American Imperialism In The Late 19th Century

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the United States issued an aggressive policy of expansionism. This policy was meant to extend its political and economic influence around the globe. Before the new imperialism began, the old imperialism had begun. This meant that the European nations were trying to find a direct trade route to Asia during this age. However, they gained new land and established colonies in the Americas, India, South Africa, and the East Indies. They also gained territory along the coasts of Africa and China. The first half of the nineteenth century, colonialism was less popular. During the Napoleonic Wars, people strived for nationalism and democracy along with the cost of industrialization. In the new imperialism,
which started in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Western Europe pursued a policy of imperialism. In 1870, it was necessary for Europe to industrialize nations in order to expand their markets globally.
This was done so they can sell products that they couldn’t not normally sell in the continent. Businessmen and bankers had excess capital to invest, and foreign investments offered the incentive of greater profits. The need for cheap labor and a steady supply of raw materials, such as oil, rubber, and manganese for steel, required that the industrial nations maintain firm control over these unexplored areas. By directly controlling these regions, meant setting up colonies under their direct control. Only by doing this could the industrial economy work effectively or so the imperialists thought. The economic gains of the new imperialism were limited because the new colonies were too poor to spend money on European goods. Leading European nations felt that colonies were crucial to military power, national security, and nationalism. Military leaders claimed that a strong navy was necessary in order to become a great power. Therefore, naval vessels needed military bases around the world to take on coal and supplies. Islands or harbors were seized in order to satisfy these needs. Colonies guaranteed the growing European navies safe harbors and coaling stations, which they needed in time of
war. The new imperialism changed both Western society and its colonies. Through the new imperialism, Western countries established the beginning of a global economy in which the transfer of goods, money, and technology needed to be regulated in an organized way to ensure a continuous flow of natural resources and cheap labor for the industrialized world. Imperialism adversely affected the colonies, which involved foreign rule. Under foreign rule, native culture and industry were destroyed. Imported goods wiped out local craft industries. By using colonies as sources of raw materials and markets for manufactured goods but colonial powers held back the colonies from developing industries. One reason why the standard of living was so poor in many of these countries was that the natural wealth of these regions had been funneled to the mother countries. Imperialism also brought confrontation between the cultures. By that time, Western nations had control over most of the globe which convinced Europeans that they had superior cultures and forced the people to accept modern or Western ways. The pressures to westernize forced the colonial people to reevaluate their traditions and to work at discouraging old customs. Imperialism created many political problems. European nations disrupted many traditional political units and united rival peoples under single governments that tried to impose stability and order where local conflicts had existed for years. Ethnic conflicts developed in the latter half of the twentieth century in many of these areas, can be traced to these imperial policies. Imperialism also contributed to tension among the Western powers. Rivalries between nations contributed to the hostile conditions which ended up leading to World War I.