American_Imperialism

American Imperialism in the Late Nineteenth Century HIS 204 American History Since 1865 Instructor: Stephanie Wyszynski American Imperialism in the Late Nineteenth Century In the late nineteenth century, the United States pursued an aggressive policy of expansion. Also known as the American Imperialism policy, during this period the United States was extending its political and economic influence around the world. After America temporarily resolved the problems of reconstruction and industrialization is when America continued the course of expansion. After the horrors of the Civil War, America was side tracked to accomplish this goal. To achieve imperialism America had to believe in and adopt the policy. The American Imperialism was adopted for many reasons that included the observation that the western frontier was deemed as being closed. The public’s perception of the closing of the west and the philosophy of social Darwinism gave desire for the continued expansion of the American culture to other nations. The result of this caused a shift in U.S. foreign policy at the end of the nineteenth century, from being a reserved, homeland concerned republic to becoming very active in the imperial power movement. The beginning of American imperialism started with the Spanish-American War, this helped America rationalize their decision to adopt the policy. The United States rationalized the imperial movement the way America always did; by using religion and claiming that it is the nation’s Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny is the nineteenth century’s political and philosophical belief that it was America’s divinely assigned mission to expand westward across the North American continent. America needed to establish democratic and Protestant ideals, which is the Manifest Destiny. During the American Imperialism era, there were other major events that contributed to the rise of the United States dominant power over the rest of the world. The major events that were happening at the time of American Imperialism were the Spanish-American War. This led the United States into Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam in the late 1890’s. Other major events was the first widespread protest in the U.S. against the American Imperialism, the annexation of Hawaii by the United States, the Cuban War for independence, revolt in the Philippines, and presidential elections were occurring during this time. The United States became involved with Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Japan, and Australia. Due to the American Imperialism economical growth keep growing and succeeding. Even though imperialism was popular not everyone in America agreed with the policy, such as the Anti-Imperialists. The Anti-Imperialists viewed the American Imperialism as hostile to liberty and that imperialism leaned more toward militarism. This infringed on the belief that America was based on the glory of freedom. Anti-Imperialists also believed that America has no right to threaten the freedom of people or their country that they live in no matter what. The outcome of this foreign policy that influenced imperialism going into the twentieth century made America the most powerful industrial country in the world. The United States pursued an aggressive policy of expansion that led to the American Imperialism Policy. This policy of reconstructing and industrializing around the globe made it clear to the world that America knew how to create more economical growth than any other country and as everyone knows the more money, the more power. If it was not for this policy America may have went in a different direction and America could have ended up not to be as powerful of a nation as it became. The main downfall to this policy is that Americans were divided and some Americans forgot what this country was built on, freedom and the belief in the Declaration of Independence.