Imperial Dreams and Accidental Empires 02 25 2014 I U S Imperialism Historical Debates a The Great Aberration or A Way of life i Samuel Flagg Bemis 1 Diplomatic historian in 50s 60s 70s 2 Imperialism as the great aberration a Exception that doesn t fit into US history much ii William Appleman Williams 1 University of WI 2 Argued that imperialism is the Way of Life 3 Empire as a way of Life novel 4 Imperialism is essential and at the center of US politics b defining Imperialism i does imperialism require the occupation of land 1 Culture and economics o ii manifest density imperialism Do you have to cross an ocean for it to be called imperialism o iii What is temporary US never intended to fully incorporate Philippines in the US but it was occupied for 40 years 1898 1892 backdrop o Industrialization must be fed with materials o Arms and transportation improvements II Turn Of the Century Imperialism Contexts a The Global Age of Empire b Economic Hopes and Fears i 1893 depression 1 US is outgrowing its markets c Naval Ambitions i Alfred Thayer Mahan developed idea that whatever nation controlled seas controlled trade and world politics US shied away from involvement overseas 1890s public interest supported involvement overseas and the media support with communication systems sensationalist yellow journals herst and Pulitzer newspapers Press wars explosion of USS main tabloids covering most horrible stories of Spanish abuse in Cuba o US congress declares war on Spain III The Spanish American War a The Press and Public Opinion b A Splendid Little War i lasted less than 4 months cheap not many dead ii Teddy Roosevelt became an instant hero o Charge of San Juan Hill o War was uniting at a time of Strikes and immigrants Short lived harmony Read more about taking Philipenes on Gorn IV The Philippine American War Emilio Alguinaldo o Established a government after Spain was kicked out o Long ongoing war o Ten times the number of American lives as the Spanish war costed o Guerilla fighting Us sees the philipenes increasingly a reacial other Burn villages water boarding Insurrection cuba IV Race and U S Imperialism a Rationalized in racial terms A Spain and the Black Legend a Highlights cruelty Spanish had toward native Americans opposed to the English exploitation harm terrible things that the Spanish had brought to the new world Spanish were catholic b Rationalization of colonized peoples i Racial mixing condemned large black and white populations ii Friends and brothers to insurgents or natives is how Philippines are described goo goo gook racial slur applied to Vietnamese and Japanese o iii Orientalized Emilio Aguinaldo c Battle tactics and Justifications for War i Guerilla tactics were considered uncivilized ii Sign of reverting to savagery d Race and Anti Imperialism How do leaders deal with the issue of imperialism US was created as a colony against colonial power and the US condemns colonial imperialism so leaders like Bush who are proud of the role we have played in the liberation of the Phillipenes forgetting about the waterboarding torture and battle claiming barbarism was all the Philippine natives knew Even people who did not want to occupy philipenes because they couldn t bee added for racist reasons 02 25 2014 02 25 2014