U.S. Imperialism Begins

1. Name at least five factors that fueled American Imperialism.
Technology Factor- Industrial Rev provides ability to travel the world.
Military Factor-Growing navys need bases worldwide.(pearl Harbor)
Humanitarian and religious factors- Western believe in spreading western ideas and christanity. (socail darwinsm)
National Factors- nationalism drives countries to compete for new colonies. (race with European powers for colonies)
Economic Factors- Manufacturing nations need more natural resources and markets.(thirst for new markets)

2. Choose two of the above five factors and describe them in your own words.
The military factor was for the us to build up its defense. to do this they needed more places around the world to station troops. by having Hawaii they were the center between the US, Austrialia, Canada, Russia, and China.
The Economic factors were the united states business men trying to expand their wealth, by doing so they took over countries and territories (hawaii)

3. What was known as “Seward’s Folly” and why?
When the secretary of state William Seward purchased Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million dollars the American people were not happy, they called it Sewards icebox or Sewards folly.


4. What plantation-based product accounted for three-quarters of Hawaii’s wealth in the mid-19th century and who controlled this product?
Sugar and Pinapples was the main wealth of Hawaii and in the 19th century American Business men were in control of it.

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?
The Us was intrested in these islands because they were the center mark between Canada, America, Russia, China, and Austraila. By having control of this they could watch British trades, they could also have a military base that could easily defend an opponet of the countries listed because the islands are so close. The first event that helped in the possesion of Hawaii was the Frederick Jackson Turners Frontier Thesis, it said that to be an american you have to find land, so when there was no ore land in america they need to branch out even more, the next in line was Hawaii. President McKinley took over Hawaii from Queen Liliuoalani, he took it over because business men had money over there, and the Hawaiian people arnt christian.