Social+Studies

January 22, 2010 Ch 6, Lesson 1, pages 250-258

Expanding Overseas

A. Alaska I. William Seward, secretary of state for President Lincoln and Johnson, wanted to see the United States grow. A. In 1868 the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in gold. B. The U.S. paid two cents an acre.

II. Fishing, the fur trade, and mining made Alaska valuable.

III. Gold was discovered as early as 1861. Later in 1880 it was discovered in Juneau and in 1903 it was discovered in Fairbanks.

B. Hawaii I. American planters began moving to Hawaii in the mid 1800s to grow sugarcane and pineapple. The Hawaiian king gave Americans special trading rights. II. The new queen was removed from power when she didn’t agree to work with the Americans.

III. The American planters, who gained power, wanted Hawaii to be annexed, or added to the United States. Hawaii was annexed in 1898.

C. Causes of the Spanish-American War I. In 1895 the Cuban people revolted against Spanish control of Cuba. The Spanish army imprisoned hundreds of Cubans to keep them from joining the revolution.

II. Many people in the United States were angered by Spain’s reaction to the Cuban revolution of 1895.

III. January 1898, President McKinley sent the battleship USS Maine to a Cuban harbor to protect the lives and property of Americans in Cuba.

IV. In February 1898, a huge explosion destroyed the Maine, killing 260 Americans.

V. The destruction of the Maine and yellow journalism reports about it helped tip public opinion in favor of war with Spain.

VI. Congress declared war on April 25, 1898, and the Spanish-American War began.

I. The attack of Spanish Ships took place in Philippines under the command of Commodore George Dewey.
 * 1) War with Spain

II. Theodore Roosevelt, the assistant secretary of the navy, put together a group of volunteers called the Rough Riders. This group consisted of cowboys, Native Americans, college athletes, and wealthy New Yorkers.

III. Also chosen to fight in Cuba were the Buffalo Soldiers. This was a nickname given to a group of African American soldiers while serving in wars against Native Americans.

E. Results of War ` Complete this section of the outline on your own.

F. Panama Canal Complete this section of the outline on your own.