Acquisition of Hawaii, Samoa, and Alaska

Annexation of Samoa

An unincorporated territory of the United States consisting of the eastern part of the Samoan archipelago, located in the south-central Pacific Ocean.

Andrew Johnson

17th President of the United States, A Southerner form Tennessee, as V.P. when Lincoln was killed, he became president. He opposed radical Republicans who passed Reconstruction Acts over his veto. The first U.S. president to be impeached, he survived the Senate removal by only one vote. He was a very weak president.

William McKinley

1896 and 1900; Republican; president during the Spanish-American War (caused by "yellow journalism" in the US, which seemed to be confirmed by the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor), he annexed Hawaii and put US currency on the Gold Standard; he was assassinated in 1901 by Leon Frank Czolgosz.

Rutherford Hayes

19th president of the united states, was famous for being part of the Hayes-Tilden election in which electoral votes were contested in 4 states, most corrupt election in US history

James Garfield

20th President

Grover Cleveland

22nd and 24th president, Democrat, Honest and hardworking, fought corruption, vetoed hundreds of wasteful bills, achieved the Interstate Commerce Commission and civil service reform, violent suppression of strikes. Did not support Hawaii's annexation and felt is was "disgraceful" the manner in which control of Hawaii was achieved.

Benjamin Harrison

23rd President; Republican, poor leader, introduced the McKinley Tariff and increased federal spending to a billion dollars

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Isolationism

A policy of nonparticipation in international economic and political relations

Sanford Dole

A wealthy, plantation owner and politician who was named President of the Provisional Government; the New Republic of Hawaii after Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown. He asked US to annex Hawaii and help negotiate the annexation of Hawaii to the US in 1898.

Benefits of Alaska

Alaska is rich with timber, oil, and other natural resources

Chester Arthur

Appointed customs collector for the port of New York - corrupt and implemented a heavy spoils system. He was chosen as Garfield's running mate. Garfield won but was shot, so Arthur became the 21st president.

Admiral Meade

signed a treaty with a native prince of Samoa offering protection in return for a lease on Samoa's fine harbor at Pago Pago.

Colonel A. B. Steinberger

The Colonel with money and the prestige of a great power behind him made himself prime minister, and placed the island under the protection of the United States.

King Kalakaua

The King of Hawaii; in 1897, white business leaders forced him to change Hawaii's constitution to grant voting rights only to wealthy landowners.

Annexation of Hawaii

The United States Marines helped planter Sanford B. Dole overthrow Queen Liliuokalani then the U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898 stating that it needed naval bases there to protect world trade.

Queen Liliuokalani

The last monarch queen of Hawaii and the successor to King Kalakaua. She highly opposed control of Hawaii by the U.S. and wanted to keep the islands mainly native, reducing the power of merchants from foreign nations. Liliuokalani was deposed by Sanford Dole.

Annexation of Alaska

The purchase of Alaska was done by William Seward in 1867 and approved by congress quickly. This was done as a way of keeping the British away. Alaska was purchased for $7.2 million from Russia. It was known as Seward's Folly or Seward's Icebox.

German and Britain disputed over Samoa

The western islands of Samoa, better known as Western Samoa, were under the rule of the German government until it was overtaken by New Zealand during World War I. Western Samoa was under the rule of New Zealand until it declared its independence as its own country in 1962.

William Seward

United States politician who as secretary of state in 1867 arranged for the purchase of Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million dollars(known at the time as Seward's Folly) Secretary of state for Lincoln and Johnson

Expanisionism

a practice of spreading a nation's territorial or economic control beyond its borders.

Ulysses Grant

an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869-1877). He achieved international fame as the leading Union general in the American Civil War.

Acquisition

purchase