American Imperialism Essay

American Imperialism American Imperialism is the economic, military, and culture influences of the United States. Many men have used their ideologies to influence the United States to make is a more powerful and prosperous place. Some of these men are, Frederick Jackson Turner, Alfred T. Mahan, Herbert Spencer, and John Fiske. These philosophers’ ideologies have made a lasting impact on the United States that still exist today. Frederick Jackson Turner was a philosopher, who was also an American historian. He is best known for his essay “The Significance of the Frontier in American History", which formed the idea of his Frontier Thesis. He believed that the success of the United States and the American democracy was formed by the movement
of the American frontier. He believed that it strengthened America every time we expanded our frontier line. The expansion of the frontier line had an impact on the pioneers because it transformed them into a citizen that was forged in between the civilization of settlement and the savagery of wilderness. This caused the pioneers to abandoned their European practices, and create new solutions to the problems of the new environment. Alfred T. Mahan was a United States naval officer and a historian who wrote a book called “The Influence of Sea Power upon History”. Alfred T. Mahan’s philosophy showed the importance of naval domination which in turn would have a great positive impact on American imperialism and economics. He argued that in order for America to be protected and be successful in business, it should be done across the waters. With a strong powerful naval system, accompanied by weapons, America would be shown as a superior nation with an opportunity to expand in trade. In doing so, a strong economy would be developed. Creating cordial alliances across the waters according to Mahan will give birth to sympathy and show cooperation to others. Mahan states, “if sentimentality is weak, then sentiment is strong.”
Herbert Spencer was a philosopher who believed in and promoted Social Darwinism which was developed by Charles Darwin.
Darwin believed that a natural process of animals and species occurred through evolution, which in turn started a natural selection of people who were more superior to others. Following Charles Darwin’s philosophies, Herbert Spencer’s theories and interest in natural and social sciences led him to believe that the natural process of developing a superior race started through evolution. Herbert Spencer believed that in order for society to become developed, it would require a superior race of human intelligence to do it. His ideals and scientific works showed Americans that free competition was the most beneficial path to economic progress and survival. Through superior economic progress, he made popular the phrase, “survival of the fittest.” Only the superior race will succeed and survive.
John Fisk was philosopher, and lecturer on primarily American history. In his interest in the nature of human progression, he studied the doctrine of evolution. His philosophies were inspired by the works and views of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer. During the nineteenth century scientists believed that human performance was determined by the size of a person’s brain. Through this philosophy, John Fiske believed that the Anglo-Saxon race was superior to the rest. He believed that social conditions over time have had positive and negative effects of the natural selection of
man.