U.S. Imperialism Begins

1. Name at least five factors that fueled American Imperialism.
A) To continue manifest destiny
B) Desire for military strength
C) Thirst for new markets
D) Belief in cultural superiority
E) Serve as a solution to American overproduction and related problems of unemployment and economic depression

2. Choose two of the above five factors and describe them in your own words.
A) Thirst for new markets- Thanks to many advancements in technology there was more production than consumption of American products. This meant the country needed a place to supply them with raw materials and a market to sell their extra goods in. With new markets there would be new jobs to help fix the economic depression and decrease the number of unemployed.
B)Desire for military strength- Military presence around the world was growing pressuring Americans to build their own strength which led them to compete for a high naval power. This resulted in America having nine steel-hulled cruisers and being the world's third largest naval power.

3. What was known as “Seward’s Folly” and why?
Alaska was known as Seward's Folly because at the time it was acquired many doubted this decision as being useful but as time passed it became a state that was rich in wood, minerals, and oil.

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

6. 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?

1. King Kalakaua was forced to amend Hawaii's constitution and give voting rights to only the wealthy landowners.
2. Kalakaua dies in 1891 but his sister Queen Liliuokalani takes power.
3. She wants to remove the qualifications for voting.
4. John L. Stevens disagrees with the idea and sets up a revolution against the queen putting Sanford B. Dole in power.
5. President Cleveland demanded that the queen be put back into power but Dole refused to give up his thrown.
6. Cleveland then recognized the country as the Republic of Hawaii but if a majority of Hawaiians favored annexation he would consider it.
7. In 1897 William McKinley took over the Presidential office. He favored annexation.
8. On August 12,1898 Hawaii was proclaimed as an American territory by Congress but Hawaiians weren't given the chance to vote.
9. Hawaii becomes the 50th state in the U.S. in 1959.