Examples Of Spanish American Imperialism

The United States mostly expanded into Latin America and Asia/Oceania during this time period. A prominent example of overseas expansion is the Spanish-American War. This conflict, which was caused by the alleged sinking of the USS Maine, led to the United States’ acquiring of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among others. The U.S. also received significant control in Cuba, where the Platt amendment provided a great deal of power to the United States in regards to building military bases. This acquirement of foreign territory represents a clear example of imperialism. During this time, the United States also took over Hawaii, partook in the Open Door Policy in China, and the Dollar Diplomacy of expanding economic influence. These policies, by either annexing territory or growing U.S. economic interests in foreign nations, represent clear examples of imperialism during this period.

This means that despite the impacts of the war, many in America still believed that America’s role (and the best way to achieve its interests) was by leaving other nations alone. This is because the war was extremely unpopular. Many Americans did not trust that President Wilson campaigned for reelection on a platform of anti-war, but then got the United States involved. They also distrusted that he had promised a just peace in his fourteen point plan, but ended up with secret land deals and a punishing Treaty of Versailles, as opposed to a rehabilitory treaty. As a result, the irreconcilables in Congress voted multiple times to strike down the League of Nations. This decision represents an isolationist viewpoint because it is based on a disdain for Article X, which provided for intervention into foreign nations by the League. All in all, the Great War did little to change the U.S. attitude of isolationism that most people held toward America’s role in the