At the end of the nineteenth century, the US was no longer a weak nation that could be ignored. Up until that change, the US practiced isolationism. This was when they would stay out of world affairs and focus on their own problems. The US grasped onto this belief after the country was founded and based their foreign policy on it. The US also joined in on the trend of expanding west. They had already claimed as much continental land as they could win in battle or buy. The US now had to ignore their isolationist upbringings and look to foreign land to conquer. Many considered the US the “highest civilization” and that they were destined to take over the world (Josiah Strong). This way of expanding outside of our boundaries quickly became popular because it made us a world power, but some felt that expansion was wrong. Both sides had evidence to prove their point and events that followed the imperialism age supported them.
A large facet of the American public accepted imperialism. Things like yellow journalism spread the idea that overseas expansion was necessary to America’s well being. One of the main reasons the US stepped into the imperialism game was it did not want to be left behind. The world was trending towards taking smaller, weaker nations and conquering them and consolidating them into empires (Henry Cabot Lodge). It was important to not let Europe, particularly England and Spain get to ahead of the US. Many wanted to the US to control things, and imperialism was the perfect venue for that. Expansion also made sense to many as being good for business. The Industrial Revolution was winding down but America was still producing many goods. The factories were in fact producing too much for American consumption. This meant t...
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... they decided that yes, they wanted to be the most powerful race (Walter Hines Page). When the US policed the world, things did not go all well. Their foreign policy helped anger Europe and cause divides at home. People could not agree on America’s path, and this was something that did not help at all.
When World War I was beginning, President Woodrow Wilson made a plea. His plea was to the American people, who he said who is united in their love for country (Woodrow Wilson). These divisions were still apparent decades after imperialistic expansion started. The imperialism experiment was successful in that America became powerful and successful, which was what many people wanted. It was also successful in proving the point of others who saw it as bullying and morally wrong. Both positions were valid and both positions would eventually be proven accurate.
Imperialistic Europe differed strongly from that of the United States. Europeans focused on Social Darwinism; politicians felt that conquering underdeveloped territories was the best thing for the human race. The United States did not have as strong of views on imperialism that were expressed by Europeans. The United States imperialism differed from Europeans by the lack of pressure to join the movement from neighboring countries, sheer size, and the economic importance of conquering other territories.
...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.
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.
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 ...
Imperialism is a policy by which a country gains power over the world or other countries. It begun in 1865 and it caused US to expand. America had “Thirst for New Market”. The business in The United States was developing rapidly so it needed more supplies (trade) from other countries. The United States used different methods such as Jingoism/Racism, Economic Expansion and American superiority over Europe, but however, economic expansion contributed most for the US Imperialism. This meant more money and power compare to other countries.
This period of expansionism clearly demonstrates just how power hungry the United States was at this point in its history. One could say that this thirst for international power, and perceived need to exercise such power, directly led to World War One in the
Throughout the course of history, nations have invested time and manpower into the colonizing and modernizing of more rural governments. Imperialism has spread across the globe, from the British East India Company to France’s occupation of Northern Africa. After their founding in 1776, the United States of America largely stayed out of this trend until The Spanish-American War of 1898. Following the war, the annexation and colonization of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines ultimately set a precedent for a foreign policy of U.S. imperialism.
The 19th century set the stage for different policies that lead to the extending of America’s power, which is defined as imperialism. Imperialism started for different reasons like the Americans wanting the U.S. to expand or explore the unknown land, or even some feared existing resources in U.S. might eventually dry up. The reason imperialism started doesn’t really matter, but more of what it caused. Imperialism lead to Cuban assistance, the addition of Hawaii and Alaska to America, and Yellow Journalism.
From western expansion to foreign imperialism the United States has always been an expansionist country. Early America’s focus was to conquer the natives and obtain western land within North America, but in the latter of America’s history, specifically in the nineteenth and twentieth century, foreign imperialism became the new focus. America’s activity in foreign imperialism was a continuation and departure of the United States’ early expansionism. It was a continuation in terms of manifest destiny, the spread of Christianity, and by the concept of “the city on a hill” and a departure in terms of foreign involvement.
...y twentieth-century was both a continuation and a departure from previous United States expansionism. The countries remarkable evolution from a quiet, small country with a great idea (expansionism) to a large, amazingly successful (economically and politically) and not despotic country is truly supported and based by expansionism and imperialism. The U.S. has both strayed from its previous ideas through the "new" expansionism (the navy, the new foreign policies (Roosevelt Corollary, and Monroe Doctrine, etc.) and stayed true to the founding ideals (God, the belief in Manifest Destiny, etc.). The imperialistic ideals and highly effective policies and notions of both the "new" (1880-1914) and "old" (1776-1880) expansion periods are what truly allowed the United States to succeed, thrive, and grow into the amazingly prosperous, large, successful country that it is today.
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.
Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century 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.
As the United States grew in power, so did her ideas of expansion. The foreign powers were beginning to move out of their continents and seek land in other countries. The United States soon followed. They followed in their founder’s footsteps and tried to occupy lands in the far seas. However, in the beginning, this need for more land was called Manifest Destiny. This idea claimed that God was forcing them to occupy the new western lands. The expansionism that occurred in the late 1800’s was not a result of Manifest Destiny, and thus this "new" idea of expansionism was different from the expansionism ideas of early America. For the most part, the United States’ need for more land was primarily to keep other nations (mainly European powers) out of the western hemisphere. However the United States began to see reason behind change towards the "new" expansionistic ideas.
After the civil war, United States took a turn that led them to solidify as the world power. From the late 1800s, as the US began to collect power through Cuba, Hawaii, and the Philippines, debate arose among historians about American imperialism and its behavior. Historians such as William A. Williams, Arthur Schlesinger, and Stephen Kinzer provides their own vision and how America ought to be through ideas centered around economics, power, and racial superiority.
During the Spanish American war, many people were divided over the topic of imperialism. Ultimately, many benefits came with the US territory expanding. Not only did the US get bigger, but many aspects of our nation improved significantly. American expansion abroad was justified because it helped the military and economy advance greatly.