Rise Of American Imperialism

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The United States was a little over a hundred years old and was already in prime position to emerge as a powerful leader on the world stage. However, it was not the only nation looking to assert its dominance in regions throughout the world. The United States would not stand idly by as the lands near its borders had foreign occupants when they could be in control instead. There was also a theory suggesting imperialism was the new way of the world and expansion was in the better interest of the United States. With opportunities presented in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Latin America to fulfill an American desire to expand power, the United States developed its foreign policy between 1890 and 1930 based on its own self-interests leading to the buildup of an American empire. In the late nineteenth century, imperialism has begun in Europe and was quickly spreading towards the west. European nations already gained territory in both Africa and Asian where they set up colonies, explored economic advantages, and spread their …show more content…

The benefits were the Asian markets, but the United States would have to maneuver its way to get to those markets. Years before 1890, the United States eliminated one barrier, while at the same time, gaining valuable ports with the purchase of the Alaskan territory from Russian (Tindall & Shi, 2013). The next target for the United States would be the Hawaiian island chain, but they were already under control. There were some deals in place with Hawaii, which led to an economic boost for sugar planters, but led to the suffering of the original inhabitants (Tindall & Shi, 2013). Between 1885 and 1891, the United States manipulated the Hawaiian government to lose more and more of its control (Tindall & Shi, 2013). Finally, in 1898, Hawaii was annexed by the United States and had a huge open door to the

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