Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism

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1796 1896 Chapter 19 Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism Was American foreign policy during the 1800s motivated more by realism or idealism? 19.1 Introduction On July 8, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry led a small fleet of American warships into Edo Bay, in Japan. Edo is now called Tokyo. Perry had come to open up Japan to American shipping and trade. For over 200 years, Japan had been almost a closed country. Fearing that foreign influence would threaten its power, the government had restricted trade to a few Chinese and Dutch merchants. As a result, most Japanese knew nothing of the Industrial Revolution. For example, they had never seen a train or steamship. So they were astonished when the black-hulled American warships steamed into Edo Bay, bristling with cannons and belching smoke. The vessels, which the Japanese called black ships, posed a threat to Japan s isolation. The United States had tried, but failed, to open up Japan before. This time, however, the United States had sent one of its top naval officers, Commodore Perry, with a letter from President Millard Fillmore addressed to the Japanese emperor. The letter was an offer of peace and friendship, but the warships were a sign that the United States might be willing to use force in the future. The letter asked that shipwrecked American sailors be protected and that American ships be allowed to stop for water, fuel, and other supplies. It also proposed the opening of trade between the United States and Japan. The Japanese government promised to consider the president s letter. Perry returned with a larger fleet in 1854 to negotiate a treaty. The Japanese did not agree to trade, but they did agree to the other requests. This treaty paved the way for an 1858 treaty that opened Japan to trade with the United States. These treaties with Japan were part of a broader effort to advance American interests in Asia. They were key victories for American foreign policy. Foreign policy is the set of goals, principles, and practices that guide a nation in its relations with other countries. In this chapter, you will learn how both realists and idealists shaped American foreign policy during the 1800s. Commodore Matthew Perry led a fleet of four American warships to Japan in 1853 in an effort to open the island nation to U.S. trade. Perry is shown above in an engraving on a walrus tusk. The painting on the facing page depicts one of the American black ships in Edo Bay during Perry s visit to Japan. A Japanese view of Commodore Perry s ship and officers 247

UNIT6 Building an Empire 19 Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism 173 Was American foreign policy during the 1800s motivated more by realism or idealism? S o c i a l S t u d i e s S k i l l B u i l d e r 20 The Spanish-American War 179 Why did the United States go to war against Spain in 1898, and why was the outcome significant? V i s u a l D i s c o v e r y 21 Acquiring and Managing Global Power 187 Were U.S. interventions abroad between 1890 and 1917 motivated more by realism or idealism? W r i t i n g f o r U n d e r s t a n d i n g Assessment Scoring Information 195

S o c i a l S t u d i e s S k i l l B u i l d e r Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism C H A P T E R 19 Was American foreign policy during the 1800s motivated more by realism or idealism? Overview Students investigate events and motivations that shaped American foreign policy during the 19th century. They then examine primary sources to discuss whether Americans views on overseas expansion in the 1890s reflected greater realism or idealism. Preview Students describe the motivations for a personal decision and place that decision on a spectrum ranging from realism to idealism. Reading Students read about and assess American foreign policy events from the 19th century. Materials History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals Lesson Masters Notebook Guide 19 (1 per student) Notebook Handouts 19A and 19B (1 of each per student) Activity In a Social Studies Skill Builder, students examine primary sources to analyze Americans views on overseas expansion at the turn of the 19th century. Processing Students identify a current foreign policy decision and place it on a spectrum ranging from realism to idealism. Objectives Students will investigate the Essential Question: Was American foreign policy during the 1800s motivated more by realism or idealism? analyze chapter content to understand the foreign policies of the 19th century. synthesize key content from the chapter and primary sources to evaluate the viewpoints of Americans on overseas expansion in the late 1890s. learn and use the Key Content Terms for this chapter. Vocabulary Key Content Terms Washington s Farewell Address, War of 1812, Monroe Doctrine, Texas Revolution, Mexican War, imperialism Social Studies Terms foreign policy, diplomacy, realism, idealism, neutrality, unilateralism, non-colonization, non-interference, cede, protectorate Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism 173

P r o c e d u r e s Preview 1 Have students complete Preview 19. Distribute Notebook Guide 19, and have students complete the Preview assignment in their notebooks. 2 Have students share their responses. Draw and label the spectrum below on the board, and have volunteers use it to explain the placement of their decisions. Entirely Realism Mostly Realism Mostly Idealism Entirely Idealism 3 Explain the purpose of the upcoming activity. Tell students that they will be using a similar spectrum to analyze key foreign policy events of the 19th century. They will then evaluate Americans views on overseas expansion in the 1890s and discuss whether they reflected more realism or idealism. Notebook Guide 19 Reading 1 Introduce the Essential Question. Ask students to turn to Chapter 19 and consider possible answers to the Essential Question: Was American foreign policy during the 1800s motivated more by realism or idealism? 2 Introduce the Key Content Terms and social studies terms for Chapter 19. Preteach the boldfaced vocabulary terms in the chapter, as necessary, before students begin reading. 3 Have students read Section 19.1. Then ask, Who was Commodore Matthew Perry? How did the Japanese react when his fleet entered Edo Bay? In what ways was Perry s 1853 voyage to Japan motivated by realism? In what ways was it motivated by idealism? 4 Place students in mixed-ability pairs. 5 Have students prepare to take notes. Distribute Notebook Handout 19A: Note-Taking Strips, and have students follow the instructions on Notebook Guide 19 to prepare their notebooks to take notes on these reading sections. 6 Have pairs read Sections 19.2 and 19.3 and complete the corresponding Reading Notes. Have students follow the directions on Notebook Guide 19. After they have finished each section, have volunteers use the spectrum on the board to explain their placement of each event. Notebook Handout 19A 174 Chapter 19

P r o c e d u r e s Social Studies Skill Builder 1 Introduce the activity. Tell students that they will now examine differing viewpoints about overseas expansion in the 1890s. They will match quotations to cartoons and determine whether the primary sources reflect greater realism or idealism. 2 Distribute Notebook Handout 19B: Examining Differing Viewpoints. Have students cut apart the quotations and cartoons. 3 Have students follow the directions on Notebook Guide 19 to prepare a new spectrum in their notebooks and complete the Reading Notes for Section 19.4. You might review that a proponent is someone who supports and advocates a specific viewpoint and that to paraphrase is to write something in your own words. Students will follow these steps: Read about four viewpoints in Section 19.4. Identify a proponent of, and paraphrase a quotation for, each viewpoint. Determine which cartoon expresses a similar viewpoint. Tape the quotation and cartoon together along the spectrum to show whether they reflect more realism or idealism. As pairs work, check that they have made these matches: 1 and D, 2 and B, 3 and C, 4 and A. 4 Facilitate a class discussion. Ask, Which of the primary sources most reflect realism? How can you tell? Which of the primary sources most reflect idealism? How can you tell? Was American foreign policy during the 1800s motivated more by realism or idealism? Notebook Handout 19B Processing Have students complete Processing 19 in their notebooks. (Note: You may want to offer examples of recent foreign policy decisions or assign the same foreign policy decision to the entire class.) Then facilitate a class discussion about whether each decision was motivated more by realism or idealism. Assessment Masters for the unit assessment appear in the Lesson Masters. Unit 6 scoring information appears after Chapter 21 in this Lesson Guide. Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism 175

D i f f e r e n t i a t i n g I n s t r u c t i o n English Language Learners As a writing adaptation, before students begin the Social Studies Skill Builder, read the sentences below to students and instruct them to write what they hear into the corresponding section of Notebook Handout 19B. Viewpoint 1: European countries are expanding overseas. The United States should also try to expand overseas. Viewpoint 2: The United States should spread peace throughout the world and be a friend to other nations. Viewpoint 3: Due to their advanced civilization and Christian beliefs, white, English-speaking people will eventually control most of the world. Viewpoint 4: The United States should strengthen its navy so that it can defend American interests in the world. Emerging Reader Vocabulary emphasis: special importance or consideration of formulate: to develop a plan or a set of rules justify: to explain something that other people may think is unreasonable perspective: a way of thinking about something Learners Reading and Writing Below Grade Level As a reading adaptation, give students photocopied pages of Sections 19.2 and 19.3. As they read, instruct them to highlight each foreign policy and event in one color, and the motivations behind them in a second color. This will help them complete the Reading Notes for these sections. Learners with Special Education Needs For the Social Studies Skill Builder, provide visually impaired students with enlarged copies of Notebook Handout 19B. Consider copying the handout on colored paper to provide visual contrast. Highlight such key words as Navy in Cartoon A and British, German, and Russian in Cartoon D. Then have students paraphrase the quotations in the corresponding boxes and locate the matching cartoons. Students may need to use additional pages in their notebook to fit all four matches. Advanced Learners To expand the writing assignment in the Processing, have students identify three current foreign policy decisions. Then have them write a persuasive essay in response to this question: Is current American foreign policy based more on realism or idealism? The essay should include references to all three foreign policy decisions as well as the elements outlined in the essay-writing program for this course (see Student Handout 2B: Graphic Organizer for a Five- Paragraph Essay). Scholastic Aptitude Test Vocabulary annex: to take control of a country or an area next to your own, especially by using force pragmatic: dealing with problems in a practical way 176 Chapter 19

E n h a n c i n g L e a r n i n g Online Resources For related research materials on foreign policy in the 19th century, refer students to Online Resources at www.teachtci.com. Primary Sources for Civic Learning You may wish to have students investigate primary source documents relevant to this chapter. The Our Documents initiative is a cooperative effort of the National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and the USA Freedom Corps. At its Web site, www.ourdocuments.gov, you can download images and transcripts of the 100 milestone documents chosen for the initiative, along with teaching tools and resources. The documents most relevant to this chapter are the following: President George Washington s Farewell Address, 1796 Washington s 32-page handwritten address went through many drafts before it was finally printed in Philadelphia s American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796. In it, he advised Americans to keep the United States clear of foreign alliances and entanglements with other countries. Treaty of Ghent, 1814 This treaty ended the War of 1812. In it, both countries agreed that There shall be a firm and universal Peace between His Britannic Majesty and the United States. Monroe Doctrine, 1823 Although conceived to deal with concerns of the moment, this statement was a pillar of U.S. foreign policy for more than a century. Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo, 1848 This treaty ended the Mexican War on terms highly favorable to the United States. Check for the Purchase of Alaska, 1868 This check for $7.2 million purchased Alaska from Russia at the rate of 2 cents per acre. Using Technology Use the power of the Internet to expand students understanding of current foreign policy decisions by developing a foreign policy WebQuest. First, bookmark sites (with the help of the media specialist, if available) that offer varying points of view on current U.S. foreign policy decisions. Then create additional note-taking strips, similar to those from the original activity, for each current decision to be analyzed. Students will visit the Web sites and complete the new note-taking strips. After students complete their WebQuest notes, have them create another Realism to Idealism spectrum in their notebooks, where they can indicate whether they believe each of these current decisions is being motivated more by realism or idealism. Have them share their perspectives on these current foreign policy challenges with the class. Foreign Policy: Setting a Course of Expansionism 177

G u i d e t o R e a d i n g N o t e s 1 9 Following are possible answers for each section of the Reading Notes. Placement along spectrums will vary. Section 19.2 Neutrality and unilateralism: Neutrality is a policy of not taking sides in wars between other nations. Unilateralism is a policy of not seeking political alliances with foreign powers. War of 1812: The United States attempted to stay out of war in Europe. Both France and Britain seized U.S. ships to prevent goods from reaching the other s ports. The British began kidnapping American sailors. Americans felt that their rights as citizens of a neutral nation had been violated. The United States soon declared war on Britain, and the conflict lasted over two years. Neither side won a clear victory. Motivations behind U.S. involvement: the defense of free trade and sailor s rights, the chance for the United States to expand its borders into Canada and perhaps Florida, the determination to stand up to Britain and defend American interests Monroe Doctrine: non-colonization and non-interference: The Monroe Doctrine was a declaration made by President Monroe in 1823 that stated that the Western Hemisphere was closed to colonization by European powers. It also stated that the U.S. would consider European interference in the new Latin American republics as dangerous to our peace and safety. Venezuela Border Dispute: Britain and Venezuela had argued for years over Venezuela s border with British Guiana. Citing its rights under the Monroe Doctrine, the United States demanded that it arbitrate the dispute. Britain agreed. Americans saw this agreement as a victory for the United States. Motivations behind U.S. involvement: the desire to defend the less-powerful nation of Venezuela, the wish to keep European nations like Britain from gaining power in the Western Hemisphere, the wish to protect U.S. trade in the region Section 19.3 Territorial expansion: Territorial expansion is the acquisition of land for the United States. Mexican War: The United States and Mexico disagreed about the border between the two countries. When President Polk sent troops to the Rio Grande, an area Mexico considered its territory, the Mexican army attacked. Congress immediately declared war. American forces defeated the Mexican army in just one year, and the United States increased its territory by about one third. Motivations behind U.S. involvement: the belief in manifest destiny, the desire to secure the American border and remove foreign threats, the wish to provide the nation growing room and to demonstrate U.S. strength Imperialism: Imperialism refers to a policy of empire building. The colonies acquired by the imperialist powers often supplied resources for their industries and served as markets for their manufactured goods. Acquisition of Samoa: In the 1870s, the United States, Germany, and Britain signed treaties with Samoa giving them access to the islands. They later made Samoa a protectorate and eventually divided it between Germany and the United States. Motivations behind U.S. involvement: the desire to acquire territory overseas, the wish to establish a military post, the desire to extend U.S. economic and diplomatic influence Section 19.4 Viewpoint 1 matches Cartoon D; paraphrased Lodge quotation: European countries are expanding overseas. The United States should also try to expand overseas. Viewpoint 2 matches Cartoon B; paraphrased Schurz quotation: The United States should spread peace throughout the world and be a friend to other nations. Viewpoint 3 matches Cartoon C; paraphrased Strong quotation: Due to their advanced civilization and Christian beliefs, white, English-speaking people will eventually control most of the world. Viewpoint 4 matches Cartoon A; paraphrased Mahan quotation: The United States should strengthen its navy so that it can defend American interests in the world. 178 Chapter 19