U.S. Imperialism Begins

1. Name at least five factors that fueled American Imperialism.

Factors that fueled American Imperialism included the desire for military strength, the thirst for new markets, and the belief in cultural superiority

2. Choose two of the above five factors and describe them in your own words.

American leaders advised that the United States build up its own military strength. From the urging of Alfred T. Mahan and others, the United States built nine steel-hulled cruisers between 1883 and 1890 in order to keep up with the advances of enemy countries, making the US the 3rd largest naval force.

Advances in technology made it possible for factories and farms to produce far more products than needed for society, so imperialists had viewed foreign trade the solution to over-production.

3. What was known as “Seward’s Folly” and why?

"Seward's Folly" is what some people had called Alaska. Seward had arranged for the US to buy Alaska for $7.2m (from the Russians). Alaska was mainly called "Seward's Folly" by radical republicans who were hostile towards the President, and towards Seward as Johnson's political ally. The people who called Alaska "Seward's Folly" were probably surprised when America found Alaska to be rich in timber, minerals, and oil.

4. What plantation-based product accounted for three-quarters of Hawaii’s wealth in the mid-19^th century and who controlled this product?

In the mid-19th century, sugar plantations had accounted for 3/4 of Hawaii's wealth, and these plantations were American-owned.

5. Using as much detail as possible, outline the sequence of events that led to America gaining possession of Hawaii? In other words, why was the United States interested in these Pacific islands?

White planters had profited from close ties with the US, and in 1875, the US agreed to import sugar duty-free, increasing the sugar production in Hawaii 9X. As a result of the McKinley Tariff of 1890, which caused the importation of sugar to no longer be duty-free, Hawaii faced competition in the American market. So they would no longer have to pay the duty, American planters in Hawaii had called for the US to annex the islands. In 1887, US military and economic leaders, understanding the value of the islands, pressured Hawaii to allow them to set up a base at Pearl Harbor. The base became a refueling station for American ships.