow press (Joseph Pulitzer) encouraged war and patriotism. Sinking of the US Maine in Havana Harbour "to hell with Spain, remember the Maine". Anti-Imperialist League (Mark Twain) said US were involving themselves for profit not to help. US win - Treaty of Paris, US gain Cuba, Guam, Philippines and Puerto Rica.
• 1898

  • Teller Amendment - US promised acting for Cuban independence not Sovereignty. used to show US was fighting for democracy not imperialism.
• 1898 - January

  • Annexation of Hawaii - used 2 methods Finance and Military Force.
  • Finance: islands right to export duty free sugar into US was abolished (Hawaiians worry for their livelihoods)
  • Military Force: 1893 American settlers defeated Queen Liliuokalani. Cleveland was reluctant to annex - McKinley passed it.
• 1899

  • US became a protectorate of Samoa - upholding Monroe Doctrine
• 1899-1902

  • Philippines War - fight for control over a country that wants independence. 126,000 US soldiers involved and 4,234 US men were killed. Racist overtones evident - US soldiers referred to Filipino opposition using racial slurs. Brutality from US - burned villages down, tortured and imprisoned opponents. Evidence of imperialism.