Compare And Contrast A Sense Of Mission And Isolationism

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Throughout American history, a sense of a mission has existed among the citizens and the country. America is a very blessed country where freedom rings and liberty exists. Therefore, Americans “have felt a desire and responsibility to share the benefits of the uniqueness with others around them.” (From lesson readings)

In the beginning of our independence, America strived for and was committed to isolationism. “Isolationism is a category of foreign policies institutionalized by leaders who asserted that their nations ' best interests were best served by keeping the affairs of other countries at a distance.”(1) They believed that it was best to avoid alliances that involved both military and political issues.

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These two commitments, a sense of mission and isolationism, were very strong. However, the senate debate over ratification of the Treaty of Versailles after World War 1 created a conflict between both commitments. President Woodrow Wilson had 14 points of interest that outlined his vision for a safer world. However, among Wilson’s 14 points, only one was accepted in the Treaty. This was the formation of the League of Nations. It was then presented to the Senate. This is where the conflict spoken of earlier arose. Although America had previously been committed to both a sense of mission and isolationism, they could not go hand in hand in this situation because they both supported a much different cause.

• Sense of Mission: The Treaty of Versailles was a sense of mission or a goal that Wilson had for America by “making the world safe for democracy.” He had a strong desire to strengthen and improve other countries and in essence, the world. In his opinion, the great blessings that America enjoyed were something that every country should experience. Therefore he fought for the ratification of the Treaty as it would support his belief, with one of his strategies being the League of Nations. This was a step away from isolation and neutrality and America would become more involved in the affairs of other

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