Why did the United States build an overseas empire, and how did the Spanish-American War make it a world power?
Explain the causes of American imperialism, the Spanish-American War of 1898, the acquisition of overseas territories, and the debate between imperialists and anti-imperialists (Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies, American History, Foreign Affairs from Imperialism to Post-World War I).
A standard-level answer on American imperialism for Ohio's American History EOC: the economic, strategic, and ideological causes, the Spanish-American War of 1898, the acquisition of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam, the annexation of Hawaii, and the imperialist versus anti-imperialist debate, with Ohio's President McKinley.
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What this topic is asking
This part of the Foreign Affairs topic asks why the United States turned to imperialism (building an overseas empire) in the late 1800s, how the Spanish-American War (1898) made it a world power, and how Americans debated whether empire fit their values. The Ohio standards frame these decades as the moment the United States stepped onto the world stage.
The causes of imperialism
By the 1890s several forces pushed the United States outward:
The closing of the frontier in 1890 also led some Americans to look abroad for new opportunities.
The Spanish-American War (1898)
The war grew out of Cuba's revolt against Spain:
- Yellow journalism, sensational and exaggerated newspaper stories (by Hearst and Pulitzer), inflamed American opinion against Spain.
- The USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana harbor in 1898; though the cause was unclear, Americans blamed Spain ("Remember the Maine!").
The United States declared war and won in a few months. Theodore Roosevelt and the "Rough Riders" became famous in Cuba.
The results: an overseas empire
The Treaty of Paris (1898) ended the war and made the United States an imperial power:
- The United States gained the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
- Cuba became a US protectorate (controlled but not annexed; the Platt Amendment limited Cuban independence).
- In the same year, the United States separately annexed Hawaii.
Keeping the Philippines led to a brutal Philippine-American War against Filipinos who wanted independence, a fact the EOC may use to test the gap between American ideals and imperial reality.
The debate over empire
- Imperialists argued empire brought economic gain, military strength (bases and sea power), prestige, and a duty to "uplift" others.
- Anti-imperialists (including writers and reformers) argued that ruling people without their consent violated the Declaration of Independence and American democracy, and that empire was costly and risky.
President William McKinley, of Ohio, ultimately decided to keep the Philippines, a choice that defined the United States as a world power.
Why this matters for the EOC
This topic rewards cause and effect (why imperialism, what the war produced), vocabulary (imperialism, protectorate, yellow journalism, sea power), and point of view (an imperialist or anti-imperialist cartoon or speech). The core idea the standards want is that 1898 made the United States a world power, setting up its even larger role in World War I.
Try this
Q1. Name two causes of American imperialism in the late 1800s. [2]
- Cue. Any two of: markets and raw materials (economic), naval bases and sea power (strategic), prestige and a civilizing mission (ideological).
Q2. What territories did the United States gain from the Spanish-American War? [2]
- Cue. The Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam; Cuba became a protectorate.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of ODEW exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Ohio American History EOC1 marksAs a result of the Spanish-American War of 1898, the United States gained control of (A) Canada and Mexico. (B) the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. (C) Alaska and Hawaii. (D) no new territory.Show worked answer →
A 1-point multiple-choice item on imperialism.
The correct answer is B. After defeating Spain, the United States acquired the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam (and Cuba became a US protectorate). This made the United States an overseas empire and a world power.
A and C name territories gained other ways (Alaska was bought from Russia in 1867; Hawaii was annexed separately in 1898). D is false. The test rewards linking the Spanish-American War to these specific acquisitions.
Ohio American History EOC2 marksAmericans debated whether to keep the new overseas territories after 1898. (a) State one argument imperialists made for empire. (b) State one argument anti-imperialists made against it.Show worked answer →
A 2-point constructed-response item on the imperialism debate.
(a) 1 point: any one pro-empire argument, such as new markets and raw materials, coaling and naval bases for sea power, national prestige, or a "mission" to spread American culture and Christianity.
(b) 1 point: any one anti-imperialist argument, such as ruling people without their consent violated American ideals of self-government and the Declaration of Independence, or that empire was costly and dangerous. Scorers reward one valid argument on each side.
Related dot points
- Explain how the United States exercised its new power through the Panama Canal, the Roosevelt Corollary and big stick diplomacy, dollar diplomacy, and the Open Door Policy in China (Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies, American History, Foreign Affairs from Imperialism to Post-World War I).
A standard-level answer on early US foreign policy for Ohio's American History EOC: the Panama Canal, the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, big stick and dollar diplomacy in Latin America, and the Open Door Policy in China, showing how 1898 turned the United States into a world power.
- Explain the causes of World War I, the reasons the United States abandoned neutrality and entered the war, and the major contributions of American forces (Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies, American History, Foreign Affairs from Imperialism to Post-World War I).
A standard-level answer on US entry into World War I for Ohio's American History EOC: the MAIN causes of the war, American neutrality, the reasons for entry (submarine warfare, the Lusitania, the Zimmermann Telegram), and the impact of American forces on Allied victory.
- Explain the World War I home front, including mobilization, propaganda, limits on civil liberties, and the Great Migration, and the failed peace through Wilson's Fourteen Points, the Treaty of Versailles, and the rejection of the League of Nations (Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies, American History, Foreign Affairs from Imperialism to Post-World War I).
A standard-level answer on the World War I home front and peace for Ohio's American History EOC: war mobilization and propaganda, limits on civil liberties (the Espionage and Sedition Acts, Schenck v. United States), the Great Migration, Wilson's Fourteen Points, the Treaty of Versailles, and the US rejection of the League of Nations.
- Explain the US return to isolationism after World War I and the postwar unrest, including the first Red Scare, labor strife, racial violence, and the rise of nativism in the early 1920s (Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies, American History, Foreign Affairs from Imperialism to Post-World War I).
A standard-level answer on the postwar years for Ohio's American History EOC: the return to isolationism after World War I, the first Red Scare and the Palmer Raids, the labor strikes and racial violence of 1919, the revived Ku Klux Klan, the Sacco and Vanzetti case, and the new immigration quotas.
- Explain the rise of Progressivism in response to industrialization, the muckrakers, the reforms of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, and the expansion of government regulation of the economy (Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies, American History, Industrialization and Progressivism).
A standard-level answer on the Progressive movement for Ohio's American History EOC: the response to industrialization, muckrakers like Sinclair and Tarbell, Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal and trust-busting, Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom, and the expanding role of government, with Ohio's reform mayors.
Sources & how we know this
- Ohio's Learning Standards for Social Studies — Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (2019)
- American History (High School State-Tested Courses Resources) — Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (2024)