Chapter 18 Section 1 Re-Teaching Activity

1) What is the policy of imperialism?
The policy of imperialism is that stronger nations take control of weaker nations by exerting their political, economic or military strength.

2) What 3 factors fueled the emergence of American imperialism?
The three factors that fueled the emergence of American imperialism were the desire for military strength, the thirst for new markets and a belief in cultural superiority. Americans were already believers in Manifest Destiny, and having conquered all of the U.S., sought to control other countries.

3) Why did many business leaders argue that imperialism was good for the economy?
Many business leaders argued that imperialism was good for the economy because advances in technology made a surplus of goods and food that could not be consumed by U.S. citizens alone. Imperialists saw foreign trade as a way to fix the problem with over-production and the consequent problems such as unemployment and the economic depression.

4) In what way did Alaska turn out to be a good deal for America?
Although many were against the idea of buying Alaska from Russia as William Seward urged (those who opposed called it "Seward's Icebox"), he managed to persuade the House of Representatives to buy it from Russia for $7.2 million. But in 1959, when Alaska became a state, it proved to be rich in natural resources such as timber, minerals and oil, for 2 cents and acre.

5) How did the country respond to the urgings of Alfred T. Mahan and other proponents of bolstering the country's naval forces?
Alfred T. Mahan was an admiral of the U.S. navy. When Americans saw that other countries were building up a "global military presence" (p. 549), leaders told the U.S. that it should start establishing its military strength. At the urging of Mahan, who encouraged the U.S. to build up its naval power, the U.S. built 9 steel-hulled battleships between 1883 and 1890. This turned the U.S. into the third largest naval power in the world.

6) What group became most powerful in Hawaii? Why did they favor U.S. annexation?
The group that became most powerful in Hawaii was the American planters. They favored U.S. annexation because the McKinley Tariff of 1890 "eliminated the duty free status of Hawaiian sugar" (p. 550). In 1875, the U.S. agreed to import Hawaiian sugar without duties, and Hawaiian sugar production increased nine times. The Tariff threatened the livelihood of the planters, and so they wanted to annex Hawaii so they wouldn't have to pay the duty.