Foreign Policy

							Becoming A World
     Power
Foreign Policy from the Civil War to
     the end of the19th Century
             Seward’s Folly
• Purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million
  in 1867
  – Also called Seward’s Icebox—people fail to see
    it’s value
  – Resolves dispute between Russia and Britain
• Seward had also previously prevented a
  French takeover by Napoleon III of Mexico
  during the Civil War
       The “New Imperialism”
• By late 19th century, US needs
  – worldwide markets for industrial and
    agricultural surpluses
  – New sources of raw materials for manufacturing
• Conservatives saw new expansion as a safety
  valve to relieve labor tensions, violence, and
  unrest of farmers
      International Darwinism
• US had to demonstrate its strength by
  acquiring overseas territories
  – Expansion of the idea of manifest destiny
• Competition included Britain, France,
  Germany, Russia, Japan

Who advocated expansion?
  Advocates of New Imperialism
• Missionaries                      • Naval Power
   – Led by Rev. Josiah Strong—        – Alfred Thayer Mahan—The
     Protestant Americans are the        Influence of Sea Power
     “fittest”                           Upon History (1890)
   – Christian duty to spread          – Congress finances
     Western Civilization                construction of a steel navy,
   – Racial superiority of whites        acquire new Pacific
                                         territories as coaling and
                                         supply stations
• Popular Press                        – US has world’s 3rd largest
   – Circulation increased with          navy by 1900
     adventure stories about
     exotic places                  • Politicians
   – Stimulated demands for            – Republicans allied with
     larger US role in the world         business leaders
                                       – Henry Cabot Lodge, Teddy
                                         Roosevelt
 First Involvement in Latin America
• James G. Blaine, Sec of State under Benjamin
  Harrison, wanted closer ties with Southern
  neighbors
   – Idea dating back to Monroe Doctrine of 1820s
• First Pan-American Conference in 1889
   – Wanted lower tariff rates, failed
   – But, foundation for hemispheric cooperation
     established
   – Becomes Organization of American States in 1948
   Britain and the US Make Nice
• Monroe Doctrine put to the        • Win-Win for the US
  test in Venezuela and             • Britain agrees, citing the
  British colony of Guiana in         fact that long-term
  1895-96                             relations with US more
• President Cleveland, Sec. of        important
  State Richard Olney want to          – Arbitrators rule mostly in
  arbitrate the matter                   their favor anyway
   – Brits say that its not the     • Latin American nations
     business of the US               appreciate US protection
   – US said military force would     from European domination
     be used if necessary
                                    • US-British alliance key to
                                      the coming century