Log on to your Teacher Web Site Click here to access the SmartFindExpress Substitute Management System Portal Log In

Login to Your Email Account From Anywhere in the World!160 Fairforest Way Greenville, SC 29607 Phone: 864-355-6300

WebQuest

American Imperialism

Was America justified in its policy of overseas expansion?

 

Introduction:

Imperialism – the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories.

By 1850 the United states stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  For most Americans,  Manifest Destiny “to overspread the continent” had been fulfilled.  However, some expansionists wanted more.  They believed that the country should look beyond its coasts - particularly westward across the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. By the 1880’s, policy makers had become convinced that the United States should join the imperialists powers of Europe and establish colonies overseas. Imperialism was quickly becoming a global trend.

 

Major events:

        Revolt in Hawaii

        USS Maine explosion

        Spanish-American War

        Fighting in the Philippines

        Boxer Rebellion in China

        Construction of the Panama Canal

 

Questions to consider:

        Should America have gotten involved?

        Are our policies in the best interest of the U.S.?

        Are our policies in the best interest of the people we control?

       Did the government go to far?

 

The Task:

You are asked by Congress to sit on a task force to evaluate the actions, policies and directions of the United States in its overseas expansion.  The task force will collect evidence from all points of view and present their conclusion  to Congress.  Congress will then  be able to see the entire “picture” of  Imperialism in order to go forward with American policy.

The Process:

You will have approximately 5 members on each committee. 

1.     Getting an Overview:

Your committee will have to read Chapter 18 (p524 – 550) in your book.  Together you will answer the  following questions:

       American Imperialism

1.     What did Adm. Mahan recommend for becoming a world power?

2.     Why did the U.S. feel compelled to join the imperialism race?

       Hawaii

1.       What prompted American involvement in Hawaii?

2.       How did we manage to annex Hawaii?

       Cuba

1.     How did America get involved in Cuban affairs?

2.     What events fueled the U.S. conflict with Spain?

3.     What role did Yellow Journalism play in the conflict?

4.     What did America gain?

5.     What other areas were affected?

       Philippines

1.       How did America get involved in Philippine affairs?

2.       Why were the Filipinos disillusioned with American?

3.       What did America do to appease the Philippines?

       China

1.     How did US foreign policy affect action taken by the US toward China?

2.     What was the purpose of the Open Door notes?

       Panama Canal

1.     What motivated T. Roosevelt to build the Panama Canal?

2.     What problems were encountered?

3.     What was the Roosevelt Corollary?

2.   Internet Research:

       Each committee will have to research the issue from 5 different viewpoints. You will use the web sites listed below.

       Together you will decide if America was justified in its policy of overseas expansion .

       Each Committee will make a  presentation to Congress explaining your decision.  Congress will then vote according to the evidence presented.

Viewpoints: 

After you have learned the chronology of  imperialism events, you will make it your task to evaluate what the people of the United States and the people of the  other countries are saying and how they feel about our country’s actions. Each person needs to realize that their topic was a highly debated point of view.  You need to put yourself in the place of the people during this time period.  You are not doing the history of imperialism.  You are researching how it affected everyone involved.

       Those in favor of imperialism

       Those against imperialism

       Newspapers reporting the imperialism stories

       People directly involved

        Areas America controlled

Imperialists

Photos and Music from the War

http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_resources.html

Photos of the Spanish-American War

http://www.boondocksnet.com/stereo/bancroft_span_am.html

Speech in the Senate

http://www.pbs.org/greatspeeches/timeline/a_beveridge_s.html

Documents relating to American Foreign Policy

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/to1914.htm

Imperialism in the Making

http://www.boondocksnet.com/moa/index.html

Photo of the War in the Philippines

http://www.boondocksnet.com/neely/

Imperialism

http://www.acusd.edu/~vignoles/

Commodore Perry

http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/letter.html

Political Cartoons of Roosevelt

http://www.boondocksnet.com/gallery/tr_intro.html

Rudyard Kipling

http://www.boondocksnet.com/kipling/index.html

Expansion

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H/1990/ch6_p8.htm

John Hay

http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html

Pictures of the colonies

http://www.boondocksnet.com/stereo/colonies.html

Great American speeches

http://www.boondocksnet.com/neely/

President William McKinley

http://hkuhist2.hku.hk/firstyear/Owen/owenE01.htm

Rough Riders

http://tnt.turner.com/movies/tntoriginals/roughriders/home.html

 

Anti – Imperialists:

Anti – Imperialists

http://www.boondocksnet.com/ail98-35.html

Imperialism in the making

http://www.boondocksnet.com/moa/index.html

Great American speeches

http://www.boondocksnet.com/neely/

Documents relating to American Foreign Policy

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/to1914.htm

Essays , Speeches, and Pamphlets

http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai_essay.html

William Jennings Bryan

http://www.pbs.org/greatspeeches/timeline/william_bryan_s2.html

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/bryan.htm

Mark Twain

http://www.boondocksnet.com/twain/index.html

The Philippine War: Two ethical questions

http://www.boondocksnet.com/ailtexts/adler02.html

 

Newspaper Editors and Reports:

Journalism

http://spanam.simplenet.com/press.htm

Hearst

http://www.zpub.com/cpp/saw.html

Yellow Journalism

http://www.onlineconcepts.com/pulitzer/yellow.htm

http://www.onlineconcepts.com/pulitzer/yellow.htm

Yellow Press

http://wccusdgate.wccusd.k12.ca.us/elcerrito/history/span-amerwar.htm

Filipinos Look Back - 100 years later

http://www.bibingka.com/phg/misc/spirit96.htm

Cartoons associated with the Spanish-American War

http://www.history.ohio-state.edu/projects/mckinley/SpanAmWar.htm

Pulitzer

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/pulitzer.htm

Newspaper Articles

http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html

Hearst vs Pulitzer

http://tnt.turner.com/movies/tntoriginals/roughriders/jour.publishwar.html

 

People In Battle:

Action Reports and first hand accounts

http://spanam.simplenet.com/action.htm

Boxer Rebellion

http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html

Emilio Aguinaldo

http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/aguinaldo.html

General Weyler

http://www.garfield.k12.ut.us/PHS/History/US/1890/war/butcher.html

http://www.uidaho.edu/~melle922/reconcentrado.htm

A Letter for the Emperor

http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/toc.html

Rough Riders

http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/roosevelt/roosevelt.html

http://tnt.turner.com/movies/tntoriginals/roughriders/home.html

Photos form the Philippines

http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/philinsurge.html

A Black Sargent Remembers the Battle of San Juan Hill

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/text/1949d-pullen.html

Commander of the Battleship Iowa

http://www.history.ohio-state.edu/projects/mckinley/Battle_Santiago_Bay.htm

American Soldiers Write Home

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/text/1951a-letters.html

Queen Liliuokalani

http://www.indwes.edu/Faculty/bcupp/hawaii/Lilikuolaini.htm

 

3.   Visual Evidence:

Your Committee will create one of the following to illustrate your conclusion.

       a timeline of major events during America’s age of imperialism

       an original political cartoon

Evaluation:

Each committee will be responsible for presenting their findings to Congress. This will be done orally.  It must be persuasive, based on your research, and thorough. All committee members must participate in the presentation. You will use your visual as part of your presentation. 

       Each individual is responsible for working effectively with the group

Conclusion:  Persuasive Essay

Each of you will write a persuasive essay ( 5 paragraphs) expressing your own opinion about American overseas expansion. 



Copyright © 2009.  All rights reserved
JL Mann High School

Contact us
Questions or comments about our web -
Email the Webmaster

Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Code of Conduct