Cause And Effects Of American Imperialism

Arianna Danfoura

Mr. Kennedy

US History

12 April 2023

Causes and Effects of American Imperialism American Imperialism refers to a period of time in history where the United States expanded its territory, destroyed traditional cultures, and grew its economic and political power. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several factors played a role in the continus and overpowering imperialism by the United States. American Imperialism included taking over the world and building a powerful nation. As they conquered nations they were able to profit from their sources through new material, markets, and cheap labor. The extreme growth of American Imperialism in the 19th and 20 centuries had complex causes and irreversible effects,

There was a need for new markers to sell new American products. The government supported overseas trade, and conquering the territories that made trade easier. Imperialism provided incredible economic benefits that the United States took advantage of. The cheap labor and resources that were available for them in their newly acquired territories strengthened the country’s economy. The US Industrial Index document shows the enormous increase in US industrial production. The Industrial Revolution produced explosive economic growth, and the U.S economy grew. The Federal government gained power, and it became easier to push American influence to foreign countries. The Puck document shows the pride Americans began to feel, and the desire that grew to become a world power. In 1898 the United States went to war with Spain over Cuba. The United States gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines along with Cuba. Over the next two years, America conquered Hawaii, Wake Island, and American Samoa (Smithsonian). The more territories conquered, the stronger the American economy became. Although Manifest Destiny had been completed, imperialism only grew through the late 18th and early 19th century. This period of rapid expansion put the United States on the map as a global

The White Man's Burden was one of the major causes in the support of imperialism by the American people. They felt a burden to save the people living in the territories around them, and claimed they had no other choice than to conquer them. Joseph Chamberlain, a British Politician spoke, “ We feel now that our rule over these territories can only be justified if we can show that it adds to the happiness and prosperity of the people, and I maintain that our rule does, and has, brought security and peace and comparative prosperity to countries that never knew shese blessings before. In carrying out this work of civilization we are fulfilling what I believe to be our national mission, and we are finding scope for the exercise of these faculties and qualities which have made of us a great governing race . .. in almost every instance in which the rule of the Queen has been established . .. there has come with it greater security to life and property, and a material improvement in the condition of the bulk of the population. (Speech to the Royal Colonial Institute, London, March 31, 1897). Many Americans believed imperialism was a burden, and not for their own. This was an excuse they used when taking over inhabited territories, and claiming hure were saving