American Expansionism Dbq Essay

A vast majority of the history of the United States was marked by an age of expansionism. This era was particularly pronounced throughout the 19th century; such events may include the acquisition of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the annexation of Hawaii and purchase of Alaska, all of which are the hallmarks of U.S expansionism. The main motives were of a multitude and varied, but there is one particularly strong motivation in this conquest. The acquisition of economic opportunities was a common belief among many of the people of the U.S. and among its leaders. This idea fueled and garnered this idea of expansionism and directed the course of history in its conquest. Both in the hopes of the people, yet the disparity for many others.

As briefly mentioned before, there were many resources that were provided for due to the expansive amount of land that they had in their hands. These resources helped and greatly boosted the overall economic power that America had as a nation. For a more in depth perspective on the benefits the resources provided, one can turn back into history to the purchase of Alaska. From its purchase from Russia in 1867, though to the initial skepticism of many, the land had provided valuable outlets for minerals and other resources. For example, as said by Senator Charles Sunmer of Massachusetts, in his speech to America on April 8th on the purchase date, “The Climate. . .by which the rigors of that coast are tempered to a mildness unknown in the same latitude on the Atlantic side; then, the Vegetable Products, so far as known, chief among which are forests of pine and fir waiting for the ax; then the Mineral Products, among which are coal and copper, if not iron, silver, lead, and gold, besides the two great products of New England, ‘granite and ice;’ then the Furs, including precious skins of the Black Fox and Sea Otter, which originally tempted the settlement The reasons stated here exemplify the endless benefits the resources in the land such as these minerals had provided for America, especially during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a

Everything. They gained resources across the globe, established markets in overseas nations, much less, particularly in renowned and influential spheres of power. However, everything had come at a cost, a cost the American people and leaders shed a blind eye to in their greed. The cost has come of many. For the most well-known one nowadays, is the displacement and mistreatment of Native Americans. During the period of expansionism, many natives were forced off into reservations as more and more white settlers came swarming in. In a description of this threat, Ten Bears, a Comanche Warrior chief (1871), had explained, “You said that you wanted to put us on a reservation, to build us houses and make us medicine lodges. I do not want them to. I was born upon the prairie where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures and where everything drew a free breath. I want to die there and not within walls.” This is one of the many recorded laments of natives during this time period. In a further analysis of the maltreatment natives faced, a native named Little Raven stated, “It will be a very hard thing to leave the country that God gave us. Our friends are buried there, and we hate to leave these grounds.... There is something strong for us--that fool band of soldiers that cleared out our lodges and killed our women and children. This is hard on us. There