Since the beginning, the US has continuously grown to find its place in the world. What started as a nation that was having no problems, the United States has become a better global economy. Along with the money-based power and the different foreign policies put into law since the Civil War, the US has found itself known as the “World Police”. The title of the Policemen of the World came about with the Spanish-American War and had since led to involvement in foreign conflicts on many occasions.
The foreign conflicts include the Korean War, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Desert Shield to say the least. Not very long ago, the US has been involved in conflicts in the Middle East, such as the Civil War in Libya and the matters in Iraq.
…show more content…
The Spanish-American war was fought for humanitarian reasons and as the backlash to Spain’s treatment of the Cuban Independence movement. The result of this war was that Cuba was freed but under U.S. instruction by terms of the Platt change with Spain assuming the Cuban debt. Puerto Rico and Guam were given up to the United States as indemnity, and the Philippines were given to the United States for a payment of $20 million. Next to this display of the US military, the US was also becoming a global economy, and with increasing money based interests overseas, had to protect these interests. The US continued to expand its global power, and following World War II, played a major role in forming the United Nations. The United Nations has resulted in the United States taking on the role of a police force multiple times and existed largely because of the formation of the US.
Three international incidents from the past five years that can be traced back to a foreign policy created after the Civil War are Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq. The Vietnam War began in 1955 and was between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The government in power of North Vietnam and its allies known as the Viet Cong were supported by the Russian government while South Vietnam’s primary ally was the United
…show more content…
Immediately after getting independence from Great Britain the new nation focused on issues on the home front. After the loss of the Civil War, the country welcomed the Industrial Revolution with open arms. The advances in technology and transportation during the Industrial Revolution led to great improvements in American society and established the United States as a world power. Although the United States had moral reasons for expansion, their foreign policy was mostly fueled by self-interest. This self-interest has dictated foreign policy from 1867 all the way to the present
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.
The first reason is the main reason the U.S joined the Spanish-American war is territory and resources. According to a document by Jason Colby, Spain took control of Cuba, the Philippines Islands, and Puerto Rico. The U.S was worried that
Even though, during war the United States rather argued it’s nobleness in world matters, protecting Cubans and Filipinos from Spaniards. An exemplar of this is America issuing the Teller Amendment; which declared that Americans had no interest in taking political control in Cuba. But, later the Teller Amendment was proved wrong by the Platt Amendment, which stated that; Cuba would never sign a treaty with foreign power, impairing it’s independence, let America maintain independence and order in the country, and the United States maintain Guantanamo Bay a permanent base. Therefore, the U.S. controlling Cuba’s policies. The Filipinos as well are another exemplar of it, during the Spanish-American war they were offered independence but, later on were taken as United States territory until, the Filipino Revolution led to independence.
The Spanish-American War in 1898 marked a turning point in United States foreign policy due to the fact that it was the first time America stepped away from economic isolationism and embraced imperialism. Before the war, the country was dealing with Reconstruction and Manifest Destiny. After the war, the country was regulating entire civilized populations through acquired territories from the war, and the Panama Canal. Before the Spanish-American War, America was an isolationist country that kept its focus on internal affairs that were directly involved with the post-Civil War era. In particular, it related to Reconstruction and Manifest Destiny.
When America, as we know it today, was created, it had just freed itself from an unwanted, suffocating European power. The people wanted nothing to do with foreign affairs and their presidents’ policies reflected that. As America moved forward and established themselves as a world power, they began to want more. At the turn of the twentieth century, this want for more hit its peak and because of other circumstances, more was just within reach. America had always prided themselves in staying out of foreign problems and focusing inward, but now a new age was dawning.
The Spanish-American war was fought for humanitarian, geopolitical, and Commercial reasons. that prompted the United States to take a larger Global role once the war was won. many Americans begin to wonder if the United States should have become an imperial power. The American people were assured by McKinley the aim of the war was to protect the sovereignty of the Cuban people. Not to create an empire.
After the Mexican-American War came to a close, the United States still continued to run into many different types of conflicts. The new Western territory (California, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona) granted by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo caused many disagreements among the North and the South. Many people suspected that the new territory would become slave states which would mean the US would have more slave states than free states. Citizens of the North argued that if the Western territory were to become slave states, it would create an unbalance between slave states and free states. Government officials were debating about whether or not slavery should be extended into those states.
Many believe the Mexican-America war had been driven from the idea of “Manifest Destiny”,( a belief that was said for America to have a God- given right to expand, From ‘sea to shining sea’). Little did anyone know that this believe would be cause of a great amount of suffering for Native Americans, Hispanics, and even the United States own citizens. Shortly after the Texas war of independence from Mexico, tension began to rise between the two of the largest independent nations, on the North American continent after texas became apart of the Unites States. Arguments over the border lines began to need military help, and due to president polk who always sought war in order to seize land from Mexico, really helped. There had been 2 very basic
Since its establishment and even in the present, the United States’, specifically (and it is not secret), white population has been a fraction of society drenched with a feeling of superiority over its foreign or unfamiliar counterparts. Situations such as the first British citizens that sailed to the colonies insisting that the Native Americans’ way of life was “wrong” and “savage-like” or the literal proclamation that Africans were inferior to the white man served as justification for the allowance of the U.S. to be able to did what it had done and been doing for years. The Mexican-American war was no different as once again Americans (whom at this time only referred to white men essentially) demonstrated their entitlement to take what they felt was not being put to good use.
The U.S. refused to consult countries in the regions about their affairs (Paterson 347). As a result, many countries involved in the Spanish-American war formed liberation movements to combat the influence of Spain and the U.S. In conclusion, the U.S. had superimposed its influence over these countries by managing their trade and governmental affairs and created a regional
Americans learned more about what happened during the Spanish American War through articles that exposed the violent tensions in Cuba. The Americans then felt the need that we should help Cuba against Spain. The Americans in power wanted to remain neutral, while the public wanted to go to war. The U.S. Maine was a battleship that was sent to Cuba to spy on them and understand the situation in person. While the ship was there, it mysteriously blew up, the blame was put on Spain for the explosion.
After many complications with Latin America, the Spanish-American War is finally upon us. It all started with the Cuban rebellion. In the early months of 1898, riots began to erupt in Havana, Cuba. This began to worry American citizens. Mckinley, our president, sent a ship called the U.S.S. Maine to Havana’s harbor.
Furthermore, war also played a considerable amount in United States history. George S. Patton once said, “the object of war is not to die for your country but, to make the other bastard die for his.” This shows the idea that human nature is devious and destructive. The United States is the world’s superpower. We are seen as the big brother and other countries depend on us as we depend on other countries.
The United States had for years been improving and growing rapidly. Away from the other world powers in Europe, they were able to avoid their conflicts for a long time, but that changed. America got involved in World War One and it affected some of their advancements. U.S imperialism was able to thrive in WWI, with America using the power to expand their empire. American progressivism however, fell between the cracks and disappeared for a long while during and after the war.
The United States has undergone major transitional phases in order to become the country it is today. One of its greatest periods of change occurred in the years 1865 to 1940, in which the U.S.’s growing emphasis on strong economic policy changed its interactions with foreign countries, its image to foreign countries, and what role it’s willing to play in the world. These tireless efforts to become an economic powerhouse was a major driving force in the U.S. actions during this time and ultimately allowed it to change its image on the global stage from a new. To begin to understand what caused these dramatic changes in the how the U.S. interacts with the rest of the world, it is imperative to understand the origins of its more capitalist roots,