Professor edwards all right. Today we are talking about u. S. Empire abroad. And im going to start with the question like always. So lets start with a question. So the question for today is why did the u. S. Become a global empire . Why did the u. S. Become a global empire . Why did the u. S. Become a global empire . Ok. Why did the u. S. Become a global empire . Ok. Before we get too far. Im going to start with the first slide here. This is a political cartoon from a magazine in 1899. It says school begins. Uncle sam to his new class in civilization. Now, children, youve got to learn these lessons whether you want to or not. But just take a look at the class ahead of you, and remember that in a little while, you will feel as glad to be here as they are. All right. So it might be hard for you to see. But the students are labeled, cuba, puerto rico, hawaii and the philippines. And these are supposed to be students that are named for the states that were already part of the United States. And if you will in the back this is supposed to be an africanamerican cleaning the windows, an indigenous student and this is supposed to be a Chinese Student that are excluded entirely. This is whats summing up the tuff were going to talk about in this class some of background. Lets do the definition of colonialism. So mason, can you remind us the definition of colonialism that were using in the class. Colonialism is when a power exploits the lesser power and uses the lesser powers resources to strengthen and enrich the greater power. Professor edwards we all remember, right . And this is a class about empire. So nations that engage in colonialism are empires. Thats what were talking about today. Then you know last class we talk about progressivism, right . We talked about progressivism as a movement to solve problems. What im talking about today is happening simultaneous to them. Ok . Simultaneous. So this is part of that Progressive Movement we were talking about, and youll see some of the same people we talked about the last class some of these are president s were going to mention in this class. And i listed them here to have for easy reference. Remember Teddy Roosevelt, one of the progressive president s we spoke about in the last class. By the end of the 18th century, this is a period of significant em pirle competition. Empires competing with each other to gain power, to gain more colonies and then gave their resources and wealth that came from that. All right . So an era of competing empires. Empires are competing for power, more colonies and access from the resources and wealth that come from that. All right. During most of that period, the United States was not a nation that had external colonies, right . However had the United States been engaged in colonialism all that time . Right. So american colonialism had been focusing on indigenous people, and of course, we want to go back to the aging 40s focusing on mexico, etc. Ok. So americans are colonizing but theyre doing it on the north american continent. By the 1890s, this is a significant decade for what were talking about today. By the 1880s, the growth of industrial capitalism had caused lots of problems. You remember progressives are trying to solve those problems and we went through a whole list of them in the last class. You remember that. Theres a whole lot of other lists of class that americans are living in a divided society. Theyre divided still with sectional differences. There is political divide. There are class divides. There are racial and ethnic divides. Its a highly divided society. And you know, those divides are ausing problems. Ill get back to that in a second. Also by the time were into 1890, one famous historian proclaimed that the american frontier was closed. What he was referring to was indigenous land was for the most part by that time colonized. Do you remember when we talked about the dolls act, allotment, boarding school, tc. . Theres not a lot of indigenous land left to colonists. Will americans stop colonizing or will that colonize somewhere else . Thats what were talk about today. By the 1890s, the production is greater than american consumption. American production is greater than consumption. So this means americans have surplus goods. And that will in part contribute to the panic of 1893. Do you remember panic or economic depression . Right, this is the second big one i talked about this semester. Its about 20 years since the last one we talked about. This is happening fairly frequently. Up to this time, this is the biggest economic depression in u. S. History. So it was terrible, ok . This is a really severe, last four years, severe economic depression. Ok. Evere economic depression. Thats a big problem, right . I think ive told you in the past that its not uncommon in American History that in the wake of panics, americans often look to colonialism as a way to open up new resources to stimulate the economy. Should we expect similar responses here . Yes. Ok. One of the things do you remember there was a class where we talked about what worked and who was doing it were changing . This is particularly true for middle and upper class people especially men. So increasingly american men are doing office jobs, which doesnt sound all that bad. Many of you dream of having an office job. But for many people, masculinity has long been built in the United States on physical attributes and on kill in war. And the last major war that americans had engaged in was the civil war which was decades past by now. So this is not an overwhelmingly large group, but its full of elite who are very loud, all right . So one example is Teddy Roosevelt who talked about this at length. One example, i put this quote already for you. He said in a publication in 1897, there are true influences that work to shake the vitality, courage and manliness of the race. If we lose our manly qualities and sink into a nation mere hucksters putting gain above National Honor and subordinating everything to the mere ease of life, then we shall indeed reach a condition worse than the indigent civilization in the years of their decay. In many ways, he will advocate publicly that war is a way to restore the supposed valued characteristics of american men nd to preserve the nation of the future. Hes going to be one of the people that would advocate that war is good for those who are in military service. Hese are some problems going on by the 1890s. All right. So whats the solution to them . Katie, can you read us a paragraph from page 29 in our robertson reading. Americans drew a line and dared them to cross it. They separated themselves from danger. They gathered their friends behind the line by definition. Those on the other side of the frontier were enemies. They expected response to the drawing of a line was a violent effort to cross it. And the line was a dare, a challenge which had to be ccepted. The accepted response to the violation of the frontier line the american was not fighting merely for a boundary or for a piece of territory but for a primary distinction between american between americans and others. But what was at snake the drawing of the lines in the establishment of frontiers was identity, personal communal and national. Inside that americans belong. Inside the line was the community of the american nation. Professor edwards ah, you dont know how much i love the section of robertson. Robertson talked about drawing lines. And in drawing lines, americans reinforce their identity because they are behind the lines and the enemies of frontiers on the other side. We just said the frontier is closed, right . So where will these lines be drawn to bring people together . So there are some people who think that the biggest problem facing americans in this period is a unified National Identity. And some will argue that the way to bring americans in a unified National Identity is war with someone else. And in this period of empirical competition, wars were often in the effort to expand colonies, and thats what americans are going to do. Ok, so war for colonial expansion will unite americans together in their effort to build that empire, but as you know, they had the cascading series of problems that come with it. Thats what were going to talk about today. Two other things that i want to point out this idea that colonialism can be a solution to problems if some. Where will this colonial effort look to . Its going to be in places that are tied to the United States by sugar. Ive put this slide on canvas. So the United States and sugar were intimately tied in this period. By 1900, u. S. Annual consumption was 2. 66 million tons. Five times the amount used in 18 of 6. Raw sugar was 12 of all u. S. Imports, the single largest import in tust economy. 12 isnt an overwhelming number, right . So sugar is par of the overall american economy. But as a single unit, its the biggest. 19 of sugar was supplied by u. S. Producers. Most of the sugars that americans are consuming are not made by americans. Where is it coming from . Its coming from sugar islands. And in this order, the sugar islands where americans got most of their sugar in this period, ok . In this order. These are the primary suppliers, cuba in particular supplied half of all u. S. Sugar at this time. In these islands their economies are dominated by sugar exports and those islands boomed and busted depending on frequently changing tariffs. If they were lowered they could sell a bunch of sugar in the United States. But if the tariffs were high they had trouble. And that was bad for the economy. Im going to come back to this in a couple of minutes. They plunged the island into depression and often caused political unrest within it. Im going to give you some examples of this in a second. Ok. So sugar is going to be the big sort of unifying commodity thats going to tie this colonial era together. Second beginning in the 1880s, congress started allocating money to rebuild the u. S. Navy. This is going to be critical. You cannot have an empire in this period in World History and not have a powerful navy. So you could argue that americans started laying the groundwork, congress started laying the groundwork in the 1880s when they started to rebuild their navy. Its going to be critical success. No powerful navy, no empire. How is colonialism justified . Ith the not with that. The civilization mission, ok . Justified with a civilizing mission. So the people that are colonized are supposedly what . Lesser. Professor edwards somehow lower in the hierarchy. And as you know layered over that in this period is the racial hierarchy, and then also some people were supposably less fit to survive based on at the end of the robertson reading. Social darwinism. Social darwinism. Youre going to see all of those same justifications used here. Ok. So heres my first example of this colonial period. Were going to start with hawaii. If you havent seen a map lately, its still in the same spot. Its about halfway between the Pacific Coast of north america and the Pacific Coast of asia. Hawaii. Native hawaiians were excellent farmers. Native hawaiians were excellent farmers. They were highly productive farmers. So when colonizers arrive in hawaii starting in the 1770s. When they arrived in hawaii in the 1770s, theyre going to find very productive farmland being farmed by the native hawaiians who live there. However, this slide is also on canvas. Im going to go through the list, and ill explain them as i go. Another thing that happens is when colonizers get there theyre visiting hawaii on larger trade routes. So you see people predominantly americans coming from the acific northwest where theyre engaging in fur and hid etrade traveling to china. And as they stop along that trade route, they often would stop in hawaii. Theres a place where they could get food. A place where they can resupply their ship. Its a long journey. Its a rest along the way. By the time were into the early 1800s, hawaii is a stop in trade networks. Hawaii was also an island rich in sandalwood which is is valuable. You have fur traders that would be bringing furs and hides and they would also pick up sandalwood and travel the rest of the way to china. Also into the late 1800s, a super lucrative industry was the whaling industry. Hawaii was one of the place where is they would stop an resupply their ships, rest, etc. So its a big stop in whaling trade at the time. All right. By the time were into the 1820s, this is when you see the arrival of u. S. Missionaries. So u. S. Missionaries are spreading across both america, north america and other parts f the world at the time. Amend missionaries are coming to do this and missionaries are coming to do this work. Theyre bringing the missions to place they visit. And they intended to stay. They were coming to do this work longterm. And with them will come other settlers, mostly americans. And theyre arriving because hey know this is super productive agriculture and. Theyre arriving because this is super productive agricultural land. This is a story we could tell. Were telling it about hawaii. But we could tell the same story about kansas. You see missionaries arriving. Then you seeing agriculturalist arriving. And this is an example of settler colonialism. What do they need them to do . Go away so the settlers can possess their territory. Native hawaiians were aware that this was probably happening and was going on Pacific Islands all across the region. And they were wellstudied in the systems of colonialism practiced by the british, the americans and the french at the time. In the 1840s and the 1850s, they are fearing invasion. Other Pacific Islands are being invade and colonized. They were trying to figure out ways they could protect themselves. One of things they were pressured to do was to divide up hawaii into individually owned pieces of land. Because, of course, outsiders would feel hat they could buy land. The reason why the native awaiians will have landownership is that they knew in systems of colonialism, sually if they had a system of private property before the colonialization they would retain that property after colonization. So they dont a system of private property. Will foreigners be able to buy land . Yes, but will native hawaiian also be able to own land if they preserve it longterm if theyre ever permanent invaded . Yes. And this is what they do. They implement systems of Government Land reform. That do this to protect themselves longterm in terms of landownership. Ok. So then what happens . U. S. Civil war. During the u. S. Civil war there is increased sugar production. You see sugar production in the United States disrupted. Americans in hawaii start producing more sugar because theres this market that open ups during the civil war. So american plantation owners hat have moved to hawaii to do this work. This is when the hawaiian economy will become increasingly dominated by sugar. The problem is selling hawaii sugar in the United States involved having to pay tariffs. And having to pay tariffs cut into the profit that american plantation owners can make. So in 1875, theres a u. S. Commercial treaty between hawaii and the United States so that hawaiian sugar can come into the United States without tariffs. This is a big boost to profit. All right. This is a big boost to profit and as a result they expand production. Because they expand production so significantly, in the next decade, they will recruit almost 60,000 japanese and chinese to work on sugar plantations. And it is then that hawaiians become outnumbered in their homeland. Ok. So theyre now outnumbered by foreigners in hawaii. About a decade later when this treaty is renewed, the u. S. Requires a naval base in hawaii, pearl harbor in honolulu. This coincides when the United States is rebuilding the navy. They have access to ports in foreign places. And hawaii will be one of them. All right. A couple of things happen in the 1890s. In 1890 congress increased tariffs on hawaiian sugar. And so what you see happening is a major disruption to their economy, 1890 to 1893, americans with u. S. Military support from pearl harbor overthrew the native hawaiian leader at the time. And the president at the time, president harrison supported adding hawaii as territory in the United States. However, congress doesnt get it done before he leaves office. The next president opposes it. And hawaiians locally opposed it. However, they opposed it peacefully. They knew if they promoted violence, if an american nvasion took place, they would then be deemed enemies and they wouldnt be allowed to keep their property. Not only would people die but their access to property would be under mined. That do not violently resist. And the u. S. Will expand hawaii. Annex is almost always the word that you hear people use how hawaii became par of the United States. Annexed means acquired without war. Annexed generally means acquired without war. Would native hawaiians agree that this was a peaceful transition . No. They would certainly view it as hostile and aggressive. So annex is a word that comes from the colonizers point of view. Not the colonized pointed of view. So hawaii. Hawaii went from being a trade colon ni to a settler colony. And that settler colony would be part of the settlers empire, the United States. Thats it worked in kansas. Thats how it worked in hawaii. Same process. K. Whats going on in 1898 that makes hawaii part of the United States officially . All right. Whats going on there this is the slide i showed you. Remember the sugar slide i showed you . Heightened tariffs in the u. S. Plunged an island into depression and often caused political unrest. In hawaii, the political unrest was among american plantation owners. Sometimes the political unrest will be from a different population. And thats what well see in cuba if you havent looked at the map lately, heres cuba. Heres florida. Heres cuba. Cuba had been part of the spanish empire basically since columbus had arrived. Weve talked about cuba is predominantly in sugar, also in obacco production. It is a huge sugar producer at the time. However, sugar prices in the world are declining in the late 1800s. So that is bad for cubans, ok . Sugar prices are declining by the late 1800s. And everything gets worse in 1894 when the United States raises tariffs on cuban sugar. In 18494, the United StatesCongress Raises tariffs on cuban sugar. So that means theyll be able to sell less sugar in the United States. Is everybody with me here . Yes, remember back, etc. . Good . Ok. 1894, tariffs raises prices on cuban sugar. And the response was, cuban resistance to spanish colonization, that started in 1895. Cuban people have been trying to declare themselves independent from the spanish at this point for decades. There have been efforts for cuban independence from their colonizer, in 1895, the Economic Situation is pretty desperate. Therefore the spanish use brutal tactics. So the spanish use concentration camps for cuban resistors. What usually happens to people in concentration camps . Yes, they die. Some say hundreds of thousands of cubans died in this camp. Ts very deadly. This is also widely reported in u. S. Newspapers at the time. So americans were well aware of. This and americans actually identified with this because to Many Americans this sounded like u. S. Independence. Americans rising up the british to declare their independence. So for a lot of americans this was a sympathetic cause. And its brutalities made it more sympathetic. At the same time there are u. S. Sugar companies that are invested in sugar production in cuba. Its not that just americans consume sugar, its that u. S. Companies are producing sugars. U. S. Companies are producing sugar in cuba as well. Ok . So far with me . Ok. So then 1898. We have a series of events. In january ok, who is the president in 1898 . William mckinley. Right, William Mckinley . 19 in january 1998, he ends the u. S. S. Main to park in havana in cuba. He claims the purpose is to protect u. S. Investment. So a u. S. Naval shape was parked in the havana harbor in january 1998 to protect u. S. Investments. People claim that secretly mckinley hoped he could just keep the spanish from getting into cuba and it might allow the cuban freedom effort to actually be successful but they might be able to independently efeat the spanish on their own. But bad news, in february, the u. S. S. Main blows up. I hate it when this happens. So over 200 americans die when the ship blows up. Its very deadly. Its very unexpected and awful. All right, so who did it . Who did it . Ok. Many american newspapers say it must be the spanish. Have you ever gotten really excited right after an economic depression when no one was buying your newspapers to suddenly have breaking news where people will definitely buy your newspapers . It sounds like it might be the spanish. Today what we call that we would call that fake news. In this era, they called it yellow journalism. It had to be the spanish. Who else was it . We knew it was a boiler fire in the u. S. S. Main. No one did it. But as a result of that and the inflammatory journalism about spain at the time, there were many calls in the United States that americans have to retaliate and help defend the cubans from that empire. So thats why in april Congress Declares war. In april 1898 Congress Declares war against the spanish. O lets remember war is always expensive and has unintended consequences. Here we go. So in april, Congress Declares war, as you know the u. S. Has a pretty powerful navy by this time and its a good thing, they wouldnt have won the war without it. However, the u. S. Army is not nearly as well prepared. It has not been reformed in the way the navy has. So the u. S. Army you may also know was segregated in this period. So you will have famous people in service like Teddy Roosevelt. Remember the video we saw, where he was riding on horseback and you were led to believe it was filmed during the spanish war. Technology didnt allow it to be filmed without the photograph being shot the photog shot. All of the film you see of the spanishamerican war are reenact instead happened in new jersey after the war was over. Soldiersanamerican are in segregated units. The most important victories in the spanishamerican war over to the credit of segregated units and usually had to do the most difficult fighting, and had to do it first. Groups like Teddy Roosevelts rough riders who would get famous and eventually act get him the presidency of the ones who get the fame and glory. Keep this in our minds as we talk about military over the next few weeks. Remember i said something happens in july. By the summer of 1898, the United States is at war with the spanish empire. In multiple colonies around the world, including the philippines. If you are going from the west coast of the United States to get to the philippines, somewhere you could stop on the way is hawaii. That is why in july, you see congress and the president being motivated to officially make hawaii part of the United States. Hawaiis official incorporation into United States is also in the context of this war. This war, by the ray by the way is called the spanish american war. That summer, most of the fighting has ended. There isr to december, negotiations between the spanish and the americans to end the conflict. The end of the conflict is known as the treaty of paris. It is completed in december of 1898, in the senate will approve it in february of 1899. The treaty of paris ends the war between the spanish and the United States. Americans joined this war to protect investments in cuba, and to help humans achieve independence. Protects did it to sugar investments and help cuba become independent. Are you with me . Ok. In december, with the agreement of the treaty of paris was made public, what we find out is that the United States also agreed to pay 20 million to get the rico, ands, puerto warm guam. 20 million to get the philippines, puerto rico, and guam. As colonies of the United States. It is a war for freedom is it a war for freedom or for an empire . Hold on. You may need to put an asterisk next to cuba. At the time, some americans called this war the splendid little war. It is short. Americans did win. Thousands died. Spanishamerican war, most had only heard about 400 american deaths were combat deaths. Almost 4000 americans died mostly from disease. Africanamerican deaths were at higher rates than their white counterparts. Many cubans in spanish, it is many cubans and spanish died. I forgot, this is a great picture. In other purpose of the war, remember colonialism yucca one of the goals of having a colonial empire was to unite people at home. One of the official propaganda pieces the government released was a picture of a union and a confederate veteran from the civil war, both were serving in the spanishamerican war, they were supposed to be symbolically shown here liberating this blonde girl, who is supposed to represent cuba, and these two veterans of the civil war are breaking her bonds of slavery. For Many Americans, the spanishamerican war was also about bringing americans together to liberate a supposedly oppressed people. While americans are at war with spain and cuba, they also send the u. S. Navy to the philippines paired the philippines had also been a spanish colony for some time. The philippines, also a sugar theucing colony, people in philippines had also been trying to resist and overthrow their spanish colonizers for decades. You see similar things going on in the philippines that you see going on in cuba. Arrive, as part of the war, they appear to be allies. They appear to be allies of philippine independence. When americans arrived during the spanishamerican war, they appear to be allies. Are they helping the philippines like they are helping cuba . That is what the local people thought. They thought that until they found out about the treaty of paris. Philippines has now become a colony of the United States. 1902,is why from 1899 to the philippine resistance now transitions to fighting the americans. Here you have what we call guerrilla warfare on the part of the philippine resistance. They are a smaller force. And they, in many ways, fight the u. S. In ways that we are also going to study when we study the vietnam war. A lot about the philippine war is similar to the vietnam war decades later. The rebel warfare. I wrote here, not splendid. That is going to be an understatement. Cuba went on for a series of months. The war in the philippines goes on for years and it is very difficult to defeat the philippine resistance. Therefore, americans will use tactics that are a problem. Philippine war americans you something they use they know they called at the water cure. Today you would call it waterboarding. It was also difficult to tell who the enemy was because they did not march around in nice lines and uniforms. People that lived in a local village could be the people you are fighting yesterday, or the people you are going to be fighting tomorrow. Usingou see is americans scorched earth tactics to burn down whole villages. Out potential enemies. Again, there is a lot of overlap. Another thing that goes on as many of the soldiers fighting in the philippines signed up in the context of cuba. Many of the soldiers in the philippines are writing home to their families saying i do not understand what i am doing here. I thought i was trying to help people like the cubans. The philippines seems to be eight the same situation. People from kansas in particular are writing about how americans are reversing history and turning himself into the British Empire by suppressing freedom movements that seemed a lot like of the American Freedom movement. This is difficult and deadly for them. They have finally ended the philippine rebellion ended will go on for decades after that. Let me give you some numbers. In this war, over 4000 americans died. 200,000imates have over philippine people dying, mostly civilians because of the trying to find after the enemies are. E estimates up to 200,000 200,000. After this war ends, the civilizing mission will start. That is when american teach english and American Values in the philippines for the problem with this commit if americans will publicly say at the time what soldiers in the philippines said, can you have a republican democracy that is also an empire . Time, i put this Theodore Roosevelt said in a offerent, the philippines problems for their population includes christians, muslims and pagans. Many of their people are unfit for selfgovernment and show no signs of becoming fit. Others can be, but they can only take part in selfgovernment under wide supervision. We have driven spanish tyranny from the island. If we let it be replaced by savage anarchy, our work has been for harm and not for good. We have to say because the people we are colonizing are too stupid to do it themselves. Right . That is the argument. The philippines are not symbolized civilized enough. The is also a big part of 1900 president ial election. William jennings bryan, who had been the populist democrat president ial candidate and talked a lot about imperialism in that election, loses. Mckinley is reelected. After the election, William Jennings bryan said imperialism was the policy of an empire. An empire is the nation composed of different races living under varying forms of government. A republic cannot be an empire because a republic consent of the government consent of the governed. Danger tot, without us, share in the government of our nation. Moreover, we cannot afford to add another race. Neither can we hold the philippine people up as subjects. Our experiment in colonialism is unfortunate. Instead of profit is about law. Instead of strength it is about weakness. Instead of glory, it has brought humiliation. Americans do not vote for him, they vote for mckinley. The colonies in the empire remains. Can you have a republican democracy and have colonies . The constitution does not include a description of how you treat people in foreign colonies. In a series of Supreme Court cases, and solar cases from 1905, the Supreme Court laid forth the status of People Living in these new colonies. Basically what those court cases said is you could either live in an incorporated, or unincorporated territory. In an unincorporated territory, you are not a citizen of the United States. Insular cases from 1901 to 1905, they determined there were two kind of places, inc. And unincorporated. An unincorporated territory, youre considered not a citizen of the constitution does not apply to. To eache what happens of these colonies longterm. I also put this slide on candace. Longterm results for the colonies. Hawaii, as you know hawaii has a large missionary population. We already talked about that. The best example of settler colonialism. Just like kansas. Did kansas become a state . Yes. Americans living there wanted rights. Hawaii is a territory, and a state by 1959. Hawaii, all of the list we have today, was the only one that was considered an incorporated territory. In 1900. Incorporated that is suleiman on the list we have today that becomes a state. That is the only one on the list we have today that becomes a state. Americans consumed a lot of sugar and there was a lot of u. S. Investment. Americans had consumed philippine sugar, but there was almost no americans, and almost no American Investment in the philippines by the time the United States acquired appeared in the treaty of paris negotiations, diplomats felt like they had the option to get the philippines. The philippines have 7 Million People in it at the time. Thousands of islands spread over 1000 miles. It is a large colony. It was a colony that was highly desired by other powers. Americans felt like we got it, so we should keep it, especially to keep it from other empires. Two empires at the time who were interested in the colony were germany and japan. Philippines after world war ii will gain independence from the United States, thats 1946. Twobly, 1946 is when these empires are no longer a threat. In world war ii, the philippines suffered lots of invasion by the japanese and brutal violence. This freedom comes at a moment after a lot of suffering. While americans are at war in the philippines, which goes on for years, it is not just what to do with cuba. Cuba makes more sense than the philippines does as a u. S. Colony. The military does not evacuate cuba after the spanishamerican war until they agreed to add the platt amendment to their constitution. The platt amendment is approved by congress and added to the cuban constitution. The amendment says that the United States can intervene in cuban affairs, especially politics and elections. The u. S. Can intervene in cuban affairs, especially politics and elections. The u. S. Can have Permanent Military bases in cuba. Is most famous of which guantanamo bay. Do americans retain that . Yes they do. Can interferetes in politics, they have a military base, cuba can make no other similar treaties or negotiations like this with another foreign power. The u. S. Can interfere in politics, the u. S. Can have a military base, and cuba cant make this arrangement with any other nation. So, is cuba independent . What would the cubans say . No. Is it a colony . Is it an unofficial colony . At the time, americans called it a protectorate. Youre splitting hairs when youre coming up with new names for colonialism. It was functioning like a colony, we will talk about this. And then puerto rico. Something about puerto rico, the worlds Oldest Colony because it has been controlled by more culinarys colonizers since columbus arrived. It is still part of the United States to the present. Others, guam, samoa, were also considered unincorporated and they were primarily there for naval bases. The deepwater ports they have now because the u. S. Wants big colonies like hawaii at the philippines in the Pacific Region to go through there. So. Let me answer the question from the beginning. Kind of a log answer, so write it down. Is, why did the u. S. Become a global empire . First, the u. S. Has always been an empire the u. S. Is an experience i an experience colonizer. Experienced colonizer. The difference here is these colonies are off the north american continent. The u. S. Has always been a colonial empire. These colonies are off the north american continent. Just like in the past, americans colonized to solve problems. They thought colonization would create unity. They thought it would improve u. S. International prominence. They thought it would improve International Prominence by making it now one of these competing empires. It created Economic Opportunities for some, especially people in sugar. It created Economic Opportunities for some. It was justified in the same way it has been decades prior. Back to this question. Is a republican democracy compatible with empires . Theoretically no, but ctically contradiction. This is a contradiction. Having an empire being a republic democracy. Contradiction is an unintended consequence of this empire. Thank you. Read about puerto ricos feet. You will learn a lot more about puerto rico and how this experience goes through them next week. That is what your quiz will be about. Announcer this is American History tv. Styleng history, cspan withlectures, interviews authors, historians and teachers. 48 hours, all weekend every weekend, only on cspan3. Announcer our cspan cities tour takes American History tv on the road to feature the history of cities across america. Here is a recent program. In the wake of the city of detroit it is not just a link of two cities commit is a link of two nations. American candidate are the two biggest trade partners. Behind me under the detroit river, connects at all, worth 16 billion in trade a year for