America in the late nineteenth century, experienced a period of radical imperial expansion. This was due to a multitude of reasons. In 1890, the Census Bureau announced that the western frontier had ended, this limited the American ideal of venturing and escaping civilisation for a dangerous and adventurous conquest for land and a new life. Due to the end of the frontier, the romance of the West ended with it. This caused a lot of psychological stress to many American citizens that their dreams were diminished. Another reason for imperialistic expansion was due to the increase in population, wealth and industrial production; this made many Americans believed they had to expand or explode. These ties with economic incentives allowed the political …show more content…
America’s occupation of Hawaii and expansion into the Pacific caused a major recession, the Panic of 1893. America became a victim of its own success, with mass production in agriculture and manufacturing. Its markets were overflowing with production more than consumption in both food and tertiary goods. This led to America expanding to access overseas markets for the control of trade and taxation on neighbouring shipping vessels. Market access requires a strong naval body for protection, which utilised distant harbours for maintenance of naval boats and refuelling. America utilised the ideas of expansionism conquering Hawaii and Atlanta. Social Darwinism meant earth belonged to the strong and fit hence America, this generated stronger nations dominating weaker ones as part of natural laws [F 2]. Thus meant that when America annexed Atlanta in order for its survival, America had to compete of modern states; changing to become an imperial power. Since early 19th century, America gradually came to regard Hawaiian Islands as an extension of the Pacific Coast. They believed that by annexing Hawaii and its sugar, that America had full control over its land and use. This led to the access to key canals and chokepoints which tied into America’s contribution to the 1898 Spanish-American War [F …show more content…
This forced congress to feel that they needed to get involved in order to conclude the war. 1898 Spanish-American War marked a major turning point in U.S. history. It allowed America to gain authoritative control over the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific islands. During the puberty of his career, Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy) was essential in preparation for the Navy fleet succession in the Spanish–American War and was a passionate proponent of piloting America’s navy military in battle, claiming "I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one" [F 1]. By the 1890s, Cuba and Puerto Rico were now one of the only remaining countries of Spain’s once vivacious empire in the New World. In 1898, Senator Albert Beveridge promulgated that the expansion of America’s markets was absolutely necessary; "American factories are making more than the American people can use; American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has written our policy for us; the trade of the world must and shall be ours."[F 3] The war with Spain resuscitated America’s interest in building a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, uniting the two great oceans merging Spain’s multicultural tribes into one hybrid. The utmost usefulness of this canal allowed sea trade that has long been acknowledged by major commercial nations of the world; the French had started creating one in the late 19th
American imperialism has undergone varying transitions through its developmental stage in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and it was interpreted to be many things, including controversial to the original colonial beliefs. The United States rapidly took up the sport of becoming involved with foreign nations, and it was clear that through influence on these nations, the United States would grow in both territorial size and power in the global sense. America helped many Polynesian, Latin American, and Asian nations during this period, and most of the conversed issues was trade and foreign relations. The desire of territorial expansion was also in response to the blossoming ideal of Social Darwinism, where expansionism was justified if the United States was aiding struggling nations with their foreign and domestic policies. Although justified, Social Darwinism was an unethical approach to world power, and many perceived this step in American Imperialism as corrupt. The Panama Canal also held a large part in building American Imperialism. Creating this canal would determine which nation dominated the sea, and the United States was more than eager to pounce on the opportunity to increase their global influence. The United States dipped its hand into many global issues during and following the Gilded Age, and these hold the honor of molding American Imperialism, but its change over time was held up to debate by scholars in the Gilded age and by contemporary
Throughout the history of the United States, America had a desire to expand its boundaries. The United States acquired most of it's land during the nineteenth and early twentieth century with a brief break during the Civil War and Reconstruction. However, the way America went about graining new lands drastically changed from non-aggressive means in the beginning to extremely aggressive means towards the end. This essay will depict the extent to how late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century United States expansionism was a continuation
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.
The 19th and 20th century imperialism was substantially about the exploitation of the empires colonies and thus was not a necessarily an ‘civilizing mission’. During the 19th and 20th century European powers tried to justify their actions, by claiming that they were trying to re-educate the native population through education, this included Christian missionaries which were placed throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, it became apparent that these powers gained significant wealth by commercializing items that could not be obtained otherwise. Two key examples of imperialism in the 19th and 20th century includes the Belgium Congo whereby Leopold II gained significant wealth through rubber plantations and the British
In the late 1890's, the United States experiences imperialistic feelings rise again. The country as a whole feared our resources running out, so there was an increase in foreign trade. The intellectual justification for the idea of the New Manifest Destiny was social Darwinism, or survival of the fittest. In Latin America, the United States sided with Venezuela against Britain over border disputes; we were willing to go to war with Britain on the matter and we were protecting our own interests there. In 1898, France and Britain annexed Hawaii to the United States, which was an
Prior to the 1800s, US expansion had been accepted by the government in the thirteen colonies. Despite the government's favor for territorial expansion, the controversy was spread throughout the 13 colonies on the idea of expansion. An American who influenced expansion in America, John O’ Sullivan, conjectured that territorial expansion was destined and it was god’s given right to expand America coast to coast, or in this case into westward territories. This thought was defined as Manifest Destiny and aided the fuel of western settlement, Native American Removal and war with Mexico. Many Americans did, however, oppose expansion and war causing, but their inputs didn’t change the idea of expansion. During the period of 1800-1855, America’s idea to expand territory succeeded in events such as the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Indian Removal Act. These events certainly satisfied proponents of expansion and influenced America's westward expansion. Despite these achievements, opponents of expansions opposed because of events like the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American war. America’s shape today is indeed based on these beliefs of expanding America.
Even though the United States Originally thought about the idea of expanding its economic, military, and culture beliefs on other countries during the 1840’s, known as the Manifest Destiny theory, it did not take foot until the Age of Imperialism during 1890’s. Reasons for this is because of the destructive forces from the Civil War, as well as the industrial revolution (Small Planet, n.d.). The United States was currently trying
Not only would it become the ‘most favored nation’ with its Open Door Policy with China (Doc G- “American Diplomacy”), it would also expand and increase its power in the Western Hemisphere. Despite America’s refusal to admit its purpose in competing for land, the expansion into territories of the Western Hemisphere, such as with Guam, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, along with the creation of the Panama Canal, proved otherwise. Power meant territory and as naval officer Alfred Thayer Mahan would emphasize, power in the Pacific with control over naval bases, harbors, and a strong naval force (Doc C- The Interest of America in Sea Power by Alfred Thayer Mahan), would make America invincible, both economically in terms of trade and politically in terms of territorial
Before World War 1, the US experienced significant changes. As a result of the Spanish American War, the US gained much territory and began expanding into the Pacific Islands in a small amount of time. American expansionism in the late 19th and early 18th centuries was a continuation of past American expansionism because of the idea of 'Manifest Destiny', spreading US ideas, and acquiring territory for economic gain but it fostered change in the way the land was acquired and the location of acquired lands. One was American expansionism fostered continuity was the extension belief in 'Manifest Destiny'. The US wanted to acquire territory because it was the 'fittest' of all nations as seen in Document 2.
Imperialism is a policy that has positively impacted nations and their development for centuries. This was especially true during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when many European nations began to expand far beyond their borders. Imperialistic policies were not only good for the development of countries that were expanding, but in many cases, the countries that were being expanded into as well.
Courtney Leon Mr. Haldeman AP US History 6 April 2015 Throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century, America was reconstructing itself following a revolution in Cuba against the Spanish; in addition, Americans prepared for involvement in the Spanish-American War. Consequently, the United States of America leaped into the trail of imperialism, attaining more territories in a short period time. America’s expansion was persistent with the spirit of Manifest Destiny, a belief that it was G-d’s wish that Americans spread over the entire continent, and to populate and direct the country as they desire.
During the 1820s, America felt they had the God given right to expand westward. Later, they adopted this concept, expanding to nations around the world bringing religion, industry, and technology. This new concept was known as American Imperialism, the economic and cultural influence of the United States on other countries, occurring between 1880 and 1920. During the age of American Imperialism, America annexed Texas and Hawaii. They acquired Florida, Oregon County, Alaska, the Louisiana Purchase, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Guam. America provided business and industry to colonies, brought civilization and religion, and had a duty to protect nations of the western hemisphere. America’s actions were justified during the age of American Imperialism.
Imperialism has been a long standing ideology that is able to withstand the tests of time due to the applicability of the concept. The general definition of Imperialism, as provided by Merriam-Webster, is the practice in which a country furthers its power by the means of control and domination in other regions of the world. This took on a new form as the nineteenth-century approached, as Traditions & Encounters a Global Perspective on the Past elaborated, it mainly pertained to European powers at this time and their control over colonial land and the world of influence. 19th century imperialists had three main foci, these being economic, political, and cultural motifs, these foci dominated the reasons for imperialism in the nineteenth-century and determined how nations would interact with the world and others; these foci would often find conflicts with each other and overlap causing disruption in the goals of the nations involved.
expanding it boarders in the early and mid 1800’s. Throughout the world in the 1880’s there was a large need for countries to gain places where they could get natural resources. Almost every Western European Nation was in need to imperialize. Examples of this were the scramble for Africa, and the spheres of influence. The cartoonist Thomas Nast depicts this in his cartoon “The worlds plunder” which appeared in Harper’s weekly in 1885. America’s need to I imperialize was similar to that of Europe. The way the U.S. went about gaining markets was no different then what they had done before to gain land. The U.S. looked to fighting to gain land and when they saw the Cubans wanted independence from Spain the U.S. looked to help Cuba to get land in return. Throughout the war there was yellow journalism to gain support from the American population. Also when the USS Maine got bombed the American immediately blamed it on Spain. Years later it was found the explosion happened internally and Spain couldn’t have bombed it. The U.S. easily defeats Spain and in return for helping Cuba the U.S. gained Puerto Rico, The Philippines, and Guam. After Cuba Got there independence the U.S. wanted to keep their influence in Cuba so they passed the Platt amendment which made Cuba a protectorate and gave the U.S. a naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It also would not let Cuba Make a treaty Without The U.S. The U.S. Justifies their actions for helping Cuba and gaining
The New Imperialism during the 19th century throughout Africa and Asia was an influential prompt to the rise of colonialism and powerful European empires. Consisting of raw materials, markets for European business, and provided resources made the African and Asian colonies extremely ingenious for European empires. However, as the 20th century emerged, imperialism suddenly faded and became a sentiment of the past. Surely even one of the most influential empires at a certain point in time – Britain, gradually came at ease with dropping its imperial rule over some colonies. Likewise, following gory and extensive battles, a parallel approach was taken by France. Nevertheless, the utmost spark to the 20th century decolonization was primarily