American Imperialism Imperialism by the book is the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political or military territories. The time period where the US exampled imperialism was very important for our country because the US was able to grow with the new territories that were gained and the economic gain from the new market that were acquired. The spread of American culture was also a big concept during this time in the countries history. The United States exhibited imperialism between 1890-1920 through military strength, new markets, and cultural superiority.
After the Civil War, the second Industrial Revolution swept the US and the country began to flourish. Baring the economic prosperity, many Americans grew the urge to expand overseas. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, foreign policy was the hot topic among citizens and government officials. There were two sides to the argument; some Americans pushed for the aggressive foreign policy while others favored for the US to keep their nose out of foreign affairs. Notable figures in government took bold stands for and against foreign affairs.
European Imperialism Imperialization, a single word that would change numerous societies’ way of life dramatically. European imperialism lasted from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. With Europe’s countries power extending into other countries they wanted to change the society’s they reached to be similar to the their ways. Imperialism was a major part of Europe in the 19th and 20th century because it shaped the experiences of people in colonized nations through the economy and the political powers. In Europe the process of imperialization was a welcomed idea, but for people in colonized countries it meant the loss of their culture, through religion and their way of attire.
During the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, the United States engaged in both a military and market expansion. The impact of U.S. Imperialism could be felt all around the world. United States Imperialism The one key aspect that helped the United States expand beyond its borders was the fact they were centrally located between the two main oceans of the world (Pacific and Atlantic).
America's imperialistic tendencies reaches it’s peak in the late 19th century where things like cultural superiority, militarism, and the drive for markets all culminated in this time period. These imperialistic motives had the U.S dipping its hands into nations like Cuba, Philippines, Hawaii, and more. The effects of imperialism on these countries range from assimilation to revamped governments. The following documents all are evidence of what led America into the pursuit of imperialism. Militarism was another huge factor in the pursuit in imperialism.
A Change to Imperialism After the civil war, Americans remained surprisingly aloof to the outside world. Because America was struggling with many problems over Reconstruction, such as trying to maintain a steady flow in the economy and settle the West, many Americans weren’t very concerned with foreign affairs. There was a drastic shift, however, that made America change from isolationism to imperialism in the early 20th century. America made this drastic shift because it wanted to expand and gain prestige, convert people into one’s own beliefs (missionary zeal), and indulge itself in foreign affairs to aid its economy and marketing. With the control of the Panama Canal, America was then able to obtain its worldwide power.
During the mid and late 1800s imperialism was alive and well in the United States. It was not enough for America to have acquired massive tracts of land throughout the late 1800s, such as Alaska and Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The idea of imperialism and the Monroe Doctrine called for more land and limited European intervention in the Western Hemisphere. Ultimately the imperialistic eye of the United States had to eventually turn to Cuba, an area under Spain’s control that represented tremendous opportunity to fuel the growing imperialist machine that was America. The Monroe Doctrine could not tolerate Spanish control over Cuba, forbidding European intervention in the Western Hemisphere.
United States Imperialism in the late 19th century was very selfish time. Many people in that time, debated about whether are not benefiting our country was the right way or the wrong way. The motiving factors that impacted our imperialism are economic, military, and cultural. These factors impacted the American Imperialism from 1890-194 by having control over weaker territories meeting our expanding needs.
Before the 20th century the United States was an isolationist nation but around the late 19th century America decided to convert into an imperialist power. They had numerous reasons to shift into being an imperialist nation. America didn’t want to begin imperializing to settle and live in the nations they were taking over, they already had America for that reason, they wanted to adopt these nations for what they had to offer, which was many things. America saw an opportunity to improving their nation and took it. Even if there were many causes for America to imperialize, three of them stood out the most.
The early 20th century had a remarkable impact on human kind, creating ripples in the continuum of history that are still felt in modern times. The biggest and by far the most remarkable event was World War 1. It's main trigger being the assassination of Archduke Franz the war began tragic and tense. In an attempt to prevent Germany from becoming too powerful, other European joined powers for what was to be an exhausting and long battle of attrition. The war was essentially a huge chain of events, tracing back to the Franco-Prussian War and the actions of important people like Otto Von Bismarck.
One of the unique challenges of studying history is that there is never a single right way to interpret the events of the past. Oftentimes, it is difficult to compile a disparate range of people and places into a single theme. Likewise, in the early days of colonial america, there was no single narrative that could describe the vast differences in the society, behavior, and beliefs of early American settlers. However, as America continued to grow and expand, a common narrative developed around the dreams of settling a new land, and the ways in which this was accomplished. All of this shaped a collective identity that came to revolve around a tool that unexpectedly shaped the course of history: the axe.
Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. It is a great way to strengthen the economy and gain power and territory for countries that practice it, though it often failed and resulted in war and the deaths of innocents. Four intellectuals that played a big part in influencing American imperialism were Frederick Jackson Turner, Alfred T. Mahan, Herbert Spencer and John Fisk. All of these influencers had different ideologies and came together to justify American imperialism. They believed America needed to expand power and gain territories.
Following the end of the Industrialist Era and the emergence of countless technological advancements, the United States entered the world stage. The United States was attempting to create an empire by expanding to land outside of its own borders in order to benefit the country’s economic interests. Many citizens, whose views were greatly influenced by their understandings of national identity, saw this overseas expansion in conflicting ways. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these groups differed in their opinions on the idea of expansion due to either their wanting to remain a democratic country built on the ideals of freedom and liberty to preserve their sense of national identity, or their wanting to expand for economic reasons and nationalism. Imperialism, which is the extension of a country’s power and influence through expansion, began as early as the 17th century, when Britain colonized the New World in order to expand economically and gain natural resources for manufacturing.
And lastly the desire for a new frontier to settle in order to maintain America’s identity and prosperity. All three of the examples: economically, politically/military, and culturally can simply explain why and how America became an imperialist nation in the late
Through the developmental process of the United States, many policies were adopted and debated. A popular debate in the early 1900’s was one on whether the U.S. should pursue the values of imperialism or isolationism. Overall, the benefits of imperialism are superior to those of isolationism. These benefits are apparent within, as well as outside U.S. borders. Under imperialism, trade has the potential to substantially increase, there will be a surge in the promotion of english civilization, and the United States will achieve its goal of becoming a world power.
