Characteristics Of Spanish American Imperialism

The mention of empire brings to mind the extensive territorial reach of the Roman Empire and its legacy of political dominance and power. The United States does not resemble this traditional image of an empire, since America has never been ruled by an emperor. Niall Ferguson, author of Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power, remarked, “If it quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. If it quacks like an empire, it probably is an empire.” The United States is an empire in its own right due to its immense political, economic, and military spheres of influence which was forged on the backs of imperialism.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an empire as “a major political unit having a territory
The Spanish-American War was a war fought to protect economic interests, under disguise as American sympathy for the Cubans under Spanish rule. During the late 19th century, an influx of immigrants, crowded cities, and a growing unemployment rate brought economic uncertainty among many Americans. Imperialism provided the solution. According to Senator Albert Beveridge of Indiana, “American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has written our policy for us; the trade of the world must and shall be ours.” America was on a quest for markets to sell its goods. Overseas territories meant dependable supply of cheap raw materials and natural resources to fuel America, hence satisfying Perkin’s second characteristic of an empire, in which an empire seeks to consume large amount of resources. American business interests grew in Hawaii where Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and native workers grew sugar on American owned plantations, and treaties between the United States and the Hawaiian governments exempted this sugar from tariffs. Furthermore, imperialism fueled trade. In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry was able to negotiate treaties with Japan that would open up ports in support of