Social Studies Grade 5 Week 6 (September 21-25, 2020) Friday Step 1: Students will read about Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. McKinley and Roosevelt Expand America’s Role By 1900, the United States had become a powerful nation. Some leaders hoped to build an American empire around the world. They thought the United States should claim territory overseas and play a bigger role in world affairs. U.S. leaders realized that the growth of the U.S. economy relied, in part, on markets outside of the United States. The desire to protect U.S. interests by expanding U.S. influence developed into an idea known as imperialism. American Imperialism had three main focuses: Step 2: Students will read about the Spanish-American War. The Spanish-American War In the 1890s, the Caribbean island of Cuba was a Spanish colony. In 1895, Cubans rebelled against Spain. They wanted independence from Spanish rule. The United States and Cuba were close neighbors. The Cuban rebels called on the United States to help them win independence. In April 1898, President William McKinley asked Congress to declare war on Spain. Within a few days, U.S. battleships were headed to war! Why did the United States get involved? (1) CUBAN SUGAR. the time, most sugar sold in the United States came from Cuba. American sugar companies owned large plantations on the small Caribbean island. In total, U.S. businesses had invested more than 50 million dollars in Cuban sugar! When war broke out in Cuba, American sugar companies urged Congress to protect their businesses in Cuba. They also believed they could gain more land in Cuba if they helped the rebels gain independence from Spain. (2) YELLOW JOURNALISM. In the late 1800s, most Americans read about world events in the newspapers. Major newspaper owners, such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, found that exaggerated news stories sold better than straightforward articles that focused on real facts. They published many news articles that stretched the truth, ignored facts, and started rumors. This sensational style of news is called “yellow journalism.” (3) USS Maine Explodes. In 1898, President McKinley sent the U.S. battleship Maine to protect American citizens and interests in Cuba. Shortly after arrival in Havana Harbor, the USS Maine unexpectedly exploded! The sinking of the USSMaine killed 263 U.S. sailors and shocked American citizens at home. No one knew why the USS Maine exploded. Instead of waiting for facts, U.S. newspapers quickly blamed the Spanish. Americans were upset! “Remember the Maine!” became a popular slogan across the nation. Many Americans demanded the United States take action against Spain. Two months later, William McKinley and the Congress agreed. On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain. REFLECTION QUESTIONS 1. Briefly describe the role the following people played in America. Theodore Roosevelt: _____________________________________ ____________________________________________________ William McKinley: _____________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 2. Why did Americans have a negative opinion of Spain leading up to the Spanish-American War? ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ .