Since the American Revolution, American Imperialism has been a practice exercised by The United States. America, one of the world’s most powerful countries, has sought to expand, control, and influence nations and people that are not strong enough to retaliate successfully. Once America set its sights on what it wanted to govern, own, seize, or destroy, it was usually victorious. Devine Manifestation was the belief that God sent them fourth to possess the land for expansion and growth; as with the first settlers that came to America decided to make America their own. They fought with the indigenous people, took their land by killing them, or made them slaves. Acts of greed and selfishness led to America’s first taste of imperialism. During the 19th Century, America embraced the foreign policy “The Monroe Doctrine.” This doctrine kept countries such as the Philippines, Hawaii, and the Caribbean under U.S protection. The Monroe Doctrine allowing the counties to self-govern but gave America the opportunity to influence and expand its ideas, concepts, and values throughout the land. America still perpetuated the act of imperialism in the Caribbean, Asia, and Latin America by influencing the land with its commerce, products, religion, free enterprise, and democracy. America felt the need to exert its influences beyond its borders and harbored dreams of a global empire. Its rationale included military, economic, and religious arguments. Some of the major events of this time included a rebuilding of the navy, the acquisition of Midway and Alaska, the Spanish-American War, and annexation of the Philippines.
Imperialism happened all over the globe, but I’m going to focus on Americas. Imperialism was not a huge thought on Americans minds until after the civil war where they got busy expanding internally.(Academic American, 2010) One of the first things America did at the civil war was the purchase of Alaska. America was always driven by the idea of “Manifest destiny”, which at first was the idea of the U.S. to expand control over the whole North America continent.( Academic American,2010) Along with Alaska the U.S. developed a plan to be the dominator power in the sea. The Americas also felt confidence in the ideal of the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe doctrine specified the U.S. was the watch dog over the Western hemisphere. (Our Documents) During this rise to imperialism there were some wars. One of them was the Spanish-American War of 1898. The Spanish – American war began due to an explosion that cost the lives of hundreds of sailors.(Newfield,1996) Even though there was no evidence of who caused this casualty Americans felt that Spain were to blame. At that point America told the Spanish Colony to vacate Cuba. America also wanted to help Cuba become independent and free of Spain. Spain chooses to declare war instead of leaving. To start this war off the Americans sent warships to a bay in the Philippine where they destroyed the Spanish fleet. (Newfield, 1996) Soon after the Philippine Victory the American troops began landing in Cuba and they started to surround the port where the Spanish fleet were. The Americans also captured the fort of El Caney and stormed San Juan Hill. It wasn’t long after that the Spanish tried to escape but they were unsuccessful and they were destroyed by the Americans. Then almost eight months from the beginning of the war the Spanish surrendered. On December 10, 1898 the United States and Spain signed the peace treaty. (Newfield, 2006) This peace treaty gave the United States the Islands of Puerto Rico and Guam. Spain also gave the U.S. the Philippine islands for $20 million dollars and like the U.S. promised Cuba became and Independent territory with the U.S. Watching over them like a watchdog. This was very important for the United States it showed the world that was a world power that you do not want to mess with. America expanded more during the Mexican war and gained the south...
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