Seward and Sea Power Guided Notes Seward & Sea Power
Guided Notes & Analysis
Name: ____________________________________
Date: _________________ Period: _________
The Big Idea: Imperialism
Imperialism is when a strong country takes over a ____________ country for power, money, or land.
M ______
Resources / Trade
P ______
Military / Navy
B ______
Culture / Religion
The Navy Man: Alfred T. Mahan
Mahan wrote a book that changed everything. He argued that the US needed a strong N______ to be a world power.
"Whoever rules the waves, rules the world."
To have a great Navy, Mahan said the US needed:
Modern, steel ____________________.
Naval bases in the ________________ Ocean.
A canal through ________________ America.
Seward's Folly: The Purchase of Alaska
In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.
Why was it called a "Folly"?
"It's just a giant ice box! A waste of money! Who wants a frozen wasteland?" - Newspaper Critic
Why was it actually a great deal?
Alaska had massive amounts of:
Gold Oil Timber
Quick Analysis: If you were alive in 1867, would you have supported the purchase? Why or why not?
Seward and Sea Power Slides Seward &
Sea Power
The Start of American Imperialism
What is Imperialism?
A strong nation taking control of a weaker nation.
Money
Resources and trade partners.
Power
Military bases and global respect.
Belief
Spreading culture or religion.
Alfred T. Mahan
An admiral who argued that the secret to being a World Power was a strong Navy.
"The Influence of Sea Power Upon History"
1
Build modern steel ships.
2
Acquire naval bases abroad.
3
Dig a canal in Central America.
Seward's Folly
The Critics Said:
"Alaska is a frozen ice box. A waste of $7.2 million dollars!"
The Reality:
Gold, Oil, and Land!
The best deal in history.
🏔️
Alaska (1867)
Bought from Russia
$7.2 MILLION
Seward and Sea Power Guided Notes Seward & Sea Power
Guided Notes & Analysis
NAME:
DATE:
PERIOD:
The Big Idea: Imperialism
Imperialism is when a strong country takes over a ____________ country for power, money, or land.
M ______
Resources / Trade
P ______
Military / Navy
B ______
Culture / Religion
The Navy Man: Alfred T. Mahan
Mahan wrote a book that changed everything. He argued that the US needed a strong N______ to be a world power.
"Whoever rules the waves, rules the world."
To have a great Navy, Mahan said the US needed:
Modern, steel ____________________.
Naval bases in the ________________ Ocean.
A canal through ________________ America.
Seward's Folly: Alaska
In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.
Why was it called a "Folly"?
"It's just a giant ice box! A waste of money! Who wants a frozen wasteland?" - Newspaper Critic
Why was it a great deal?
Alaska had massive amounts of:
Gold Oil Timber
Analysis & Application
Critical Thinking Challenge
If you were a taxpayer in 1867, would you have supported buying Alaska? Use one reason from your notes to explain why or why not.
I would have (supported / not supported) the purchase because...
Map Practice: The Reach of Sea Power
Based on Mahan's theory, mark where the US should focus its attention to become a world power. Write the name of the place next to the correct reasoning.
ANSWER HERE
The shortcut needed to move ships between the Atlantic and Pacific.
ANSWER HERE
The "Ice Box" territory that turned out to be full of gold and oil.
War of Headlines Slides EXTRA!
WAR!
MAINE EXPLODES!
CRUELTY!
War of
Headlines
Yellow Journalism & The Spanish-American War
The Problem in Cuba
Spain owned Cuba.
The Cuban people wanted Independence (Freedom).
America was watching.
We had sugar businesses in Cuba and didn't want to lose money.
Cuba
Only 90 miles from Florida
Yellow Journalism
Definition
Sensational, exaggerated, or fake news used to grab attention and sell papers.
WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST
"You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war."
JOSEPH PULITZER
Used scary headlines to make Americans hate Spain.
"Remember the Maine!"
FEBRUARY 15, 1898
The battleship USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, Cuba.
The Reaction:
Yellow journalists blamed SPAIN without any proof. Americans screamed for war!
"DESTRUCTION OF THE WAR SHIP MAINE WAS THE WORK OF AN ENEMY"
— Newspaper Headline
War of Headlines Activity Sheet War of Headlines
Yellow Journalism Activity
Name: ______________________
Date: _________ Period: ____
Step 1 Road to War
Cause #1
U.S. businesses had large ____________ plantations in Cuba and wanted to protect them.
Cause #2
Yellow Journalism used _______________ stories to make Americans hate Spain.
Cause #3
REMEMBER THE ____________!
The US Navy ship that exploded in Havana Harbor.
Step 2 Sensationalism Challenge
Yellow Journalism is about making things sound worse or more exciting than they are to sell more newspapers.
The Boring Fact:
"A US ship exploded. We aren't sure why yet, but some people are hurt."
The Yellow Headline:
"SPAIN MURDERS 260 SAILORS! ENEMY BOMB DESTROYS THE MAINE!"
Your Turn: Write a Yellow Journalism headline for one of these facts.
Fact: A Spanish soldier arrested a protester in Cuba.
Your Sensational Headline:
Fact: Cuba is having a hard time getting enough food because of the war.
Your Sensational Headline:
Quick Check: How did Yellow Journalism help start the Spanish-American War?
It made people feel...
War of Headlines Slides EXTRA!
WAR!
MAINE EXPLODES!
CRUELTY!
War of
Headlines
Yellow Journalism & The Spanish-American War
The Problem in Cuba
Spain owned Cuba.
The Cuban people wanted Independence.
America was watching.
We had sugar businesses in Cuba and didn't want to lose money.
Cuba
90 miles from Florida
Yellow Journalism
Definition
Sensational, exaggerated, or fake news used to grab attention.
William Randolph Hearst
"You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war."
Joseph Pulitzer
Used scary headlines to make Americans hate Spain.
"Remember the Maine!"
February 15, 1898
The battleship USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor.
The Reaction:
Yellow journalists blamed SPAIN without proof. Americans screamed for war!
"DESTRUCTION OF THE WAR SHIP MAINE WAS THE WORK OF AN ENEMY"
— NEWSPAPER HEADLINE
War of Headlines Activity Sheet War of Headlines
Yellow Journalism Activity
Name:
Period:
Step 1 Road to War
Cause #1
U.S. businesses had large plantations in Cuba and wanted to protect them.
Cause #2
Yellow Journalism used stories to make Americans hate Spain.
Cause #3
REMEMBER THE !
The US Navy ship that exploded in Havana Harbor.
Step 2 Sensationalism Challenge
"You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war." — W.R. Hearst
The Boring Fact:
"A US ship exploded. We aren't sure why yet, but some people are hurt."
The Yellow Headline:
"SPAIN MURDERS 260 SAILORS! ENEMY BOMB DESTROYS THE MAINE!"
Fact: A Spanish soldier arrested a protester in Cuba.
Your Sensational Headline:
Fact: Cuba is having a hard time getting enough food because of the war.
Your Sensational Headline:
Exit Ticket
How did Yellow Journalism help start the Spanish-American War?
Islands and Insurrections Slides Islands &
Insurrections
Winning a War, Keeping an Empire
The "Splendid Little War"
The War (1898)
⏱️ Only lasted 4 months!
📉 Very few Americans died in battle.
🇺🇸 The US Navy was too strong for Spain.
The Heroes
The Rough Riders: A volunteer group led by Theodore Roosevelt.
They became legends at the Battle of San Juan Hill.
The Treaty of Paris (1898)
The War is Over. America is an Empire.
Puerto Rico
Gained from Spain
Guam
Gained from Spain
Philippines
Bought for $20M
Cuba became independent (mostly).
Filipino Insurrection
The people of the Philippines were angry.
They thought America was going to help them get free—not just be their new boss.
The Result:
A 3-year war between the US and the Filipino rebels. Many people died, and the US eventually won control.
The Debate Starts:
"Is it right for America to own other people? Are we becoming the very thing we fought against?"
Mapping the Empire Activity Sheet Mapping the Empire
Treaty of Paris (1898) Results
Mission: Unit 3.1 Imperialism
Name: ____________________________________
1. Where did we go?
Puerto Rico
Located in the Caribbean Sea.
Guam
Tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.
Philippines
Archipelago near Asia. US paid $20M.
2. The Filipino Insurrection
Definition
Insurrection: A violent rebellion or revolt against an authority or government.
Fill in the blanks using the word bank:
Freedom Spain America
The Filipino people had been fighting against __________ for many years. When __________ won the war, the Filipinos expected to get their __________. Instead, the US decided to keep the islands. This led to a long and bloody war.
3. Global Reach
Why would Alfred T. Mahan be happy with these new islands?
Reason 1
Reason 2
Mapping the Empire Activity Sheet Mapping the Empire
Treaty of Paris (1898) Results
NAME:
DATE:
1. Territory Matching
Puerto Rico
Located in the Caribbean Sea near Cuba.
Guam
Small island in the Pacific used as a naval base.
Philippines
US paid $20 million to Spain for this group of islands.
2. Global Footprint
USA
P.R.
G.
PHIL.
How does this map prove Mahan's theory correct?
Think about the ocean and the locations of the islands...
REASON 1:
REASON 2:
3. The Filipino Insurrection
Essential Vocab
Insurrection: A violent rebellion or revolt against an authority or government.
Word Bank: Freedom / Spain / America
The Filipino people had been fighting against for many years.
When won the war, the Filipinos expected to finally get their .
The Big Ditch Slides The Big Ditch
The Panama Canal & Big Stick Diplomacy
The Problem
The Trip was too LONG.
To get from New York to San Francisco, ships had to go all the way around South America (14,000 miles!).
The Solution:
A shortcut through Panama.
🚢 🗺️
"We need to cut the world in half to make trade and war faster."
"Big Stick" Diplomacy
The Slogan:
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
The "Big Stick" was the US Navy. Roosevelt used it to scare other countries into doing what we wanted.
Roosevelt Corollary
The US will be the "police" of the Western Hemisphere.
Building the Canal
1
Roosevelt helped Panama revolt against Colombia to get the land.
2
Workers faced deadly diseases like Yellow Fever and Malaria.
3
Opened in 1914, cutting travel time in half.
Success!
America now controlled trade between the Atlantic and Pacific.
The Big Ditch Activity Sheet The Big Ditch
Panama Canal & Big Stick Diplomacy
Name: ____________________________________
Unit 3.1: Global Expansion
1. Why build it?
Economic Reason (Money)
It made trade ___________ and ___________ because ships didn't have to go around South America.
Military Reason (Power)
The US Navy could move from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean much ___________ in case of war.
2. Speak Softly, Carry a Big Stick
"The Big Stick"
The "Big Stick" was really the American _________________.
The Roosevelt Corollary said the US would be the "___________ force" of the Western Hemisphere to keep order.
3. Construction Challenges
List 3 major obstacles workers faced while building the canal:
1
2
3
Think: How did the US get the land to build the canal?
By helping _____________ gain independence from _____________.
The Big Ditch Slides The Big Ditch
The Panama Canal & Big Stick Diplomacy
The Problem
The Trip was too LONG.
14,000 miles around South America just to get across the country.
The Solution:
A shortcut through Panama.
NYC
S.F.
14,000 MILES
CANAL SHORTCUT
"Big Stick" Diplomacy
The Slogan:
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
The "Big Stick" was the US Navy. We didn't need to yell if we had big guns.
Roosevelt Corollary
The US will be the "police" of the Western Hemisphere.
Building the Canal
1
Roosevelt helped Panama revolt against Colombia to get the land.
2
Workers faced deadly diseases like Yellow Fever and Malaria.
3
Opened in 1914, cutting travel time and costs in half.
SUCCESS!
America now controlled trade between the Atlantic and Pacific.
The Big Ditch Activity Sheet The Big Ditch
Panama Canal & Big Stick Diplomacy
NAME:
DATE:
1. Why build it?
Economic Reason (Money)
It made trade and because ships didn't have to go around South America.
Military Reason (Power)
The US Navy could move from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean much in case of war.
2. Speak Softly, Carry a Big Stick
"The Big Stick"
The "Big Stick" was actually the powerful American .
The Roosevelt Corollary said the US would act as an international force in Latin America.
3. Building the Canal
List 3 major obstacles workers faced:
1
Example: Deadly diseases like Yellow Fever...
2
3
Thinking Question
The US got the land to build the canal by helping become free from the country of .
The Great Debate DBQ Activity The Great Debate
Scaffolded DBQ Activity
Name: ____________________________________
Unit 3.1: Should the US be an Empire?
Keywords
Imperialist: Supports taking over land. Anti-Imperialist: Against taking over land.
Document A: The Imperialist View
"American factories are producing more than the American people can use... we must find new markets for our goods and new places for our capital (money)." — Albert J. Beveridge, 1898
1. According to Document A, why does the US need more land?
To find new ____________ to sell our goods.
2. Is this an economic (money) or military (power) reason?
Economic
Military
Document B: The Anti-Imperialist View
"We hold that all government derives (gets) its just powers from the consent of the governed. We protest against the taking of the Philippines by the United States." — Anti-Imperialist League Platform, 1899
3. According to Document B, why is it wrong to take the Philippines?
Because the people didn't give their ____________.
4. This document says taking land goes against American values of:
L I B E R T Y
Final Judgment
In your opinion, was American Imperialism a good idea or a bad idea?
I believe imperialism was a _____________ idea because...
The Great Debate DBQ Activity The Great Debate
Scaffolded DBQ Activity
NAME:
DATE:
Key Terms
1. Imperialist: Supports taking over land for the US.
2. Anti-Imperialist: Against taking over other people's land.
Document A: The Imperialist View FOR EMPIRE
"American factories are producing more than the American people can use... we must find new markets for our goods and new places for our capital (money)."
— Albert J. Beveridge, 1898
1. According to Document A, why does the US need more land?
To find new to sell our goods.
2. Is this an economic (money) or military (power) reason?
Economic (Money)
Military (Power)
Document B: The Anti-Imperialist View AGAINST EMPIRE
"We hold that all government gets its just powers from the consent of the people... We protest against the taking of the Philippines."
— Anti-Imperialist League, 1899
3. Why is it wrong to take the Philippines, according to this group?
Because the people didn't give their .
4. Taking land goes against the American value of:
LIBERTY
Final Judgment
In your opinion, was American Imperialism a good idea or a bad idea?
I believe imperialism was a idea because...
Imperialism Unit Test Unit 3.1 Test
Global Ambitions: American Imperialism
Name: ______________________
Date: _________ Period: ____
Part 1 Vocabulary
1
Yellow Journalism
A. The US Navy Admiral who wanted bases and a canal.
2
Seward's Folly
B. Fake or exaggerated news used to sell papers.
3
Alfred T. Mahan
C. The nickname for the purchase of Alaska.
4
Insurrection
D. A violent revolt or rebellion against authority.
Part 2 Multiple Choice
5. What event directly caused the United States to declare war on Spain in 1898?
The sinking of the USS Maine
The purchase of Alaska from Russia
The building of the Panama Canal
6. Which territories did the US gain in the Treaty of Paris (1898)?
Canada and Mexico
Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines
Alaska and Hawaii
7. Roosevelt's "Big Stick" Diplomacy was mainly backed by:
The strength of the US Navy
Giving money to poor nations
Writing letters to kings in Europe
Part 3 Open Response
8. Describe ONE reason why someone would be AGAINST American Imperialism.
I think imperialism is bad because...
Imperialism Unit Test Unit 3.1 Test
Global Ambitions: American Imperialism
Name:
Date:
Period:
Part 1 Vocabulary
Write the correct letter on the line next to each number.
1
Yellow Journalism
A. The US Navy Admiral who wanted bases and a canal.
2
Seward's Folly
B. Fake or exaggerated news used to sell papers.
3
Alfred T. Mahan
C. The nickname for the purchase of Alaska.
4
Insurrection
D. A violent revolt or rebellion against authority.
Part 2 Multiple Choice
5. What event directly caused the United States to declare war on Spain in 1898?
The sinking of the USS Maine
The purchase of Alaska from Russia
The building of the Panama Canal
6. Which territories did the US gain in the Treaty of Paris (1898)?
Canada and Mexico
Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines
Alaska and Hawaii
7. Roosevelt's "Big Stick" Diplomacy was mainly backed by:
The strength of the US Navy
Giving money to poor nations
Writing letters to kings in Europe
Part 3 Open Response
8. Describe ONE reason why someone would be AGAINST American Imperialism.
Write your explanation below:
