Imperialism DBQ

Before the late 19th century the United States had not expanded outside of the Americas this changed when wealth, population and industrial production increased. The demand for resources led to an era of imperialism. During this era expansionism in the United States kept the same principle but, it departed from previous expansions regarding to geography, politics and the economy. Americans kept the same principle, that God had given the U. S divine right to expand.

The new” Manifest Destiny” was a continuation to the previous “Manifest Destiny”, except it extended to far away Islands that would not become states but instead become colonies. Many Americans continued to believe in Jackson Turner’s “Frontier Thesis”. They believed that if the U. S did not expand it would “explode”. In 1885 Josiah Strong wrote “Our Country, he advocated superiority of the Anglo-Saxons and urged Americans to spread their religion to the “backward” peoples.

Americans had felt the need to take control of the Indians after the Civil War and they continued to exert colonial control over dependent peoples on the Islands. Previously the expansion movement had not gone overseas. The Monroe Doctrine had given the U. S control over the Americas and kept foreign countries from intervening. Germany and the U. S got into a dispute over the Samoan Islands and America kept half. In 1898 Hawaii was annexed. American expansionism also went to the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. The era of Imperialism differed in politics from expansionism in the Americas.

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European powers were colonizing the world and America was being left-out, by 1900 Europe had taken over 20 percent of the land and 10 percent of the population of the world. The U. S felt the desire to compete with Europe for overseas empires. Before the United States had felt the need to expand and become a strong country, but now it was a competition of world dominance. In The Influence of Sea Power upon History Alfred Mahan said that control of the sea was the key to world dominance and empire. Americans felt strong sea power was necessary to protect themselves from other countries. When the Cubans rebelled against Spain the U. S became involved. Yellow journalism fueled the start of the Spanish-American War. The United States won the war when Spain signed the treaty of Paris as a result Cuba became a free country, the U. S received Guam and also gained Puerto Rico. During the Russo- Japanese War Theodore Roosevelt did not want either side to gain a monopoly in Asia, but also did not want to start a war. After Japan secretly asked him to help sponsor peace negotiations, Theodore ended the war with the Treaty of Portsmouth. Economically U. S expansionism was a departure because, foreign trade had become an important part of the American economy. When the McKinley Tariff raised Hawaiian sugar prices, American sugar planters wanted Hawaii to be annexed so the tariffs would be eliminated. Cleveland refused to annex Hawaii, but later changed his mind when it was needed as a coaling and provisioning way station so supplies could be sent to Dewey in Manila Harbor. The U. S bought the Philippines from Spain but didn’t set them free because they were a way to China, businessmen clamoured for the new Philippine market and it had desirable raw resources. The Chinese market was huge and American manufacturers feared that it would become monopolized by Europeans. So America issued the Open Door Policy so every nation would have fair competition. During the Era of Imperialism the United States went from being a strong nation to becoming a world power. It keep the same principle, that it was the superior race and God had given them the right to colonize, but left behind its old was relating to politics, economy and geography.

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