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Essay On How To Become A World Power

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There are several factors that can lead a nation into becoming a world power. Economics, Demographics, Politics and Military. The United States can accredit much of its power today thanks to its strong military arm. The War of 1812, Capture of Hawai’i and the Spanish--American War were all turning points for the power the United States has today. After President Jefferson’s reelection in 1804, fighting between Great Britain and France began to threaten American shipping. In 1806, the British Royal Navy had set up blockades on Napoleonic Europe, preventing merchant ships from entering and exiting, and severely impacting the economy in the process. Though the US was hesitant to get involved, the US Government had been angered by the …show more content…

Hawai’i has one of the most well situated ports in the world, known as Pearl Harbor. Prior to the US claiming Hawai’i, Admiral Alfred Mahan of the US Navy had pressured the United States to begin expanding the Naval power, and the US Navy built nine new battleships. In 1887, the US built a Naval base at Pearl Harbor. After King Kalakaua was forced to step down, his sister, Queen Liliuokalani took over the throne and began running Hawai’i on her own agenda. Americans did not take kindly to this, and the US ambassador to Hawai’i led a revolution that dethroned the Queen, assisted by the US Marine Corps. American Sanford Dole, founder of the Dole pineapple company, was put in charge of the government. Hawai’i was officially claimed as a US territory in 1898, giving the United States Navy a major strategic advantage do to Pearl Harbor.

The United States always had an interest in the island of Cuba, as it was situated only 90 miles south of Florida. However, Cuba was one of the last colonies controlled by Spain at the time, so when the United States attempted to buy Cuba from Spain, the latter refused. That did not stop the US from being interested though, and during the Cuban revolt, the US sympathized with Cuba. On the 15 February 1898, Spanish sympathizers blew up the battleship USS Maine in the Port of Havana, leading to the US declaring war on Spain in April of that same year. In the Philippines, the US Navy destroyed the Spanish ships within hours, and the same

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