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American Imperialism In The Late 19th Century

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American Imperialism In The Late 19th Century
There were three main factors that contributed to U.S. Imperialism in the late 19th century and they were economic interest, Manifest Destiny and Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism played off of the idea of natural selection. Social Darwinism says that only the best will survive and rule over anyone else. Manifest Destiny, as well as economic interest, also powered the imperialism. Many people were out looking for a new start and new opportunities. Motivation for American expansion and policies in Latin America and the Pacific was to help others and to gain land and allies. In President McKinley’s reasons for wanting to start a war to liberate Cuba, McKinley mentions that, “We owe it to our citizens in Cuba to afford them that protection

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