Warm Up

1. Which union was founded by Samuel Gompers in Columbus,

Ohio in 1886?
A. American Federation of Labor
B. Industrial Workers of the World
C. Congress of Industrial Organizations
D. International Brotherhood of Teamsters
2. The use of strikes in the early 1900s was
A. A major cause of the Stock Market Crash
B. Declared illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court.
C. An effective method to get employers to address worker
grievances.
D. Often met with violence from other labor unions
3. The ending of the Pullman Strike is significant because it
A. Demonstrated unions superiority and solidarity
B. Demonstrated the US governments pro-business alliances
C. Showed that the US government was unwilling to get involved
in business matters.
D. Showed that unions and management could work together for
the benefit of each other.

Today in History

January 16th, 1919

Prohibition takes affect
18th Amendment

Background of USS
Maine
A massive explosion of unknown origin sinks
the battleship USS Maine in Cuba's Havana
harbor, killing 260 of the fewer than 400
American crew members aboard. One of the
first American battleships, the Maine weighed
more than 6,000 tons and was built at a cost of
more than $2 million. Supposedly on a friendly
visit, the Maine had been sent to Cuba to
protect the interests of Americans there after
a rebellion against Spanish rule broke out in
Havana in January.

Pick a Side
Who is Document A blaming for the
explosion?
Who is Document B blaming for the
explosion?
Pick which article you and your partner
believe and explain why you picked that
one.
What do you think the result of the
explosion will be?

American
Imperialism

Imperialism

Expanding control
beyond ones
boundaries
Expansion reasons:
More economic
markets for U.S.
Maintain national
security
Maintain national
pride
Isolationism: Do not expand

Where to Expand?

Pacific :

- Pathway
to China,
SE Asia
- Bought
Alaska,
annexed
Hawaii

Open trade routes, gain valuable land

Latin America, Caribbean

Close to US, cheap labor, rich w/ natural

resources

Spanish-American War Causes

Cubans rebel
against Spanish
rule
Pressure on
US to
intervene
Yellow
Journalism:
Sensationalizes
situation, blames Spain
USS Maine explodes in Cuba; 268 die
Spain blamed, but explosion an accident
U.S. declares war in April 1898

The Wars Two Fronts

Cuba
Theodore
Roosevelt led
volunteer
Rough Riders
to invade,
liberate Cuba
from Spain

Philippines
U.S. quickly
defeats Spain,
seized
control
of
country

The Wars Effects

Peace treaty:
U.S. wins Cuba
Cuba granted
independence
Adopts Platt
Amendment:
Limits Cuban
government
U.S. gets two naval bases in Cuba
U.S. gets right to intervene
Puerto Rico, Guam become U.S.
territories

1. Compare the documents:

1.When was each article written?
2.What is the point of view of each
article?
3.In what way does the type of
document it is change the results
that were fine?

Pick one of the documents

and create a t-chart of what
are the facts in the article and
what are the opinions.

2. Create 2 newspaper headlines using

yellow journalism.
One must be about the explosion of the
USS Maine, the other can be on a
fictional story of your choice.

Draw a political cartoon of ONE of the

following:
1.How you would describe imperialism.
2.USS Maine explosion.
3.Spanish American War.

Five in Five Review

1. All of the following are reasons for American expansionism
in the late 1800s EXCEPT
A. To take advantage of new economic markets
B. To maintain its security interests abroad
C. To instill feelings of national pride in its citizens
D. To acquire new land for an overcrowded country
2. All of the following are reasons for U.S. expansion into the
Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean EXCEPT
A. The Pacific was a pathway to China and other Asian
markets
B. The U.S. already had several colonies in Latin America
C. The proximity of the U.S. to Latin America, the Caribbean
D. The plentiful natural resources in South America and the
Caribbean
3. Yellow journalism is BEST described as
A. Sensationalist B. Investigative
C. Accurate D. Unfortunate

4. What event sparked the Spanish-American War?

A. the sinking of the USS Maine
B. The United States decision to annex Hawaii
C. Roosevelts Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
D. The Platt Amendment
5. All of the following are requirements of the Platt
Amendment EXCEPT
A. It limited the Cuban governments control
B. The U.S. got two naval bases in Cuba
C. Both Puerto and Guam became U.S. territories
D. The U.S. reserved the right to intervene in Cuba
6. In 1900, political humorist Mark Twain wrote, I am
opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any
other land. Twain was referring to
A. The need to restrict emigration
B. The interests of wildlife enthusiasts
C. The importance of environmental policies
D. The imperialist policies of the United States

Zinn, Chapter 11
1. Why did immigration increase in the
late 19th century? What was the
response?
2. What is the true story behind the
building of the transcontinental railroad?
3. Why were men like Rockefeller called
robber barons?
4. What was the purpose of Shermans
Antitrust Act?
5. What is socialism and communism?
How do they differ from capitalism?
6. What were the causes and effects of
the Haymarket Affair?
7. What was the populism movement?
Was it successful?

Class Question:
Should

the U.S.
intervene in
other countries
affairs like it
did in Cuba?