Title: Westward the Course of Empire Goes American Imperialism in the Pacific Ocean during the Nineteenth Century
Type of teaching unit: Lesson
Plan
Grade level(s): 11th grade
Time Frame: one (1) to two (2) weeks
Subject matter: United States History Imperialism during the Nineteenth
Century
Teacher information:
Jon Lyman Parkin
Edwardsville High School
AAM affiliation (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)
jparkin@ecusd7.org
Lesson plan description and Rationale:
Through
this activity students will learn that during the late-nineteenth century
the
State Standards:
14.E.4 Analyze historical trends of
14.E.5 Analyze relationships and tensions among members of the international community.
15.D.5b Analyze why trade barriers and exchange rates affect the flow of goods and services among nations.
16.A.4a Analyze and report historical events to determine cause-and-effect relationships.
16.B.5b (US) Analyze
how
16.C.4a (US) Explain
how trade patterns developed between the
16.C.5b (
16.C.4d (W) Describe
how the maturing economies of Western Europe and
16.C.5c (W) Analyze the relationship between an issue in world economic history and the related aspects of political, social and environmental history.
17.C.5c Describe geographic factors that affect cooperation and conflict among societies.
Objectives:
Students will investigate the acquisition of colonial outposts throughout the Pacific Ocean by the United States during the late-nineteenth century in an effort to understand why this happened, and evaluate whether such actions were a violation of constitutional principles Americans hold so dear.
Resources (Documents):
Bureau of Statistics, Department of the Treasury. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1895 (Eighteenth Number: Finance, Mining, Commerce, Immigration, Tonnage, the Postal Service, Public Lands, Population, Education, Railroads, Agriculture, and Manufacture). Washington, District of Columbia: Government Printing Office, 1896.
Bates,
George. Some Aspects of the Samoan Question, The Century; a popular
quarterly. Volume 37, Issue 6. April 1889. The Making
of
Bates,
George. Our Relations to Samoa, The Century; a popular quarterly,
Volume 38, Issue 1. May 1889. The Making
of
Erben, Captain Henry. The Tuscarora's Mission to Samoa, The
Century; a popular quarterly, Volume 38, Issue 1. May 1889. The Making
of
Ide, Henrcy C. Our
Interest in Samoa, The North American
review, Volume 165, Issue 489. August 1897. The Making
of
Ide, Henry C. The Imbroglio in Samoa, The North American review, Volume
168, Issue 511. June 1899. The Making of
Mahan, Alfred Thayer. Conditions Determining the Naval Expansion of the United States (Reprinted from Leslies Weekly, 2nd October 1902), Retrospect & Prospect: Studies in International Relations, Naval and Political. Port Washington, New York: Kennikat Press, Inc., ?
Mahan, Alfred Thayer. The Isthmus and Sea Power (Reprinted from the Atlantic Monthly, September, 1893), Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown, and Company, 1903.
University of Texas. Pacific Region Mercator Projection. Austin, Texas: General Libraries, University of Texas On-Line. [http://www.sciences-po.fr/cartographie/cartotheque/cartotheques/fonds_cartes/fonds_planisphere/mercpaci.gif] (March 2004)
Resources (Simulations):
Jackson Gamers Home Rules Set. Ironclad Gunboat Rules, Angelfire Free Home Pages. [http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/ironclads.htm] (February 2004)
Manley, David. Iron and Fire: Naval Warfare in the Age of the Ironclad. [http://www.btinternet.com/~david.manley/naval/ironfire/ironfire.html] (February 2004)
Manley, David. 15.1 Coaling and Coal Consumption rules, You May Fire When Ready Gridley: Rules for Pre-Dreadnought Naval Wargames, 1880 to 1905 and Beyond, Edition 1.1. Garden Grove, California: Brockhurst Hobbies, 2000.
Williams, J. The Great War at Sea: Supplements & Variants for Naval Warfare Simulations, 1880-1900. [http://www.geocities.com/jwilliams1454/variant.htm] (February 2004)
Battlefleet 1900: Pre-Dreadnought Naval Warfare, 18951905. The War Times Journal [http://www.wtj.com/games/battlefleet/] (February 2004)
Methods:
1. Preparation.
a. Reserve a computer lab sufficiently in-advance of the day you intend to conduct this activity.
b. Access and print-out one complete copy of the lesson.
i. Download and print one copy of each of the following:
o Selected Charts on Exports to Asia
- Make photo-copies for distribution to the class, one per student.
- Other materials you need include pencils, rulers, compasses, and graph paper.
ii. Download and print one copy of the key source documents for reference and in-case of an emergency. (You may need to photo-copy additional copies for student use, in the event that a computer lab is not available and/or the Internet is not working properly.)
o Some Aspects of the Samoan Question by George Bates
o Our Relations to Samoa by George Bates
o The Tuscarora's Mission to Samoa by Capt. Henry Erben
o Our Interest in Samoa by the Honorable Henry C. Ide
o The Imbroglio in Samoa by the Honorable Henry C. Ide
o Conditions Determining the Naval Expansion of the United States by Alfred Thayer Mahan
o The Isthmus and Sea Power by Alfred Thayer Mahan
2. Collecting and Analyzing Data (Day 1).
a. Break students up into small groups numbering three (3) to five (5) students.
i. You will need at least two groups. (Try for an even number.)
ii. Be sure to mix ability levels within each group.
b. Distribute copies of Selected Charts on Exports to Asia.
i. Have students employ various tools (e.g. comparison/contrast charts, graphs, Venn diagrams, etc.) to evaluate trade patterns/trends in order to answer the following questions:
o Which countries/territories hold the greatest promise for profitable and reliable trade relations? Why?
o
What countries
might be the
o The value in trade with some of these countries/territories varies greatly over fifteen years. Why? (Encourage the students to dig into alternate sources in order to explain these fluctuations.)
o What priorities/principles should be established and how might they influence future trade? (Be sure the students explain their answers.)
ii. Have each group present their findings to the class:
o
They are to
propose to the class which countries/territories the
c. Distribute copies of the Map of the Pacific Ocean.
i. Have the students use their textbook or a wall map to label the following locations on their blank map:
o
o British East Indies
o British India
o
o Dutch East Indies
o French Oceania
o Hawaii
o Hong Kong
o
o
o
o
ii. Next, have the students draw lines representing trade routes connecting major west coast ports such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle to major ports in the locations labeled in 2.c.i. above. (They could also connect the Panama Canal in Central America to these same ports in Asia.)
o Inform the students that a typical coal-burning freighter during the late-nineteenth century, steaming at an economical rate of speed, had a cruising radius of approximately 4,000 miles.
o Using a compass or ruler, have the students mark in pencil along the lines they drew on the map theoretical locations where coaling stations should be located. Then have the students use their textbooks or a wall map to determine the name of any islands or archipelagos located near where they have marked the need for coaling stations.
iii. If their research has not resulted in the class labeling them, have the students locate the following islands and archipelagos on their maps:
o Guam
o Midway
o Samoa
o Wake
- Based on their analysis of the Selected Charts on Exports to Asia,
have students determine which of these islands/archipelagos would best suit
the
3.
Researching
the
a. Have the students access the following articles at the American Memory site of the Library of Congress on-line:
o Some Aspects of the Samoan Question by George Bates
o Our Relations to Samoa by George Bates
o The Tuscarora's Mission to Samoa by Capt. Henry Erben
o Our Interest in Samoa by the Honorable Henry C. Ide
o The Imbroglio in Samoa by the Honorable Henry C. Ide
i. Have each student take notes on at least one article with the intent of sharing their research with the rest of the group. (If time permits, you might want everyone to read at least two of the articles, so that they can verify the accuracy of the information culled from each article.)
ii. If the students do not complete the reading in class, then assign it for homework and have them complete step 3.b. at the beginning of class the next day.
b. After the students have read their respective article(s), have them get back into their groups and share amongst themselves what they have learned.
i.
They are to
develop an annotated timeline of events surrounding the acquisition of Samoa by the
ii. Have each group collaboratively create a concept map/flow-chart graphically summarizing the cause-and-effect behind American imperialism in the Pacific Ocean. (Sample Concept Map)
4. Comparing Research (Day 3)
a. Have each group share their concept map/flow-chart they developed the day before with the rest of the class.
i. Be sure that each group explains their rationale for how they constructed their concept map/flow-chart.
ii. Allow groups to comment on each others concept maps/flow-charts.
b. Have the students access the following articles:
o Conditions Determining the Naval Expansion of the United States by Alfred Thayer Mahan
o The Isthmus and Sea Power by Alfred Thayer Mahan
i. Be sure they know to take notes of any salient aspects.
ii. Because of the length of these selections, you may want to allow them two evenings or one evening and a day in class to read through the assignment.
5. Updating Research/Debate (Day 4)
a. Have groups modify their concept maps/flow-charts based on the Mahan readings assigned in step 4.b.
b. Moderate a classroom debate on whether
the
i. Everyone must be recognized by the moderator before speaking.
ii. Comments/questions should always be presented respectfully.
iii. Participants should cite specific facts and events whenever possible.
6. Debate (Day 5)
a.
Using the American Memory site at the Library of Congress web page, as well as other
resources, have each group conduct research on how the
i. Be sure the students employ some of the tools/techniques used earlier in the week.
ii. Encourage students and groups to collaborate.
7. Simulation Development/Testing (Days 6 10; Optional)
The timeline for this activity needs to be fluid, as different classes will react in different ways. Depending on a variety of factors, such as maturity, interest in the subject, and enthusiasm, some classes will get this activity done quickly and spend the balance of the week test-playing their simulation, while other classes will barely get the assignment done. Either way, it is a worthwhile educational experience.
Some of the resources that can be utilized in addition to traditional sources include but are not limited to the following:
o Ironclad Gunboat Rules at Jacksons Gamers Home Rules Set
o Iron and Fire: Naval Warfare in the Age of the Ironclad by David Manley
o Battlefleet 1900: Pre-Dreadnought Naval Warfare, 1895 1905 by The War Times Journal
o The Great War at Sea: Supplements & Variants for Naval Warfare Simulations, 1880-1900 by J. Williams
o 15.1 Coaling and Coal Consumption rules from You May Fire When Ready Gridley: Rules for Pre-Dreadnought Naval Wargames, 1880 to 1905 and Beyond, Edition 1.1. by David Manley
The first three resources are complete game systems designed for naval warfare simulations of the late-nineteenth century. Some of your students will have experience with other game systems (e.g. Risk, Diplomacy, Axis & Allies, etc.) not listed. Be prepared for them to develop a unique hybrid gaming system that incorporates elements from a number of different sources.
Of particular interest may be the Battlefleet 1900: Pre-Dreadnought Naval Warfare, 1895 1905 site. It has links to pages for 1/3000 and 1/6000 scale ship counters that can be used in virtually any pre-dreadnought simulation your students design:
o British and Japanese ship counters
o Spanish-American War ship counters
o French and Russian ship counters
o Generic Small Vessels (destroyers, monitors, and gunboats) ship counters
There are also a variety of printed resources and web sites on the Internet that provide instructions on how to construct your own small, three-dimensional models of warships. Do not be surprised if some of your students want to attempt such a project. (It could actually result in some interesting math-related exercises, as students attempt to create scale renditions of real warships.)
The fourth resource, The Great War at Sea: Supplements & Variants for Naval Warfare Simulations, 1880-1900, has maps of the four largest islands of Samoa. Just click on Smaller Operations and look for the link 1899 Samoan Incident. The links to the maps are at the bottom of the page:
Maps for other scenarios are also available at this site. They can be downloaded, if you have time, and the students have the interest, in developing additional simulations.
The last resource, 15.1 Coaling and Coal Consumption, is an excerpt from yet another set of naval warfare rules. It contains some interesting information regarding coaling and fuel consumption which could provide additional realism to a simulation. The strategic constraints placed on a modern, steam-powered navy as it attempts to project power across a vast expanse of ocean become painfully apparent when employing these rule variants.
The biggest challenge for the teacher is to guide the students towards incorporating elements into the simulation that approximate the actual conditions at the time, thus increasing the sense of realism. Things that need to be considered include but are not limited to the nations involved, the key personalities within those nations, the ultimate goal of their policies, what resources they had at their command, and the degree to which they were willing to go in order to obtain their goal(s).
Evaluation:
1. Students will demonstrate their understanding
of cause-and-effect in the
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history of American imperialism in the Pacific Ocean through a classroom debate. (Debate Rubric)
3. Students will collect research on how the United States acquired Guam, Hawaii, Midway, and Wake Islands.
4. The students will apply their knowledge of American imperialism during the late-nineteenth century to create a role-playing simulation for classroom use. (Simulation Rubric)
Key words/concepts for this lesson:
o Manifest Destiny
o Imperialism
o Protectorate
o Punitive Expedition
o Gunboat Diplomacy
o Monroe Doctrine
o Sea Power
o Strategic Reach
o Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan
Date last updated 21st April 2004
