Imperialism(6)

.docx

School

College of DuPage *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

1140

Subject

History

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

3

Uploaded by MateDangerWolverine32

Report
History 1140 Assignment: US Path to Imperialism The United States path toward imperialism is a crucial development in the making of “modern” America. Please read the assigned passages and answer the questions below. This assignment is due Thursday October 5. On that day, you should turn in the written assignment and be prepared to discuss the ideas and your observations in a class discussion. PART I: Directions: Read the primary source “President William McKinley Asks for War to Liberate Cuba.” pp 100-101 in Major Problems in American History Volume II: Since 1865 and address the following questions. 1. What in your view are the two most prominent reasons McKinley gives to justify his request that the U.S. go to war? Please summarize these reasons in your own words. The two most prominent reasons McKinley gives to justify his request in my opinion, is the loss of life of the Cuban people, as well as the economic ruins of Cuba. Spain ruined all of the trade and economic side of Cuba so it is justifiable that the citizens of Cuba want to reestablish this. As well as the loss of life and as said in the passage the “Bloodshed”, to add to my reasoning the suffering of the Cuban people and all of their miseres, they want help putting an end to it. 2. What are some actual goals and agendas behind the U.S. desire to send military into Cuba are missing here? Please list and explain any two. Why do you think McKinley omits these from his speech to Congress? The U.S wanted to invade Cuba and claim it for their own and take over. They wanted the European powers out of the western hemisphere as they saw it as close in proximity to them and their territory. It would have caused major disagreement between the American people as many were against imperialism and what the U.S wanted to do to Cuba would have been hypocritical. PART 2: Directions: Read the primary source “Governor Theodore Roosevelt Praises the Manly Virtues of Foreign Intervention, 1899” pp 101-2 in Major Problems in American History Volume II: Since 1865 and address the following questions. 3. Sum up in your own words, how does TR link the pursuit of imperialism with positive virtues like strength, courage, service, and patriotism for the U.S? Do you agree with the logic he presents in making this link? Please explain. President TR links the pursuit of imperialism with the positive virtues and patriotism for the U.S by basically saying it is the man's job to be courageful, and if the American people were to stand up they were to be seen as “brave high-spirited people”. In a way I do agree, cause you’re standing with your country, but from another point of view I could see why many Americans had an issue with this as we “stood for freedom” and that was the United States main thing we were seen as “the land of the free”, in my opinion it would've been wrong to “help” cuba for our own benefit. It kind of reminds me of the radicals helping out the freedman just to get their vote.
4. What aspects of TR’s argument rely on paternalistic racism (e.g. the White Man’s Burden)? Do you think this reliance undermines and nullifies his entire argument? Why or why not? The aspects of TR’s argument that rely on paternalistic racism, in my opinion, is when he mentions the Apache in Arizona, and how their “doctrines condemn” the settlers ever settling there. I think he automatically assumed that just because they were white settlers they were making everything better for any of the lands of the people the U.S conquered, but as we know most of the time the lands were better off untouched. Yes, because in his speech his whole thing was he wanted the men to stand up and fight and whoever did not was seen as a coward. PART 3: Directions: Read the essay “Racial Imperialism: America’s Takeover of the Philippines” by Paul Kramer, pp 107-116 in Major Problems in American History Volume II: Since 1865 and address the following questions. 5. What evidence does Kramer use to support his claim that racism was the chief factor behind the imperialistic conquest of the Philippines? List and explain any two specific pieces of evidence he uses. Kramer uses the factor of stating that the liberation of the philippine people was deeper than any question of politics and was all mainly for race. He also uses the example that for “ a thousand years” it was white settlers who were seen as power and had the right to conquer all of the non white land. 6. What precedents from US previous history were used to justify imperialism in the Philippines? List and explain any two precedents. The U.S previous assimilation of the Natives was used to justify imperialism as it was seen as the natives were better off when the white settlers arrived. Another example used was all of the immigrants going to america and having a better life here, so it was justified as if immigrants were piling in to America in the millions, it was seen as the better land and Americans thought they were inferior and the best of the best, so they thought they were giving them a better life. 7. Do you agree with Kramer’s main thesis, that racism is the determinative factor in US imperialism? Or do you think other factors, as explained in the primary sources mentioned above, are as or more important than race in US imperialism? Please explain your position using specific evidence from the above sources in support. In my opinion although I do think it was a very important factor, I don't think it was the main one, there are a lot of other factors that played as big of a role for example, economic advantages, as well as the U.S wanted to show they were a well off country and had power. They were afraid if it wasn’t the U.S invaded another nation would just take over the Philippines instead like China or Japan. For any type of land, people have always been money and land hungry for centuries, so I think that is always gonna be the main factor. PART 4: Directions: The essay “The Perils of Evangelina” by Wilbur Cross (found in the pdf link in Blackboard) is a quintessential example of yellow journalism from this period. Please read this article found in the link provided in our assignment part of our Blackboard page and address the following questions.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help