Imperialism

 

Mark Twain and the Onset of the Imperialist Period

"Mark Twain faced the onset of European and American imperialism at the end of the 19th century with an
acute understanding that white racism denied the very humanity of people of darker skin. He was aware that
vile theories were then either being generated or revived by the educated hirelings of the European and American
ruling classes,to justify their piratical conquests in Africa and Asia... 

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) typified the view of the British ruling classes in that he not only embraced the racial hierarchy wholeheartedly, but believed the Anglo-Saxon imperialists were at the pinnacle of the white race. Kipling admitted the American ruling class, descended from British settlers, into his racial sanctum sanctorum. He sought
an Anglo-American alliance dedicated to world conquest, and penned his infamous bit of doggerel, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899), in the service of this alliance. Subtitled “The United States and the Philippine Islands,” the poem instructed the Filipinos to enslave themselves voluntarily to their new American masters. And in 1899, just after the Spanish-American War, the United States was indeed determined to become conqueror of the Philippines." 

Mark Twain: 1835-1910

Excerpt "From the New York Herald, October 15, 1900:

I left these shores, at Vancouver, a red-hot imperialist. I wanted the American eagle to go screaming into the Pacific. It seemed tiresome and tame for it to content itself with he Rockies. Why not spread its wings over the Phillippines, I asked myself? And I thought it would be a real good thing to do

I said to myself, here are a people who have suffered for three centuries. We can make them as free as ourselves, give them a government and country of their own, put a miniature of the American constitution afloat in the Pacific, start a brand new republic to take its place among the free nations of the world. It seemed to me a great task to which had addressed ourselves.

But I have thought some more, since then, and I have read carefully the treaty of Paris, and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Phillippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. . .

It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make those people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land."

Beloved American writer Mark Twain had a long and successful career as an author, satirist, essayist, newspaper reporter, and lecturer. During the Spanish-American War, Twain became an outspoken anti-imperialist. He joined the American Anti-Imperialist League and published articles about America's imperialism and its war in the Philippines. On this Library of Congress web page, you can read excerpts from Twain's anti-imperialist writings about the war in the Philippines as a member of the Anti-Imperialist League.
Topic: Twain, Mark,--1835-1910, Philippine American War, 1899-1902, American Anti-Imperialist League   Language: English   Lexile: 1070    
http://www.loc.gov

From Empire to Independence: The British Raj in India 1858-1947
British control in India did not happen without a struggle. The First War of Indian Independence preceded British control and contributed to the type of political, economic, and social rule established by Britain. A large portion of the Indian subcontinent remained under the control of local governments that had established treaties of mutual cooperation with the Raj. These princes and large landholders contributed money and men to Britain during the World Wars. Investigate whether British rule helped or hurt the Indian economy. Explore the growth of nationalism and the reasons for independence. Understand the role of religion in partition.
Topic: India--Independence movements    Lexile: 1390    News Source      http://www.bbc.co.uk

Before the American War
In the aftermath of World War II, France and Britain were reluctant to relinquish their empires. As Britain tried to maintain control over India and France tried to maintain power in Indochina, Franklin Roosevelt sought to end this imperialism. He believed independence was necessary or these countries could become our enemies. Harry Truman allowed the French to return to Indochina, knowing it would be difficult for them to establish control again and wanting to protect American military bases in Asia. When the war in Indochina turned into a fight against communism, the United States got involved.
Topic: Indochina, Vietnam War, 1961-1975   Language: English   Lexile: 970    http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu

The Religious Origins of Manifest Destiny
The call went out in 1845 to fulfill the dream of manifest destiny and expansionism. Manifest Destiny was used to
justify the Mexican War. Americans believed it was self-evident that God had given them the destiny to take over
North America. This idea was one of white supremacy, since Native Americans had no right to their land under this
idea. European Americans believed they were special and that they were called to conquer and convert the native peoples to Christianity. They believed that it was a divine commission and not just thinly veiled imperialism.
Topic: Manifest Destiny   Language: English   Lexile: 1610    
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org

The Spanish-American War and the Anti-Imperialism League (1902)
Improve your understanding of the political situation in the U.S. after the Spanish-American War by studying this
web page. See a political cartoon from 1902 that criticizes the American expansionism of this time. Read the
analysis of the cartoon and the explanation of the beliefs and activities of the American Anti-Imperialist League,
which was formed to protest the annexation of the Philippines to the U.S. Learn of the many prominent Americans
who joined the league. This site includes an excerpt from a lecture by Anti-Imperialist League member William
Graham Sumner and a copy of the platform of the Anti-Imperialist League.
Topic: Political cartoons, American Anti-Imperialist League Lexile: 1410 Primary Source Material 
http://oll.libertyfund.org

Big Stick Diplomacy   

Speak softly and carry a big stick. These famous words by President Theodore Roosevelt convey a message about his foreign policy style, which came to be known as Big Stick diplomacy. This new form of diplomacy allowed the United States to use international police power in Latin America. America wanted to maintain dominance in Latin America, without the interference of European powers. With no way to enforce international law, Latin America was vulnerable to oppression. Although the Monroe doctrine discouraged American interference, the Roosevelt Corollary attempted to justify it.
Topic: Roosevelt, Theodore, Diplomacy   Language: English   Lexile: 1420  Biography  http://www.historywiz.com

January 1899: Senate Debate over Ratification of the Treaty of Paris
The U.S. Senate debate over the ratification of the Treaty of Paris marked an important moment in American history.
The debate polarized the Senate on the issue of imperialism and the nation's future role in Cuba and the Philippines. Learn about the strong emotions on both sides of the debate. Find out about the Anti-Imperialist League and the
beliefs of its members, many of whom were prominent philosophers, writers, and statesmen. Photographs are in-
cluded on the site. Although the Treaty of Paris was ratified, the debate over imperialism continued, eventually
leading to war between the U.S. and the Philippines.
Topic: United States--History--1898-1919, American Anti-Imperialist League   Language: English   Lexile: 1280     http://www.pbs.org

Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism
Nationalism has been a global force over the centuries and is responsible for the ever-changing maps and globes.
Define a nation-state by government and culture. Find out how a group of people living in the same place becomes
a nation. Learn about the contributions of education and urbanization to growing nationalism. Bureaucracies and militaries broke empires into states and established identities by opposing other groups. Explore the changes that occurred in Japan after Matthew Perry arrived and the Meiji period began.
Topic: Nationalism, Perry, Matthew Calbraith, Japan--History--Meiji period, 1868-1912, Meiji Restoration, Japan,
1853-1870   Language: English    Video     https://www.khanacademy.org

The Spanish-American War Part 2: The Philippine Campaign
This web site provides a thorough description of the Battle of Manila Bay, including details about important events preceding the battle. The majority of the article focuses on the thoughts and actions of George Dewey, the U.S. Naval commander who became an American war hero because of his overwhelming victory in this battle. The site has over twenty images depicting American attitudes toward the Spanish-American War and Admiral Dewey. It also describes events that are harbingers of tension between the U.S. and the native people of the Philippines.
Topic: Dewey, George, Spanish-American War, 1898--Campaigns--Philippines   Language: English   Lexile: 1190    
http://www.authentichistory.com

The Matter of the Philippines
Diplomatic relations between the United States and the Philippine Islands during the early twentieth century are
analyzed in this lesson plan from the NEH series, “The Birth of an American Empire.” Along with an introduction that outlines key events in the history of the two nations beginning with the year 1898, the “Background” section contains
a detailed analysis of social issues related toannexation of the Islands by the U.S., including the Filipino resistance movement, and the contributions of major political figures. Site links to primary sources in the Library of Congress and National Archives collections extend the information.
Topic: Philippine American War, 1899-1902, United States--Territories and possessions, United States--Foreign relations, Philippines--Colonization--History--20th century  Lexile: 1410     http://edsitement.neh.gov 

World War One: Causes
The direct trigger for World War I was the assassination of an Austrian archduke but the causes of war were far more complex. Explore how eight different alliances contributed to many countries getting involved in the war. As the British Empire had colonies on five continents and France gained control of much of Africa, imperialism played a role in Germany's threat. Competition for control of the seas, an arms race to develop more powerful weapons, and large
armies were signs of growing militarism at the dawn of the 20th century. Nationalism and local battles for power were other contributing factors.
Topic: Militarism, World War I--Causes   Language: English   Lexile: 1220     http://www.historyonthenet.com

Globalization I - The Upside
Analyze the story of globalization behind consumer goods like t-shirts. Globalization is about consumer culture and
world trade. Multinational corporations and international shipping have taken trade to a global scale. Learn about free trade and how it affects countries with emerging economies. Find out why the agriculture production of cotton, the
textile factories producing t-shirts, and the designs printing on the t-shirts happen in different countries. Part two of globalization can be accessed in list on the left. Investigate the growth of the service sector in the industrialized world and the separation of industrialized cultures from the means of production.
Topic: Globalization   Language: English    Video      https://www.khanacademy.org