Why Did America Become A World Power Essay

America’s support for the ongoing struggle by Cubans and Filipinos against Spanish rule and the explosion of the battleship U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor are the major influences that led to the Spanish-American War. The Spanish-American War was a conflict between Spain and the United States in 1898. As Cuba was controlled by territorial expansion by the Spanish, Cubans fight for independence from Spain will arise. Cubans fight for Independence from Spain is what brought the U.S to intervene.

“The Spanish-American War was the defining moment in modern U.S. history. It began the process by which the U.S. would establish itself as a world super power”.

The Spanish-American war consisted of a series of influential battles that pitted America and many of Spain’s colonies against Spanish rule, and ended with Spain losing its colonies and America gaining control over more and more land. In 1898, America joined a war being pit against Spain to force the Spanish to relinquish all control of their colonies, including Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. This same war ended only a few months later, with Spain suffering huge losses and America gaining money and territories. The Spanish American war could be split into three main points of interest: How and why the Spanish American war started, The battles of Manila, Santiago de Cuba, Asomante, and Las Guasimas ( And the Rough Riders) , and the aftermath of the war. One of the most interesting territories was Cuba. Although the Spanish american war was not a long and costly war, it changed many people's lives indefinitely.

The United States has been a super power for decades, and since America has always involved themselves in other countries' problems. Instead of isolationism, the country has practiced getting involved. Since the Monroe Presidency, America has been named the World's police force. Dispelling anarchists, and stopping coos, the united states portrays itself as the world protector. Since Monroe, some Americans have felt that isolation is the way to go, and most feel that it is our right to offer assistance. Two recent incidents, Operation Desert Storm and The War in Bosnia have allowed the United States to show off it's strength, both on the military and political level. It has also given the chance for America to evaluate it's foreign policy,

Spain treated Cuban revolutionaries horribly and yellow journalism-exaggerated news articles about the happenings in Cuba- emotionally affected Americans and swayed them in considering to help Cuba. The final draw that convinced the United States to intervene and go to war was the sinking of the military ship, the U.S.S Maine. The Ship exploded in Cuba and blame was put onto Spain. After the war ended, Cuba gained independence and the United States gained the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico. The war established that the United States was now a world power and furthered the U.S’s expansion overseas to the Caribbean, Central America and Asia(Document

The years between 1860 and 1877 are filled with many developments in the views of the American people. The North consisted of free states based on an industrial economy while the South based its agricultural economy on the enslavement of colored males and females. The two sections of America had two very different views on how the United States should become a world power. Constitutional developments such as secession of the Southern states in 1860, the Emancipation Proclamation, and other acts and amendments contributed to more discontent throughout the country. Developments such as the Black Codes, Freedmen's Bureau, and the creation of the Ku Klux Klan contributed to the Social aspect of the argument. Problems like these had been amounting

By the year 1901, the United States possessed one of the largest navy’s in the world, a growing empire, and the respect of the world as a growing power. It gained these achievements by being involved in the growing imperialism of this era along with Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. However America did not gain its power spontaneously. During the Gilded Age and prior America established policies and precedents that would lead America into the discussion as a world power. Although the United States expansionism in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries was a continuation of the social and cultural continuation of the past, it was also resulting from the departure from the methods of the past in the government’s pursuit of new economic and political endeavors.

This happened when Cuba revolted against Spain. Then the United States planters supported it because they had sugar plantations there. This led to the Spanish-American War.

With a massively superior navy and the support of more than adequate ground forces, America swept over several Spanish colonies, including Cuba and the Philippines, under the pretence that they would be freed from their oppressor. After the land was essentially ours, however, it was easy to make it seem like we were right in taking over, at least until the peoples were secure in government and education. If during that time the colonies were used as way stations for U.S. travelers or navy ports, it was all in due thanks to the freeing of the natives, and not in any way imperialistic in nature, or at least that was how it was viewed by most Americans. When the inhabitants were deemed ready by the United States to manage their own lives, perhaps then their countries would be restored to their original status.

The United States imperialized Hawaii and Cuba’s economic, military, and cultural in the late 1800’s. Imperialism states for a policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories. During this time different countries were trying to control the weaker nations. Cuba was a territory of Spain. Cuba wanted their independence later given by the American-Spanish War. Hawaii was also becoming a territory of the United States during this time

The Spanish war gave the United States an empire. At the end of the Spanish war the United States took Spanish colonies such as Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and many other islands. The creation of the American Empire leads to the end of the Spanish Empire. The United States wanted to build up the countries so that markets would open up and purchase American goods and to improve the American economy.

Spain, a world power that had built colonies overseas in the Caribbean, lost all of that in the Spanish American War. The story of this revolution can to compared to the story of the United States of America. It all began with Cuba, a Spanish colony that was beloved by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Cubans believed that they should have the freedom to run their own country, they did not want to have Spain run their country. The revolution began to build up and Americans started to really behind them. But some Americans began to ask Spain to go to war. One day a spark started the revolution. While American, Cuban, and Spanish diplomats were meeting to try to resolve this peacefully the Maine, an American ship sent to Cuba to pick up Americans

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

     America has been a world power for as long as anyone can remember. But how did it become what it is today? Through decades of racism and greed! Our country is one of the most racist country’s there has ever been! But without it America would be nothing like it is today. Slavery made America and racism made it grow. America has proven itself to be a selfish, greedy, and racist country.

Through the course of history, America has expanded its influence to a number of countries and regions, which turned America into the world power it is. America has not only become an independent country from England, but has now become a national police force in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. America has made itself known around the world and put their influence on many regions all at the same time as growing to a world power. The United States, and much of the world today, would not be the way it is today if American had not started bringing their influence to an international level in the late 19th and early 20th century. This was all a result of the American Civil War.