Part II: Spanish-American War

Questions for Part II—The Spanish-American War

1. What connections did the U.S. have to Cuba in the late 1800s? List at least two.
The U.S. was a large consumer of Cuban sugar. Also there were U.S. military connections in Cuba.

2. What were the Spanish “reconcentration camps”?
General Valeriano Weyler herded hundreds of thousands Cuban peasants into towns policed by Spanish troops called reconcentration camps. They lacked food, housing and sanitiation. There was disease and starvation, which killed thousands of people.


3. List reasons why the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba.
a.To protect their sugar plantations because that was important to the U.S.

b.The Monroe Doctrine said that Spain had no business in the Western Hemisphere. Spain was going against this and the U.S. wanted to stop it.

c.A future Central American canal would be more profitable if the U.S. controlled nearby Cuba.

d.Also some believed that American should help ease suffering abroad, which was tied to a religious conviction.

e.The de Lome letter and The U.S.S. Maine,and how newspapers portrayed these events, with "yellow journalism"

f.the end of the western frontier

g.If the U.S. won a war with Spain it would gain control over many strategic ports which would increase trade with Asia. (Not just Cuba and Puerto rico in the Caribean, but Guam and the Philippines.)

4. Which do you believe was the most important reason? Why?
I think that "yellow journalism" was an important reason because it made many Americans gain sympathy for Cuba. It also made them angry at Spain.
Also the end of the Wester frontier was a very important reason because this made the U.S. want to gain other land like islands. This is a reason why the U.S. was interested in Cuba in the first place.

5. What did the Teller Amendment say?
The Teller Amendment said that the U.S. didn't have an interest in controlling Cuba in the future and promised to leave their government and control of the island to its people once peace was restored.

6. Why was a portion of the Spanish-American War fought in the Philippines?
The Philippines was controlled by Spain and the U.S. wanted it. Spain thought that they were going to invade Cuba first and they weren't prepared for fighting in the Phillippines.


7. Dewey’s victory in the Phllippines sparked an outpouring of pride in the United States.



8. Why did Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders want to fight in Cuba?
They were proud of what happened in the Phillippines and wanted to help their country.

9. a. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
They saw it as an opportunity to elevate the status of blacks in the U.S. They hoped that thier participation on the fighting would win the African-American community new respect.

b. What forms of discrimination and prejudice did they encounter?
They were denied promotion into the officer crops. Black volunteers were not given the chance to fight in Cuba.

10. How did racism influence American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines? Give two examples of events where racism affected U.S. policy after the war.

a.After the war, many Americans believed that the Cubans needed guidance in managing all of their affairs.  They Cuban rebels were ignored by the U.S.

b.Congress interpreted the teller amendment to mean that the U.S. forces would stay in Cuba until a stable government could be formed.  This made American business return to Cuba, which took over land and railroads and dominated the economy.

Imperialism: The Origins of a Global Power

Questions for Introduction and Part I - The Origins of a Global Power

1. Why did American plantation owners and U.S. Marines topple Hawaii’s queen in 1893? Why was Hawaii considered to be a valuable prize? What was President Grover Cleveland’s reaction? Do you agree or disagree with his quote on page 1?

Since Hawaii was in the middle of the Pacific ocean, it offered a crucial stopping point for American ships traveling to East Asia. Also Hawaii had rich volcanic soil that was ideal for growing crops such as sugar, pineapples and coffee. This made Hawaii a valuable prize. American plantation owners wanted the islands officially under U.S. control and with the help of U.S. marines, this became a reality. But Grover Cleveland withdrew the treaty that allowed the U.S. to annex Hawaii. He believed that annexation would corrupt traditional American values of freedom and equality. I agree with his quote on page 1 because I don't think that taking over Hawaii was right. Hawaii was a happy, sovereign nation and the U.S. shouldn't have come in and toppled the Queen. The U.S. didn't have the right to invade like that.

2. Identify five important changes that transformed America in the nineteenth century. How did these five changes affect Americans?

1)Population Growth-Immigration to America was very high during this time. Many people living in America at this time were immigrants, which changed and broadened America's ethnic diversity.

2)Economic Expansion-Since many immigrants were coming into the country, and many of them most likely didn't have much money, the economy changed a lot. There was an increasing lower/working class.

3)Urban Growth-Many immigrants settled in cities where there were job opportunities. Cities grew tremendously. This made quite a few problems such as transportation issues, housing issues and diseases. This also affected the agriculture in the country, making it decrease.

4)Trade-The increase of manufactured goods made trade more important. Advances in transportation made trade easier. Since there were many European tariffs (taxes on imported goods), U.S. exporters looked towards less developed countries of Latin America and Asia to expand their sales. They were especially interested in China. This changed the selection of items Americans could buy since the country was trading with different countries who traded different products.

5)The 1893 Depression-When two major railroads went bankrupt, the New York Stock Exchange tumbled. Many banks and businesses went bankrupt. Prices declines and millions of Americans lost their jobs. This made many workers realize how vulnerable they were in an economy based on industry and manufacturing. This depression made many people concerned that the United States wouldn't be able to compete globally and that all of the changes during this century might not have been good for America.

3. How did the economic depression that began in 1893 deepen the divisions in American society? Which groups suffered the most during the depression?

The economic depression deepened the divisions in American society. There were two groups of Americans, those who favored "cheap" money and those who favored "tight" money. This had to do with their views on how to fix the country's economic problems. Those who favored cheap money, who were mostly farmers in debt, believed that an increase in the money supply to lower interest rates which they thought would ease their debt burden and raise crop prices. Those who favored tight money said that increasing the money supply would cause unstoppable inflation and cripple the national economy. Since the depression caused many Americans to lose their jobs, the working class suffered a large amount. Workers raliezed how vulnerable they were in an economy based on industry and manufacturing.

4. What were the values many Americans attached to the frontier? Why did many Americans fear that the closing of the frontier would harm America’s national character?

The Americans looked at the frontier as being abundent of fertile land and other natural resources. They also attached words like bravery, individualism and patriotism. Many Americans feared that the closing of the frontier would harm America's national character because the frontier defined what America was all about. Some people thought that America wouldn't survive without this abundance of land to draw immigrants to the U.S. and westward in the country.

5. Why did some Americans suggest greater involvement overseas?
They believed that this would fuel economic growth. Overseas there were many people who where potential customers of American trade (this would help control the surplus of American products).

6. What policy did expansionists say would ensure the economic success of the United States? What did imperialists say?

Expansionalists said that trading with other foreign nations would ensure the economis success of the U.S. Imperialists believed that the U.S. should build a sizable overseas empire which would rule over foreign territories. This would enable the U.S. to secure export markets, raw materials, and cheap labor.

7. How did the theories of social Darwinism and scientific racism lend support to the cause of American imperialism? How were these pseudo-scientific theories used to justify racist policies and imperialism? Are they still used today?
They believed in social Darwinism and thought that the cultures of western Europe had shown their superiority by taking over most of the world. They believed that imperialism reflected the "survival of the fittest." Scientific racism (the belief that certain races were more intelligent than others), was based on a foundation of false biological research. These pseudo-scientific theories backed up the idea that the U.S. and some European nations were destined by nature to dominate the world.  

These pseudo-scientific theories are not still used today because they have been proven wrong.

8. What did many Protestant churches say was America’s role in the world?

Many Protestant churches said that America's role was to civilize the world.  Missionaries were sent overseas to civilize other nations.

9. Why did the United States become involved in several Latin American nations in the nineteenth century? Summarize why the United States became involved in Samoa, Hawaii, and other Latin American nations.
The U.S. became involved with Samoa because is ensured a permanent, secure resting and refueling point for American ships on their way to Australia, where they could trade.  Hawaii had many sugar plantations and it provided a stopping point in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for ships heading to East Asia.  This made the U.S. interested in Hawaii.  Hawaii became a colony of the U.S. in 1898.

10. Why was the United States concerned about British involvement in Venezuela? What concept did U.S. Secretary of State Richard Olney invoke in response?

The U.S. was concerned that Britain was bullying Venezuela.  If Britain made Venezuela a colony, the U.S. couldn't expand it's commercial ties to Latin America.  Richard Only invoked the Monroe Doctrine, which tried to prevent Britain from doing this.

Spanish-American War (1898)

Causes: How did each of the following help to cause the outbreak of the Spanish-American War?

1. American business owners-They invested millions if dollars in sugar cane plantations in Cuba, they wanted the government to support Spain in order to protect their investments.

2. José Martí-A Cuban poet and journalist, living in New York, launched a revolution in 1895 and organized Cuban resistance against Spain.  Deliberately destroyed property (Guerilla campaign), especially American owned sugar plantations.

3. Valeriano Weyler-Spanish General sent to Cuba in 1896 to restore order.  He herded the rural population of central and western Cuba into concentration camps so the civilians couldn't help rebels.  An estimated 300,000 Cubans were in these camps, and thousands died from hunger and disease.

4. Yellow journalism-when newspapers exaggerate things to catch readers' attention, this made Americans more sympathetic for the Cubans

5. De Lôme letter-a letter sent by the Spanish Minister to the United States.  It was stolen and published in the New York Journal.  He called President McKinley "weak" and "a bidder for the admiration of the crowd," the minister resigned.  This made Americans mad and want to go to war with Spain.

6. U.S.S. Maine-McKinley sent the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba to get Americans who were in danger from the fighting.  It blew up and more than 260 men were killed.  Although no one knew why the ship blew up, American newspapers said that the Spanish blew it up.  This further made the Americans want to go to war with Spain.

Effects: What happened to each of the following territories as a result of the Spanish-American War?

7. Cuba was freed.

8. Puerto Rico was given to the U.S. by Spain.

9. Guam was given to the U.S. by Spain.

10. Philippine Islands were sold to U.S. for $20 million by Spain.

U.S. Imperialism Begins

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

-Global Competition

-Manifest Destiny

-Desire for Military Strength

-Thirst for new Markets

-Belief in Cultural Superiority

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

-The leaders of the United States thought it would be a good idea to create a strong military because other countries' militaries were growing in presence.

-There was an overproduction of agricultural and manufactured goods because technology was advancing.  Imperialists though that foreign trade would help fix this.

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

A folly is an act of foolishness or an expensive thing with no purpose.  William Seward wanted to bye Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.  The house of representatives called Alaska "Seward's Icebox" and "Seward's Folly."

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

Sugar Cane, Yankee Missionaries' children and grandchildren were in charge of the crops.

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?

-The Hawaiian Islands were economically important to the United States because merchants stopped there on their way to China and East India.  Sugar planters sold most of their crops to the U.S.

-The American planters in Hawaii wanted it to be annexed because they were unhappy with the McKinley Tariff of 1890 which eliminated duty-free trade of sugar.

-If Hawaii was annexed, the sugar would be duty-free again.

-The king of Hawaii died and then his sister became queen.  She was going to remove the property owning requirements for voting, but business groups, the ambassador and the marines overthrew her and set up a government run by Sanford B. Dole.

-Cleveland directed that the queen be put back into power, but Dole refused.  Cleveland formally recognized the Republic of Hawaii but didn't want to annex it unless the majority of the Hawaiians were in favor.

-In 1898 McKinley made Hawaii a U.S. territory

-In 1959 Hawaii became a U.S. state 

Child Labor Reform Photographs

Objective Assessment


As you view each photograph take note about what you see. (note people, background, objects) Pretend you were describing the image to someone who could not see it. Try to avoid making judgments.

Where are these children? List any clues relating to their surroundings.
Describe any tools or objects you see.
Describe their clothing. What do their clothes reveal about their work?

Subjective Assessment


What questions do you have about each of these photographs?
Based on your observations, list three things you might infer about the lives of these children. (Be sure to consider Hine's notes about the photographs when considering this.


Photograph A
-A girl in a factory (cotton mill)
-dirty clothing
-Since she works a lot and sometimes nights, she is probably very tired.
-48 cents a day
-not getting proper education because she is working

Photograph B
-5 young women
-dirty, tattered clothing
-they look extremely tired and overworked
-their hair is back so it wouldn't get caught in the machines they were working with

Photograph C
-a very young girl standing in the factory
-dirty clothing, no shoes
-the caption says the overseer told the photographer apologetically "she just happened in" and there were many children who "are helping sister"
-probably dangerous work, looking at the equiptment

Photograph D
-young "newsie", a small boy selling newspapers in the city
-he looks sad
-dirty
-he is spending his time selling newspapers instead of getting an education


Photograph E
-many boys working at a coal factory
-caption says and picture shows the dense dust that filled the air
-extremely dirty
-the boys are probably very unhealthy from breathing in the dust all day
-the caption says that there was a person who overlooked their work and prodded them to keep working when they weren't
-boys working when they should be at school

Photograph F
-young boys and teenagers working around multiple pipes, some coming out of the cieling
-very dirty
-many boys cluttered into a small space
-towards the left of the photograph, there are long metal pipes which is what the glass is spun on
-if it's a glass factory, the glass would have to be heated up so it would melt and this would be dangerous

Photograph G
-parents along with children working
-mothers had to bring even their babies to work
-there was a pit to throw the waste in and the children could slip and fall into it, very dangerous
-caption says that work started at 3:30 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m.
-no time for the children to get educated


Photograph H
-children outside waiting for their night shift to start- 6 p.m.-6 a.m.
-caption says that there are children working to supply thier family when thier father says he is not well enough to work, but he just hangs around at the country store
-caption also says that it had been raining, and it was December so it probably was extremely cold and they didn't have any "wraps"

Progressive Era Presidents (Taft and Wilson)

Read Chapter 17-4 (Progressivism Under Taft) and Chapter 17-5 (Wilson's New Freedom)

1. How did William Howard Taft get selected to run for president?

Teddy Roosevelt selected him. He was the secretary of war at the time.

2. How did Teddy Roosevelt come to oppose Taft for the presidency in 1912?

Taft changed some of the things that TR did during his presidency and TR was mad about those changes.

Teddy Roosevelt went to Africa when his term ended. When he came back, he decided to run for a third term against Taft.  

3. What events helped Woodrow Wilson win the election in 1912?
There was a division in the Republican party and Republican progressives formed a third part names the Progressive Party, or the Bull Moose Party. This split created an opportunity for the Democrats. Woodrow Wilson was the candidate.

4. What legislation (body of laws) did Wilson use to attack trusts and monopolies?

Congress passed the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 which was intended to support the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. This act prohibited corporations from acquiring the stock of another if doing so would create a monopoly. It also said that labor unions and farm organizations would not be subject to antitrust laws. This meant that strikes became legal.

The Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 set us the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This Commission was given the power to investigate, to require reports from corporations, and stop unfair business practices.

5. What was the Nineteenth Amendment?

In 1919, congress passed The Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

6. How did America's entry into World War I affect the reform movement?

The country became distracted by the war and the progressive era came to an end.

TR's Square Deal

1. How did Roosevelt create the modern presidency?

He was a good leader.  He believed that the federal government should have power in a situation where the states were incapable of dealing with the problem.

2. How did Roosevelt's intervention in a coal strike set a precedent for federal arbitration?

Roosevelt's intervention set a precedent for federal government and from then on, when a strike threatened the public welfare, the federal government was expected to intervene.  Roosevelt believed that disputes could be settled in a organized way, for example the arbitration commission. 

3. What did Roosevelt do to the trusts and railroads? 

He was a "trustbuster" and wanted to change the actions of the trusts that hurt the public interest.  The Hepburn Act of 1906 limited the distribution of free railroad passes which were often used as bribes.  The Interstate Commerce Commission gained the power of setting maximum railroad rates.

4. What legislation passed during Roosevelt's presidency protected citizens?

The Meat Inspection Act of 1906, which made factories clean up and become healthier.  This protected citizens against disease.  However, this act didn't make companies tell consumers the ingredients or expiration dates.  The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 addressed this and required labels to be put on food and drugs.

5. What did Roosevelt do to protect the environment? 

He set aside 148 million acres of forest reserves, 1.5 million acres of water-power sites and 80 million acres of land to explore for mineral and water sources.  He was a conservationist, which meant he believed in preserving some land and using the natural resources the rest had to offer.   He established more than 50 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.  The Newlands act of 1902 stated that the money earned from the sale of public land in the west would fund large-scale irrigation projects. 

Urbanization

1. What is Urbanization?

Urbanization is the growth of cities.

2. For what reasons did a number of Americans move from the country to the cities?

The technological boom in the 19th century made many people want to move into the cities.  Certain devices, such as the McCormick reaper and the steel plow, made farming more efficient and fewer laborers were needed.  These laborers went to the city to look for work.

Also, many immigrants went to the cities because it didn't cost much to live there and jobs and opportunities were all around.

3. What were the housing problems that many poor city dwellers faced?

People in the cities had two options for housing: they could live outside the city and commute, or they could rent small rooms in a boardinghouse within the city.  Tenements, where many families lived in small spaces, were overcrowded and unsanitary.