Age of Imperialism

During the late 1800's and early 1900's, America was working toward becoming an imperialistic nation. With such a change, government policies must evolve in order to adapt to its country's needs. However, there is a point in which new government policies can be detrimental to those involved. While America's government's changing role was certainly necessary in expanding the country, there were numerous instances in which the government became too imperialistically rapacious.

Imperialism had several diverse impacts on Asia, Africa, and Europe. The pros about imperialism, was that new roads and railroads that were built connected many parts of India. The introduction of the telegraph and postal systems united many people. Discovering new agricultural methods improved farming in the west and in Africa and Asia. Schools that were built by the British educated many people. Human rights were recognized, by ending customs that threatened many humans.

After the civil war, United States took a turn that led them to solidify as the world power. From the late 1800s, as the US began to collect power through Cuba, Hawaii, and the Philippines, debate arose among historians about American imperialism and its behavior. Historians such as William A. Williams, Arthur Schlesinger, and Stephen Kinzer provides their own vision and how America ought to be through ideas centered around economics, power, and racial superiority.

Imperialistic fervor was spreading more than ever during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The United States was eager to propel itself

During the 1890’s, the United States began building and advancing their economy, as well as focusing more independently on becoming an even more powerful nation. Not only did the Americans begin to create a stronger national military and navy, they also began to look overseas towards the Pacific Ocean for resources and territories; this is when America began to look less like a national power and more like an imperial power. There were many reasons as to why the United States began to expand between 1880-1929, two of which include the military opportunities countries abroad had to offer, such as Pearl Harbor, as well as the domestic and political objectives the U.S. felt obligated to fulfill. Although, there were many important reasons for the United States to began to expand, the most significant reason for the expansionist foreign policy was the economic resources and opportunities other foreign countries had to offer the U.S.

acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. They declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. As a result Spain lost its control over the remains of its overseas empire. This war increase the idea of imperialist by gaining more power, crops, and land. Some could say that WWI was a war on imperialism, I would have to agree. The Europeans in the late 19th century increase to safeguard their access to markets and by return seizing military control on underdeveloped countries. To this day some would say the United States is still imperialistic but in a more economical way than the 19th century. Some would argue that the war on Iraq was to protect the oil supply the American economy depends on. Others world argue that we control a certain territories a specific level of power to give an influence

In order to best answer the question posed one must break expansionism into two separate time periods. Both of these time periods show comparisons and contrasts with US expansionism. From 1776-1880 and the late 1800s-1914 are chronicled by major events in United States and World history. Using these documents as well as commonly known events that occurred during these time periods I will show the similarities and differences that late nineteenth century and early twentieth century United States expansionism exhibit from past United States expansionism.

Americans expanded their country in two different eras throughout history: American imperialism and westward expansion. During both of these eras, the mid-late 1800s and the early 1900s, Americans believed that expansion was necessary and beneficial. To a great extent, late nineteenth-century and early twentieth century United States expansionism was a continuation of past United States expansionism and to a lesser extent was it a departure. The similarities and differences between American Imperialism in the early 1900s and Manifest Destiny in the mid-late 1800s are shown through political, economic, and moral motives of America and its government.

The mid-1800s through the early 1900s was known as the Age of Imperialism; dominant nations were all contesting to expand their power throughout much of the world. America was looking to expand out to the Pacific a, “New Manifest Destiny”. America was expanding its trade rapidly obtaining new grounds. In order to gain America as an ally, in 1898 The Cubans tried to inflame the relation between the Americans and Spain and succeeded by fueling American jingoism. America expanded in the late 19th century because of Social Darwinism, Economic Gain, Militarism, and the 1890’s Depression.

Numerous motivating factors contributed to US overseas imperialism, but the fundamental underlying cause was the fact that powerful men within the US government, military and business strata craved power, expansion, wealth, and most of all, world dominance. It began subtly, as prominent businessmen like Rockefeller and J. P. Morgan began to realize that US consumership alone would not sufficiently sustain the growing industries, volume of production and produce generated within the US. In order to achieve the expansion and exponential growth of wealth they aspired to, a larger market was needed; a market capable of absorbing the abundant surplus. The solution, they believed, was expansion into foreign markets around the world.

In the late 1800s, United States was becoming a powerful industrial. Due to the growth of the nation; U.S. needed more resources for the industry. The solution was to imperialist other country. Imperialism is to expand the country power through the influence or military power. Many countries in Europe had become an imperialist nation; for example, British were in India, and the French were in Indochina. Most country around the world has been taken over by the European nation. United States realizes that if they did not get in the completion, then they would be left out. The reason United States become an imperialist nation were economy and military strength.

Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914.

United States foreign policy from 1890-1914 was principally guided by economic motives. The main goal was to be seen as a world power. However by becoming a world leader, the United States had no choice than to have economical gains in the process. Expansion of U.S. territory and embracing the imperialistic way of foreign affairs are crucial to being seen as a world power. Because so many other world powers were constantly expanding and gaining territories in Africa, the U.S. knew they had to do the same in order to “keep up” with other world powers.

What ideological justification did America use for building an empire and connect that justification to the ideals of Progressivism? (4 points)

The United States’ imperialism can be argued to have started in the 1890s, especially with the Philippine – American war of 1898 to early 1900s. Most historians argue that this approach was a necessary evil