A New Form of Expansion Before the start of the Spanish-American War of the late nineteenth-century and World War I in the early twentieth century, the United States had encouraged expansion as being a way of gaining power. For example, the Frontier thesis, conveyed that it is through the expansion of new lands that humanity would continue to progress. Also the United States portrayed its impatience to expand through Manifest Destiny: the desire to expand from sea to sea with the goal to own and cultivate as much land as possible. However, as the late nineteenth and early twentieth century appeared, America experienced a change. It grew from an ambitious, power-seeking country, to the beginnings as the wealthiest and a superpower. America, it seemed, became a country that helped the world, not itself, through expansion. Though the path of the United States' expansion was nonstop in its plan for Manifest Destiny; through trade, foreign policy, and social class evidence, it can be confirmed that in the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth century, the "new world-power" was looked upon as a dependent source to 3rd-world countries and the United States' reason for its departure from its continual past of expansionism, was to maintain order and promote individual country constancy. To keep order, the United States misused their right to economical power. Although the U.S hoped for logical foreign policy, they seemed to abuse their economical power at the same time, by looking out for the "growing production of the country" (Doc C) and it's promotions that "enables a country to extend its influences outward" ( Doc C). The a... ... middle of paper ... ...her hand, as the immigrants began to enter the American work force, Roosevelt used his "Square Deal" to declare that he would use his powers as a president to safeguard the rights of the workers. Within America and throughout foreign countries, the efforts of expansion by the United States proceeded to continue their old goal of maintaining Manifest Destiny and expanding their economic power globally. Yet, they began to form a new course of expansion which leads to the support of world wide stability and order. Their way of thinking for achieving this was not obtained by believing to become a world superpower, yet brought upon the United States by the foreign masses of underdeveloped countries, which relied on them for political, economical, and social stability in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
As the Reconstruction Era ended, the United States became the up and coming world power. The Spanish-American war was in full swing, and the First World War was well on its way. As a result of the open-door policy, England, Germany, France, Russia, and eventually Japan experienced rapid industrial growth; the United States decided to pursue a foreign policy because of both self- interest and idealism. According to the documents, Economic self- interest, rather than idealism was more significant in driving American foreign policy from 1895 to 1920 because the United States wanted to protect their foreign trade, property and their access to recourses. While the documents also show that Nationalistic thought (idealism) was also crucial in driving American foreign policy, economic Self- interest prevailed.
At the turn of the century, and after gaining our independence, the United States land mass more than doubled through the use of purchasing, annexing, and war. However, the foreign policy of our government took a predominately isolationist stand. This was a national policy of abstaining from political or economic relations with other countries. General Washington shaped these values by upholding and encouraging the use of these principles by warning to avoid alliances in his farewell speech. The reasoning behind these actions was that the Republic was a new nation. We did not have the resources or the means to worry about other countries and foreign affairs; our immediate efforts were internal. Our goals that were of primary importance were setting up a democratic government and jump-starting a nation. The United States foreign policy up to and directly preceding the Civil War was mainly Isolationist. After the war, the government helped bring together a nation torn apart by war, helped improved our industrialization, and helped further populate our continent. We were isolationist in foreign affairs, while expanding domestically into the west and into the north through the purchase of Alaska. However, around 1890 the expansionism that had taken place was a far cry from what was about to happen. Expansionism is the nations practice or policy ...
The United States believed that by using economic expansion method they could expand and explore their economy; their economy was dependent on foreign trade due of increasing agriculture and manufacturing exports. America paid money to Panama to get control of the Panama Canal. It begun in 1904 and completed in 1914. They did this because they needed strong power over the world to protect its trading interests and it also empowered America to expand its economy and military influence. US believed that control over sea was the answer to the world preemi...
Roosevelt shaped the legacy of expansionism that he inherited from McKinley into a new imperialism. Roosevelt's reinterpretation was dedicated to the idea of order in world affairs, rather than occupation or colonization, eventual independence for undeveloped or developing nations once they had conformed to the American model of government, and a world in which international disputes would be settled by negotiation instead of war. The new world order that Roosevelt envisioned was broad in that it would open foreign markets to American values and products.
United States expansionism in the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century is both a continuation and a departure of past United States expansionism. Expansionism in the United States has occurred for many reasons. Power (from land), religion, economics, and the ideas of imperialism and manifest destiny are just a few reasons why the U.S. decided to expand time and again throughout the course of its 231 year history. Expansionism has evolved throughout the years as the inhabitants of the country have progressed both socially (the Second Great Awakening, the women's suffrage movement, the populist party and the early 19th and 20th century social reformers) and economically (factories, better farms, more jobs, etc.) Expansion changed from non-interference policies to the democratic control of the government as the United States grew in both size and population. Through the use of the documents and events during two major-expansion time periods (1776-1880) and 1880-1914), I will display both the continuation and departure trends of United States expansionism.
Expansionism in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century shared many similarities and differences to that of previous American expansionist ideals. In both cases of American expansionism, the Americans believed that we must expand our borders in order to keep the country running upright. Also, the Americans believed that the United States was the strongest of nations, and that they could take any land they pleased. This is shown in the "manifest destiny" of the 1840's and the "Darwinism" of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Apart from the similarities, there were also several differences that included the American attempt to stretch their empire across the seas and into other parts of the world.
Manifest Destiny was the belief that started and caused the westward expansion and led to many wars between all different types of people and the different countries that owned the land. The expansion allowed for lifespan to increase, the economy blossomed, and the main goal was accomplished which was getting occupation of America from ocean coast to ocean coast.
Imperial expansion in 1860-1914 is often referred to as new imperialism, considering the first flush of territorial acquisitions that occurred in 15th &16th century. This expansion is deepening of the process of colonisation by Europeans in Africa and Asia, Japan in East Asia, and the United States in Central America and Asia. It was an aggressive extension of overseas territories, a ' White Man's Burden', establishing half a century of political and economic domination. This essay attempts to outline the sources and responses of this process.
Immediately following the war with Spain, the United States had both the political will to pursue imperial policies and the geopolitical circumstances conducive to doing so. But the way in which these policies would manifest was an open question; was the impulse to actively remake the world in America’s Anglo-Saxon image justified? Hence, there were several models of American imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century. In the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Samoa, the United States asserted unwavering political control. In Cuba, and later throughout most of the Caribbean basin, the economic and political domination of customarily sovereign governments became the policy. Ultimately, the United States was able to expand its territory
The major American aspiration during the 1790s through the 1860s was westward expansion. Americans looked to the western lands as an opportunity for large amounts of free land, for growth of industry, and manifest destiny. This hunger for more wealth and property, led Americans conquer lands that were rightfully someone else's. Manifest destiny and westward expansion brought many problematic issues to the Unites States verses the Indians that took the Americans to the Civil War.
As shown, America’s rapid change as the 19th century came to a close was supported by a various amount of imperialistic beliefs, motives, and incidents that almost jumpstarted the U.S. onto the world stage. Many of these incidents such as the public’s thirst for expansion, the annexation of several faraway lands, and the build-up of U.S. military forces would not have been possible without the Spanish American War. Moreover, the Spanish American war would not have been possible without the American people. Imperialism was a consequence of the American Democratic experiment, giving the people what they want.
Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the United States expanded its territory westward through purchase and annexation. At the end of the century, however, expansion became imperialism, as America acquired several territories overseas. This policy shift from expansionism to imperialism came about as a result of American's experience in the Spanish American War and the Congressional debates that followed the American victory.
In “There is no True History of Westward Expansion”, by Robert Morgan, he argues that history is inaccurate, history only names the famous people or actions which happened in history. He accurately states in his text that history is made up of heroes, villains, and also average citizens. This viewpoint is true because the more that is examined about history the more that is discovered. Other texts give support , such as,“Thomas Jefferson’s America, 1801” by Stephen Ambrose, “Reporting to the President, September 23- December 31, 1806” by Stephen Ambrose, and “American Progress” by John Gast, to Morgan’s idea that history is not made up of just hero and villains.
The Westward Expansion was a turning point on United States becoming a continental agricultural and manufacturing power. United States wanted to explore and settle into the West after the Louisiana Purchase as the result of the War of 1812. Many pioneers and families moved west between 1816 and 1821. The land was purchased by the federal government to sell it at a very high price to the farmers. The farmers were willing to purchase land with the increase of American agricultural products. The state bank collapsed and all the farmers that were depending on it had all their land values go down. The Panic of 1819 greatly affected the western settlers who purchased land for crops. Most made it through the Panic and followed the conquest heading West.
The ‘Accelerated Growth’ excerpt from Blockman’s and Hoppenbrouwer’s Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1550 puts forth an underlying assertion that there is casual relationship between popular agricultural innovations, political organisation and cultural & social expansion in the medieval period. The relationship being inferred is that as a result of vast population growth in the period, greater need for forms of social order and authority also grew, and thus, as a result a whole new culture and social order of courtly behaviour, knighthood and a new state of peasantry were born.