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Late Nineteenth-Century American Imperialism Dbq Analysis

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During the period of time between the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, America was going through major changes. After a revolution in Cuba against the Spanish, and America’s intervening to start the Spanish-American War, the Americans received a lot of land from their defeated opponent. America then started on the path to imperialism, gaining many more territories in a short amount of time. Such an expansion was a continuation of past United States expansionism, while also departing with past expansionism. The United States expansionism of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries was a clear continuation of the social and cultural principles of the nation’s past expansionism; however, it was more of a departure …show more content…

Past expansion had involved annexing territory bordering the existing states that allowed the spread of American settlement. It was used for the spread of goods and the American people. All the acquired territory was intended to ultimately become states. Contrastingly new territory in the age of imperialism was gained with the economic purpose of use as a colony. A provider of raw materials and markets. By denying citizenship to the inhabitants of the territory of the Philippines in the Insular Case Downes v. Bidwell, the Supreme Court proved that the United States had no intention of granting new territories equal status as states (Doc 8). The Insular Cases were a series of Supreme Court cases about the new territories from the Spanish-American War. The overall ruling was that constitutional rights do not necessarily apply to the territories under U.S. control (historical context). They would instead be colonies serving the economies interests that contrasted with the settlement-based expansion of past …show more content…

Imperialism was more of a competition than western expansion, America was competing with other nations in its race to secure more territory. Japan’s defeat of China in the Sino-Japanese War allowed for countries to split up China's territories and take political and economic control. The political cartoon by Thomas Nast portrays the nations Britain, Germany, and Russia grabbing up free territory to gain control (Doc 1). His point of view is crucial to point out considering he was an anti-imperialist but his cartoon still shows that countries were power hungry increasing the competition for America (point of view). In his 1899 book The Interest of America in Sea Power, Alfred T. Mahan expressed the need for America to prevent foreign acquisition of ideal territories that would serve American economic interests. He also mentioned the pressure that other expanding empires were exerting upon the United States to acquire crucial territories before another power did (Doc 3).Mahan’s point of view is that imperialism is necessary for the benefit of the protection of territories in the Atlantic Ocean from foreign imperial powers such as Germany and other foreign powers and for the economy (point of view). Theodore Roosevelt answered this demand by supporting going into the Spanish-American war, for the new territory. Roosevelt ordered the taking of Manila Bay from Spain’s

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