The New Power

1350 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: American foreign policies pre-1900

Over the last few decades, I and fellow French diplomats have noticed a change in the American foreign policy. America is no longer just stretching within its own borders but showing interests in neighboring countries and the affairs of European countries in these other countries. The American foreign policy appears to be dominated by the interest of progressing humanity.The idea of progressing humanity comes from the American belief of freedom for all and spreading the American political ideas. The United States believed early on its creation that they were going to be a better nation than that of any European country. John Winthrop wrote even before getting to the nation that they shall be the city upon a hill. Winthrop’s speech speaks to the mission that God as employed them with to be different from that of any other and they must do so as one body and be prepared for enemies. Though, Winthrop and his followers went to the United States as colonizers they eventually sparked the revolutionary movement that would create the United States. Winthrop spoke true to America being an example for freedom to many other colonized nations across the world before even reaching the land . The idea that America is the role model for the world continues in Ezra Stile’s “The United States Elevated to Glory and Honour”. Stiles tells of how the liberal principles of law and civil polity make the United States unique. Specifically in the United States achievement to separate church and state makes them better than the European civilization. Josiah Strong writes on the superiority of the Anglo Saxon race. The Anglo Saxon race as he defines it is people who are English speaking. The growth of America in population size he believes opens the door ... ... middle of paper ... ...hose revolts should expect to be revolted against and understand why. Ultimately, this new democratic approach to a nation seems to be more trustworthy as Americans are not integrating into the culture of the Philippines, Cuba, or Puerto Rico but, allowing the people to be with just a certain amount of spheres of influence. I can not say for sure if America will reach the status of European nations but, I do not believe that they are afraid to try. Works Cited Winthrop, John. “City Upon a Hill.”1690 Stiles, Ezra. " The United States Elevated to Glory and Honour." 1783 Strong,Josiah. Anglo Saxon Predominance. 1891. Web. Olney, Richard. On American Jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere. U.S., Department of State, Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, 1895, I, pp. 545-562. Lodge, Henry Cabot. “For Intervention in Cuba”. Record, 54 Cong., 1 Sess., pp. 1971-1972.

Show More
Related

  • Compare and contrast America’s “Manifest Destiny” of the mid-19th century with its “Imperialism” of the late 19th century.

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...came a long way from its liberal and independent country, the Manifest Destiny era and Imperialism era changing it to a more power-stricken individual that was becoming the thing that is hated from before, Great Britain. The Manifest Destiny era and the Imperialism era have their similarities, just like a lot of eras that succeed each other, but they also have their differences. Imperialism is a more glorified and power-hungry elder to its younger and more innocent Manifest Destiny. It was only a matter of time before America turned into what it hated, but it was up to itself to fix its behavior and become something good, and not simply self-centered and materialistic in terms of land area and world power. The Manifest Destiny and Imperialism exemplified this change and made it apparent that two eras that were similar, yet so different, could change a whole nation.

    Read More

  • Changes In Us Foreign Policy Between 1880 And 1910

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the United States grew and flourished as a country. It went from being a nation focused only on expanding within their own country, and comprised of basically only one heritage, to becoming one of the world's greatest military, economical, and political superpowers, as well as being the earth's preeminent "melting pot" of thousands of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

    Read More

  • Sense of identity and unity as Americans

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most of the first settlers in America came from England and considered themselves to be Englishmen. At first they relied on their mother country for money, supplies and protection. As the colony became larger and more populous, people gradually started feeling as if they were a separate nation. By the eve of the Revolution the patriotism has built up to such an extent, that the colonists believed America was self-sufficient enough to exist as independent unit from England.

    Read More

  • Gary Nash

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his essay titled, “The Transformation of European Society”, Gary Nash argues how seventeenth and eighteenth century United States (U.S.) witnessed the birth of a distinct “democratic personality”. This personality had numerous effects on American society. Mr. Nash believed a society having democratic personalities exhibited the following qualities: individualization, competitiveness, and opportunity. Many factors led up to the creation of each of these traits. Americans wanted their own, distinct life, where they were not told how to act and what to think. Unfortunately, this was idealistic thinking. Reality was that they were swaying from the original goal of working towards the better of community, the Puritan way. Through the traits mentioned above in many ways could help society, they constantly went against it also. For example, many businesses, even parts of the government, were accused of being corrupt, and performing illegal acts in order to get ahead. U.S citizens were given so many options in life, many learned they could do better than what they were born to. The immense amount of land in the West led to many of these options. The land was cheap and unoccupied, meaning that it was relatively easy to gain success and achieve a higher social standing through the land. This was followed by the mindset of the “me” personality in much of American history. This also led to how competitiveness became ingrained into daily rational and overall life. A multitude of people were motivated to achieve more and become the vision of success that was driving their fellow man. Many of their visions were of owning land, and of being able to live a comfortable lifestyle. As Nash states, “living in a place where the ratio of people to ...

    Read More

  • Analyzing America's Shift in Foreign Policy

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    America’s entrance into World War I is seemingly peculiar in that it was perhaps the first instance in which the United States militarily intervened in any situation outside of the context of continental American politics. Therefore, a change in foreign policy is quite evident, and in fact, historical fact. Thus, when one is to analyze the circumstances surrounding America’s involvement in the “Great War”, it would be of the most importance for one to examine the reasoning behind this aforesaid shift in policy. There are mainly two factors which appear to have precipitated this shift: an increase in economic ties with European nations, and an adjustment to the manner whereby the United States determined how it may interact with foreign powers. When inspecting these elements, one should also question the extent to which they may uphold, or possibly betray, traditional American values--if at all. Essentially, an increase in the strength of, and the American value placed upon, trade with European economies, and an apparent shift in how Americans viewed themselves in context to global affairs, seem to have been the primary forces which may have initiated a change in foreign policy around the year of 1917; with both of which resulting in a potential deviation from traditional American values.

    Read More

  • Alexis De Tocqueville: American Exceptionalism

    2107 Words  | 5 Pages

    Stretching from the colonial times to the present times, the people of the United States have consistently believed that their country had a particular purpose in history due to its unique constitution and founding history of the nation. Alexis De Tocqueville, a French historian of the 19th century, wrote in his book Democracy in America that “the position of the Americans is therefore quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one.” He wrote this following his explanation on how America has departed significantly from its European ancestry, diverging into a unique and unprecedented path. It is believed that he had first initiated the term today known as ‘American exceptionalism’, which

    Read More

  • Washington's Farewell Address

    1624 Words  | 4 Pages

    George Washington, the first president of the United States, had written a very important historical speech and document towards the end of his time in office. He had written the Farewell address which focused on helping America understand the importance of preserving unity, acknowledging the rise of political parties forming, strengthening religion and morality, and he stated his position on American foreign policy. He addressed these ideas with strong tone and used incredible amount of dictions that strengthens his tone as well as representing his appeal to ethos to a strong degree. However, today’s society seemed to forget Washington’s position on foreign policy and has created a new form of the policy. But nonetheless as time grew, change occurs. In today’s society Washington’s foreign policy would include many positive and negative manifestations, but it is still a speech and document that will always apply to America.

    Read More

  • Thomas Bender: The Superpowers Of The American Revolution

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    The start of the American Revolution, described by Edmund Morgan as, “the shot heard around the world,” was the “Americans’ search for principles” (Bender 63). Although the world’s colonies did not necessarily seek independence much like the Americans, the world’s colonies were nonetheless tired of the “administrative tyranny” being carried out by their colonizers (Bender 75). The American Revolution set a new standard in the colonies, proclaiming that the “rights of Englishmen” should and must be the “rights of man,” which established a new set foundation for the universal rights of man (Bender 63). This revolution spread new ideas of democracy for the colonized world, reshaping people’s expectations on how they should be governed. Bender emphasizes America as challenging “the old, imperial social forms and cultural values” and embracing modern individualism” (Bender 74). Bender shapes the American Revolution as a turning point for national governments. The American Revolution commenced a new trend of pushing out the old and introducing new self-reliant systems of government for the former

    Read More

  • Manifest Destiny

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    Americans throughout history have always felt that they were superior. The concept of “Manifest Destiny” has been the fuel to the fire of superiority. Manifest Destiny is the belief that it is American’s are the chosen ones and have the obvious right to conquer and own land between the eastern and western seaboards and that such expansion was inevitable. Manifest Destiny along with Christianity were two reasons that drove and encouraged both expansion within North Amer...

    Read More

  • The Different with America

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    America is different from other places, it always has been. The reason why is that America has a vast variety of “.people from different nations, accustomed to different forms and habits of government, speaking different languages, and different in their modes of worship.” America is an immense melting pot. Together they all help America strive in every field of technology, work, and life because of all of these differences. Thomas Paine’s characterization of America does not hold true today.

    Read More

  • Manifest Destiny

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States of America has never been content with stagnation. The landmass of the Thirteen Colonies was enough to rival that of the Mother country from which they separated. The forefathers believed that it was the manifest destiny of this nation to eventually claim the expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. By 1890, nearly a hundred years following the original claim of Manifest Destiny, the land that was once open, was now under American control. But no sooner was the Great American Frontier closed, than was the door to East Asian expansion opened with the great gold key of American diplomacy. In a world where imperialism was contagious, and cartographers had to work around the clock to keep up with an ever-changing geopolitical landscape, the United States seized the opportunity to establish herself as a significant world power. With great expansionist minds at her helm, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Howard Taft the United States began to grow beyond her border to claim stake in this wide-open world. This new expansionism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was a different institution than its early to mid nineteenth century counterpart. Still, the drive to exercise the sovereignty of the United State and to propel itself over the world’s stage was the same then as it was in the time of Thomas Jefferson. In order to understand this assertion, attention must be given to three levels of analysis. First, the similarities that exist between the drive and purpose of old and new expansion must be taken into account. Second, the differences in the global political scene must be considered. Finally, there exits differences in the means by which expansion occurred.

    Read More

  • Woodrow Wilson and American Diplomacy

    2940 Words  | 6 Pages

    “Until early in [the twentieth] century, the isolationist tendency prevailed in American foreign policy. Then, two factors projected America into world affairs: its rapidly expanding power, and the gradual collapse of the international system centered on Europe” . President Woodrow Wilson was the leader who would initiate the ideologies of American diplomacy in the twentieth century. Up until his Presidency, American foreign policy was simply to fulfill the course of manifest destiny, and to remain free of entanglements overseas. Although he could not convince his fellow politicians on Capitol Hill of the probable success of his ideas, he did persuade the fellow writers of the Treaty of Versailles to use his Fourteen Points. America’s role as a political global superpower was established during his Presidency, as well as the modern policy that peace depends on the spread of democracy, and that national interest consists of adhering to a global system of law.

    Read More

  • Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history, the United States had come off as a stubborn nation that would take what they wanted at any cost. This was prevalent in both cases of expansion as the Americans risked war and national safety for the sake of gaining land, or even merely for proving a point. During the early years of expansion, the Americans had pushed aside the Native Americans and whoever else inhabited the land they wanted. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs and that every one else was merely squatting on their territory. This idea was continued into the early twentieth century as the Americans looked to the oceans for new territories to their kingdom. This idea is greatly exemplified in document 'E', in which Senator Albert J. Beveridge delivers a speech to Congress, saying that, "...and thanksgiving to Almighty God that He has marked us as His chosen people, henceforth to lead in the regeneration of the world..."

    Read More

  • American Imperialism

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the late 19th and 20th century, the United States pursues an aggressive policy of expansionism, extending its political, military, and economic influence across the globe. The events during this ‘age of imperialism’ laid the foundation for America’s international power while simultaneously defining the use of the these powers. The policy that the United States implemented at this time is known as Big Stick Diplomacy which was to speak softly but carry a big stick. This meant that the United States would ask for something or take a stance on an issue and if another nation refused or went against the United States, then the military would be summoned to ‘resolve’ the issues. This domineering foreign policy defined the politics of American Imperialism that was especially prevalent from 1890-1913.

    Read More

  • American Exceptionalism Essay

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    American exceptionalism is a belief that the United States is different from other nations around the world and as such superior; the term was coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831, yet the philosophy of American superiority can be traced all the way back to the days before the United States was even an idea. They saw their new culture as “A city upon a hill” and sought to achieve moral and spiritual perfection. With this moral superiority the colonists, later Americans, saw a duty presented upon them by God and nature to instill such superior values into other cultures and the world. One such example can be clearly seen in the work of St. John de Crèvecoeur in Letters from an American Farmer where the narrator “Farmer James” states his belief

    Read More

More about The New Power

Open Document