Imperialism: 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?

Hawaii's economy was dominated by American sugar plantations. Hawaii was a crucial stopping point for American ships on their way to East Asia and the soil was rich for growing sugar, pineapples, and coffee America wanted to bring theses islands under their control. President Cleveland withdrew the treaty to allow the US to take over Hawaii. President Cleveland thought the US was wrong for taking over Hawaii. I agree with President Cleveland that it was wrong to take Hawaii away from its people.



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

1. Immigration it affected America because it increased population and economic growth.
2. Urban growth it affected the transportation systems they were over worked, unsanitary condition, rising crime, more housing and political corruption.
3. Trade Increased the US economy
4. Depression led many workers out of work and into labor strikes
5. frontier made Americans feel like they had an opportunity and saw economic growth

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

City people worried insecurity working people worried about losing their jobs and plant owners worried about losing profits and farmers lost money to.

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?

They saw it as an opportunity and a chance to improve America's identity. closing the frontier would harm America's national character because the prosperity of America would decline because American's needed more land to conquer more land to live on.

5. Why did some Americans suggest greater involvement overseas?

The American's wanted economic success so they wanted foreign trade especially with China.


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

The policy was called Imperialism the Imperialists wanted the US to have economic strength they belived in social Darwinism.



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 that the social and economic progress of different groups of people would adapt to their environment they believed that western europeans were better people for power positions. I believe that this is still used today because certain countries are more powerful than others based on their environmental and economic conditions.



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

They said that the world of the Americans in the world should be to help and cheer up the unfortunate people in other nations. They believed that God had specially blessed Americans and the duty of Americans was to civilize the world



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 United States agreed to give assistance to Samoa and the US would get free access to Samoa's Harbor. Britain and the United States agreed to settle the disagreement about the border of Latin America. Hawaii became a colony of the United States in 1898. The Americans wanted to build a canal in Panama so they wanted a stable environment in Latin America.

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?


Britain thought that they could have some colonies in Latin America. This would prevent the United States from trading with Latin America. The Monroe Doctrine was written to prevent Britain from making colonies.