Skip to main content

44. Seeking Empire

Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines and Panama: how the United States acquired territory, and the doctrines written to justify it.

44. Seeking Empire

Small PlanetPro-war, yellow journalist newspapers such as "The World" incited passion in the U.S. Since the early days of Jamestown colony, Americans were cons…

44a. Early Stirrings

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Capture of Fort San Antonio de Abad, Malate, Philippines, 13 August 1898. First U.S. flag is hoisted over the fort, whi…

44b. Hawaiian Annexation

Judiciary History CenterAli'iolani Hale, completed in 1874, was the home of the Hawaiian Legislature in the days before annexation. By the time the United Stat…

44c. "Remember the Maine!"

National ArchivesU.S.S. Maine entering Havana harbor January 25, 1898, about 3 weeks before the explosion and sinking. There was more than one way to acquire m…

44d. The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences

Americans aboard the Olympia prepare to fire on Spanish ships during the Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898. The United States was simply unprepared for war. Wh…

44e. The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America

Lyall Squire CollectionOh! Don't shoot, Mr. President/We're the Cracker Jack Bears/Yes, we met you at the White House in Washington/Don't you remember?/ Oh Mr…

44f. Reaching to Asia

Marine and sailors with Colt machine gun, Boxer Rebellion, 1900 The United States could not ignore the largest continent on earth forever. Since Commodore Matt…

44g. The Panama Canal

A view of the Panama Canal in profile, showing the placement of the locks. A canal was inevitable. A trip by boat from New York to San Francisco forced a luckl…