National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: New Frontier, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
A speech and an essay that alternately praise the acquisition of foreign territory by the U.S. and that raise questions about the costs and value of these imperialistic adventures.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Progress, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
Eighteen primary sources-historical documents, literary texts, and visual images-that explore the industrial, racial, and technological progress of the late-nineteenth century.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Power: Taming the Octopus: The Image of the Octopus
Six versions of the octopus, a pervasive image in late-nineteenth-century America, that illustrate the extensive and corrosive power held by corporations over American political and economic life. Reading guide with discussion questions.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Big City Politics, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
Ash Can School artist John Sloan's painting Election Night captures the exuberance of urban politics in the early-twentieth century, and artist Henry Glitkencamp's illustration Voting Machines suggests its corrupting power. Both pieces...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Manifest Destiny and Beyond: Theodore Roosevelt and the Strenuous Life
Theodore Roosevelt's speech to a Chicago men's club in which he advocates a vigorous and assertive relationship between America and other parts of the world.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Two Wars, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
A political cartoon depicting a Union and a Confederate veteran united in support for the Spanish-American War. A painting entitled Twelve-Inch Gun depicting elegant officers and ladies aboard a battle ship, civilizing gentility and the...
Hartford Web Publishing
World History Archives: The Butcher of Congo
An extremely informative review of a non-fiction book, King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild. The review contains specific quotes from the book and accurate historical research.
Curated OER
History Matters: Manifest Destiny, Continued: Mc Kinley Defends u.s. Expansionism
Enhanced by an introduction and commentary, read a speech given by U.S. President William McKinley to a delegation of Methodist church leaders in 1899 in which he defined the United States intervention in the Philippines as the proper...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: European Imperialism: Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Access university-level course materials compiled for course on European imperialism.
Digital History
Digital History: Three Theories Explaining Imperialism [Pdf]
Read about three theories of Imperialism and how actions by the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were driven by one or perhaps all three of the theories.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Islamic History Sourcebook: Death of General Gordon
Written from a contemporary historical perspective from the era of imperialism, this site offers a brief overview of the events of the British defeat at Khartoum in 1885. Includes some quotations from General Gordon's personal diary, and...
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Robert Clive
This site is provided for by the Fordham University. Read an excerpt from Clive's speech to the House of Commons regarding the rule of the East India Company over India. Offers excellent perspective on the imperialistic, superior...
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: On Colonies and Colonization
British economic philosopher John Stuart Mill's article from the Fordham University dealing with the economical benefits of colonization in other countries. This writing illustrates not only arguments in favor of imperialism, but also...
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Letter to Sir George Grey
This site from the Fordham University provides a letter to the man that consented to act as arbitrator between the Boers and an African tribe, the Basutos, from the tribe's chief. It concerns hostilities, the background of such...
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: How I Found Livingstone, 1871
This site from the Fordham University provides a primary account of Sir Henry Morton Stanley's first meeting with Dr. Livingstone.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Fei Ch'i Hao
Fordham's Modern History Sourcebook offers a Chinese Christian's account of the Boxer Rebellion in China.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: When the Allies Entered Peking
This site from the Fordham University provides one Frenchman's account of the allied intervention in the Boxer Rebellion, especially the Allied battle for and entry into Peking.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Yao Chen Yuan
This site, which is provided for by the Fordham University, gives a Chinese Christian's account of his journey to deliver letters during the time of the Boxer rebellion.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: John Hobson Imperialism 1902
This site from the Modern History Sourcebook of Fordham University provides John A. Hobson's critique of Imperialism, from an economic point of view.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook
A rich Fordham University site of primary source material that include full-text, and multimedia sites. There are additional study and research guides such as Modern History in the Movies.
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: Manifest Destiny: Many Shades of Manifest Destiny
A discussion of the other guises of Manifest Destiny, including imperialism, yellow journalism, the idea of the white man's burden, the Monroe Doctrine, and the Roosevelt Corollary.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: United States and Asia
Overview of U.S. foreign policy and relationship with Asia during an age of expansion and Imperialism.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The Birth of an American Empire
In this Curriculum Unit, learners will consider "The Birth of an American Empire" in 4 Lessons. The unit also includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
Score: White Man's Burden
Teachers: Lesson from SCORE that explores the Expansionist/ Anti-Imperialist debate at the turn of the century. Organized as a U.S. history unit, content includes information about the debate, as well as numerous resources, online...