William McKinley

U. S. Possessions

Samoa in 1896

Samoa in 2000

USS Maine in Havana

McKinley

• Republican convention in St. Louis June 16, 1896, nominated W. McKinley and W. Hobart - 1
• Democratic convention in Chicago July 7-9 nominated William Jennings Bryan and Arthur Sewall
  
• Bryan Silver Crusade, fusion with Populists - 1
• Mark Hanna managed McKinley's "front porch" campaign, stay at home, say nothing, avoid all issues - 1
  
• McKinley won close election, 21 to 26 states (176 - 271 electoral votes), 47% vs. 51% (6.4m vs. 7.1m popular vote)
  
• Republican administration was conservative; pro-gold standard, pro-tariff, pro-business, pro-imperialism
  
• John Sherman (Mar. 6, 1897-Apr. 27, 1898), William R. Day (Apr. 28-Sep. 16, 1898), John Hay (1898-1905)

Hawaii

• history of American influence since 1820
• June 16, 1897 - Hawaii annexation treaty submitted
• sought by Sanford Dole since 1893 revolution - 1
• McKinley declared protectorate - against Japan
• July 6, 1898 - treaty passed for annexation
• included Johnston atoll 700 mi. southwest claimed by Hawaii since 1858 - 1
• landowning map 1 and 2 and 3

Midway

• Midway discovered by Capt. Nicholas Brooks on the Honolulu brig Gambiain 1859 and 3 atolls claimed as Middlebrook islands for the United States
• Pacific Mail Steamship Company requested an official survey
• Capt. William Reynolds of USS Lackawana took official possession of Brooks Island in 1867
• USS Saginaw failed to dredge a ship channel 1870
• TR would designate Midway as a naval base in 1903

Samoa

• Strategic pacific island with good harbors for naval bases 3000 miles south of Hawaii, halfway to Australia
• 1884 German protectorate but 1888 native revolt
• American property shelled by German ships, caused wave of anti-German feeling in U.S. and jingoism
• 1889 Congress voted funds to defend Samoa from Germans
• Apia harbor hurricane Mar. 16, 1889, sank 6 ships, prevented war
• 1889 treaty created "condominium" shared by U.S., Ger., Brit.
• 1899 civil war between native factions resulted in formal partition
• American Samoa included Tutuila and 6 islands - map
• but not independent Western Samoa - map

Cuba

• history of instability - 8 revolts 1823-53
• Maximo Gomez revolt 1868-78 - Ham. Fish, Virginius
• Jose Marti raids from U.S. - Carlos Aguero 1884
• U.S. investments grew - $79m trade annually
• $33m in land - Olney's friend Edwin F. Atkins
• 1894 tariff ended duty-free sugar since 1890
• new revolt began Feb. 24, 1895 - "Cuba Libre"
• "juntas" in U.S. - "Cuban Legation" at Raleigh Hotel
• Cuban Leagues raised $1m - Cigar Makers Union
• Spanish Allianza fired on U.S. ship March 8
• Spanish Restoration
• Cleveland's reluctance
• Republican eagerness
• Yellow Press
• McKinley's appeasement
• USS Maine sunk
• Splendid Little War
• Recent Interpretations
• TR

Philippines

• Feb. 4 - Insurrection until July 4, 1902
• cost of $400m., 4200 U.S., 220,000 filipino dead
  
• Feb. 17 - Anti-Imperialist League from 30 states
  
• George F. Hoare, Eugene Hale, Mark Twain
  
• Films seen in nickelodeon and vaudeville theaters

Resources:

• Republican Imperialism
• Imperialism links and maps
• Spanish-American War pictures
• Spanish-American War Films from American Memory at Library of Congress - 1 2
• Immigration history
• Map of Empire