American Imperialism Imperialism by the book is the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political or military territories. The time period where the US exampled imperialism was very important for our country because the US was able to grow with the new territories that were gained and the economic gain from the new market that were acquired. The spread of American culture was also a big concept during this time in the countries history. The United States exhibited imperialism between 1890-1920 through military strength, new markets, and cultural superiority. Throughout the time period of 1890 to 1920 there was a desire for military strength as the whole world was competing against each other. Admiral T. Mahan of the Navy …show more content…
Emilio Aguinaldo led a rebellion in the Philippines when he heard of the plans that the United States was going to annex their country. The American military imposed authority by defeating the Filipino rebels over a long period of time. The aftermath of the situation included a war cost of $400 million, which is 20 times what the US paid for the island. This event shows the strength of the military because the soldiers were able to hold off the Filipino rebels not only for a long period of time, but they also defeated them helping America claim the Philippines. The second example of the military strength of the United States is the installation of naval bases in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. After the annexation of Hawaii, US military and economic leaders knew that the Hawaiian Islands had value so they pressured Hawaii to allow the United States to build a naval base at Pearl Harbor. The base became a refueling station for American ships. When establishing the Cuban constitution, the United States insisted that Cuba add provisions to their constitution, which were known as the Platt Amendment. One of the provisions in the Platt Amendment was that America was able to buy or lease …show more content…
First, the acquisition of Alaska proved itself to be a great new market for the United States. William Seward, who was the Secretary of State under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, planned to buy Alaska from Russia. He had trouble persuading the House of Representatives and the public that the purchase of Alaska was a good idea and no one believed him. Over time, after the purchase of Alaska, the new land proved itself to the country by being rich in timber, minerals, and oil. The purchase of Alaska created a new market for the US by growing the oil trade, and by adding timber and minerals to the trade list. Second, the Open Door Policy in China made sure that China would always be open for trade. China was weakened by war and foreign intervention from so many different countries, multiple countries build prosperous settlements along the coast of China. To make sure that American traders would not b shut out from China’s markets, John Hay issued the Open Door Notes, which are letters addressed to the leaders of imperialist nations proposing that the nations share their trading rights with the United States. This meant that one nation could not control all of China’s markets creating a monopoly. This is important with new markets because America is reassuring a relationship with China that will last awhile through trade. In the years 1890 to 1920, new