The Role Of American Imperialism In Late Nineteenth-And Early Twentieth Century

A tremendous amount of people wonder if America is trying to achieve world domination because of their involvement with the Middle East that is, however, a debatable and an unproven statement but it was especially true about a century ago during Theodore Roosevelt’s era. After the reparations done due to the civil war, Theodore Roosevelt strived to bring back American traditional values, that it, world expansion also known as manifest destiny. Theodore Roosevelt was an ingenious president whose aim was to make America an imperialistic nation and to colonise all the countries of the world. There is clear evidence that Roosevelt was trying to make America as a world superpower and he made it look like it was democracy even before Theodore Roosevelt’s

Before the 20th century the United States was an isolationist nation but around the late 19th century America decided to convert into an imperialist power. They had numerous reasons to shift into being an imperialist nation. America didn’t want to begin imperializing to settle and live in the nations they were taking over, they already had America for that reason, they wanted to adopt these nations for what they had to offer, which was many things. America saw an opportunity to improving their nation and took it. Even if there were many causes for America to imperialize, three of them stood out the most. Those three reasons being, economy, military, and culture superiority.

The United States mostly expanded into Latin America and Asia/Oceania during this time period. A prominent example of overseas expansion is the Spanish-American War. This conflict, which was caused by the alleged sinking of the USS Maine, led to the United States’ acquiring of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among others. The U.S. also received significant control in Cuba, where the Platt amendment provided a great deal of power to the United States in regards to building military bases. This acquirement of foreign territory represents a clear example of imperialism. During this time, the United States also took over Hawaii, partook in the Open Door Policy in China, and the Dollar Diplomacy of expanding economic influence. These policies, by either annexing territory or growing U.S. economic interests in foreign nations, represent clear examples of imperialism during this period.

As America became a great power, it has continued its legacy of territorial expansionism through neo-imperialist policies. Aside from acquiring land and expanding American territory, the United States has established policies that have allowed direct and often indirect military and political control, economic exploitation, and the introduction of American ideals. The U.S. has justified this form of colonialism by claiming that it is for mutual economic pursuits, the spreading of democracy, and the establishment of stable governments in developing countries. Despite America’s noble causes, American imperialism has caused many repercussions. The United States should cease to be an imperialist power as it is economically damaging to countries under its rule, costly to America, violates the fundamental American principle of self-governance, and exacerbates social and political situations in countries America has tampered with.

By 1901, the U.S. acquired exceptional overseas control, the title of a world power, and the third-largest navy in the world. These accomplishments were all mainly because of the current imperialistic philosophies of the age. This caused expansion, colonization, and fierce competition between countries like France, Japan, Britain, and Germany. However, the U.S. was not unaccustomed to these practices. Their expansionism was clearly an extension of previous expansionism with new political and economic influences. Although some things may have changed, the basis of expansionism remained the same.

America's imperialistic tendencies reaches it’s peak in the late 19th century where things like cultural superiority, militarism, and the drive for markets all culminated in this time period. These imperialistic motives had the U.S dipping its hands into nations like Cuba, Philippines, Hawaii, and more. The effects of imperialism on these countries range from assimilation to revamped governments. The following documents all are evidence of what led America into the pursuit of imperialism.

A Change to Imperialism After the civil war, Americans remained surprisingly aloof to the outside world. Because America was struggling with many problems over Reconstruction, such as trying to maintain a steady flow in the economy and settle the West, many Americans weren’t very concerned with foreign affairs. There was a

At the start of the 19th century, America was already expanding its territory. In 1803, the United States of America had bought the Louisiana Territory, it was bought from France which had made the country two times larger. In 1819 Spain had given up their territory of Florida to the United States. President Monroe issued the “Monroe Doctrine” in 1823, its main purpose was to warn the European countries to not enter the Western Hemisphere. In order for America to achieve its goal of becoming an imperialist nation they had conquered other countries economically, culturally, and with a strong military in the late 1800’s. Economically the U.S. had made advances in technology and began to get oversea territories. Culturally they had used the

The period of 1914-1941 was a hectic time in not only American, but world history. American foreign policy was influenced heavily by an isolationist sentiment, the causes for this can be traced to the causes and effects of WWI and the Great Depression, as well as complex economic investments that challenged the strength of the isolationist sentiment.

The United States American expansionism in the 1890's was motivated by the search of new markets and investment opportunities. Businesses created the expansion because the economy was so prosperous at this time. Mechanization and mass production allowed the industries in America to grow, which led to the growth of business, consumer goods and the overall American corporation. According to the textbook, the businesses interest shaped diplomatic and military strategy. Additionally, farm production increased, transportation systems improved and railroads were a significant factor. The United States became first place in the world in farm output and and in number of factories. For example, the number of American export tripled wile American direct investments increased as well. Generally, new businesses and economic interest motivated expansionism within the United States. However, the book also states that politics, joined profits, patriotism, and piety played a huge role in expansionism. What do you think the biggest role in expansionism in the 1890's was?

Thomas McCormick’s essay titled The World-System, Hegemony, and Decline, presents some relevant questions that I am unable to answer by just reading his work. Firstly, alluding to economic freedom and freedom of the seas as main U.S. objectives with regards to foreign policy might not be entirely accurate. It is true that the United States have used and will continue to use its elements of national power to protect economic interests all around the world, but are these the only instances where the United States fight for other freedoms? Is Uncle Sam our capitalistic egomaniac above anything else? Additionally, McCormick seems to be disappointed when he writes about how labor compensation differs between core, semi periphery, and periphery countries (Merrill and Paterson, 2010, 4). Is the author implying that Marxist approach to

The United States became an imperialistic nation towards the end of the 19th century because they believed in manifest destiny which leads to them wanting to expand overseas. There was industrialization and a huge economic growth around the 1890s, this period caused a huge demand not only for raw materials

In the post-war period in the US, the Truman Administration has adopted a number of decisions that, in fact, determined the foreign policy course of the country for the entire period of the Cold War. One of the key elements of the new foreign policy became the doctrine of Truman. This doctrine proclaimed the global role of the United States in world affairs and linked world problems to the national security of the United States. Truman proclaimed that US politics should be aimed on the support of the free people in their fight with armed minorities and external pressure. Under the term ‘external pressure’ Truman implied the expansion of USSR.

America encroaches on the rest of the world with its aggressive expansion. Advocates of Americanization argue that this spread is to promote prosperity and a worldwide connection, and encourage more. They do not recognize the great abuse and damage it truly causes. Americanization is idealized as a beneficial way to modernize foreign countries, but in reality it is harmful and leads affected communities to instability.

As American imperialism began to increase in the late 1800s and early 1900s, media and literature became an important facet in the landscape of the politics of the time. From newspapers and tabloids, to poetry and cartoons, American citizens relied on sources such as those in order to learn and understand the many issues surrounding imperialism at the time. Over time, the discussion of issues pertaining to the question of American involvement and leadership in terms of imperialism grew to become polarizing. Jingoism and anti-imperialism had all but any moderacy and many Americans began to adhere to either belief. However, to those who hoped to learn more and make an opinion about imperialism, many authors of various mediums, specifically addressed