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The Pursuit Of Imperialist Expansion

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The United States at the dawn of the 20th Century was beginning its ascent into worldwide prominence. This was unprecedented for what had once been termed as an “experiment in democracy” and came with unexplored opportunities for the nation. The West had all but been conquered, and the industrialization of the nation was in full swing, but what the country needed was a market for its surplus goods. With the prominence that had caused America to gain worldwide attention, the nation likewise followed suit with other worldly nations of the time and engaged in the pursuit of imperialist expansion. Regardless of whether it is in fact imperialism, or if it was the “American exceptionalism” that our country likened it to, the fact is that …show more content…

With the rise of European imperialism, it opened The United States to newer prospects to spread our ideals. Nevertheless, our objectives stretched beyond the search for new foreign markets and other economic reasons, and our expansion was instead focused primarily on the continuance of Manifest Destiny. Regardless of whether or not we actually accomplished the goals of freedom and democracy for all under our auspices, the motive for American Imperialism was still the same as it was in the days of Westward Expansion. That is why when our neighbor Cuba was struggling against Spanish aggression, it was The United States that heeded the call to arms and defended the Caribbean isle in true Monroe Doctrine fashion. Although the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor was the impetus the United States needed to enter open war with Spain, it would be nearsighted to say that this was America’s first attempt at “helping” our Cuban neighbors. The Ostend Manifesto is a prime example of an attempt at bringing Cuba into our fold. Southerners in the 1850’s would have been elated if Cuba were to join our ranks, for the island plantations would undoubtedly bolster the pro-slavery cause. However, the 1890’s brought about different motives for the conflict with Spain, and they were more than just one Caribbean isle; in the end, America did not even end up annexing the entirety of Cuba (we did reserve the right to set up a government and leased

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