American Expansionism In 20th Century Essay

"We cannot all live in the cities, yet nearly all seemed determined to do so." New York editor Horace Greeley had stated. This opinion seems true as the as the American Expansionism at the turn of the 20th century had proven. The main reasons as to why this incredible ambush of immigrants had happened was because of the U.S winning the Spanish- American war as well as because of the United States up and coming industrial centers which created many jobs in the big cities such as Pittsburg, Chicago, New York, and Cleveland. The U.S changed their economy from agriculture to industrial and overproducing products, making the U.S desperate in needing to sell off the excess are some of the justifications Americans offered for expansionism.

The last

After the Spanish- American war, immigrants from the south also came up to the United States for better opportunities, the majority of immigrants were white. 85 percent of the immigrants were from northern and western Europe, with Germans, Irish, English, and Scandinavians which were known as the "Old immigrants." Then more ships came and that included south and east Europeans, Italians, Jews, Hungarians, Turks, Russians, Poles, Armenians, and other Slavic people accounted for 80% of the immigrants which were known as the "NEW" immigrants. With the U.S becoming a more industrialized country and creating so many jobs and products, made the U.S desperate to get rid of their excess products. Industrial and mercantile expansion required new markets. During the good financial times, the need for cheap labor workers were in demand, which made the immigrant workers prime players. Immigration slowed when the economy dropped in 1873 and 1893, but picked back up when the economy would rise. Steamship companies sought immigrants. "News was colored, success magnified, comforts and advantages exaggerated beyond all proportions." The U.S took in 63% of all the immigrants destinations from between the years of