Foreign Policies during the Formation of the U.S.
During the formation of our nation, America has used many different foreign policies to better our nation. Foreign policies such as containment, imperialism, and isolationism were put into place to help protect American people. These foreign policies helped to shape America and they each brought forth many positive contributions and some negative as well.
America became an imperialist nation at the ending of the 19th century. They became an imperialist nation because Americans wanted to continue to expand overseas with their belief in manifest destiny. American imperialism was started due to military and political competition which included the creation of a strong naval force, the belief in the racial superiority of people of Anglo-Saxon decent, and economic competition between nations. The United States was marked as a world power during the Spanish American War. A factor that contributed to America going to war with Spain was the Cuban struggle for independence, America’s desire of imperialism, and the sinking of the United States warship “Maine.” As a result of the war America gained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain. During this era the United States gained colonies on both sides of the pacific, which included Hawaii. In 1898 Hawaii was proclaimed American territory. The United States has a long history of interest in a Central American canal to link the east and west coasts, expand trade, and for military interests. In 1902 Roosevelt decided on Panama and negotiated a treaty with Columbia that gave the United States permission to take forth with the canal project. This treaty also gave the United States the right to have control over the Canal Zone as if it were their territory and to add more land, if it was necessary for the canal. The canal was opened in 1914, and the control of it enhanced United States power; however the way that it was built ruined relations between Latin America and the United States. The policy of isolationism was
America became an imperialist nation at the ending of the 19th century. They became an imperialist nation because Americans wanted to continue to expand overseas with their belief in manifest destiny. American imperialism was started due to military and political competition which included the creation of a strong naval force, the belief in the racial superiority of people of Anglo-Saxon decent, and economic competition between nations. The United States was marked as a world power during the Spanish American War. A factor that contributed to America going to war with Spain was the Cuban struggle for independence, America’s desire of imperialism, and the sinking of the United States warship “Maine.” As a result of the war America gained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain. During this era the United States gained colonies on both sides of the pacific, which included Hawaii. In 1898 Hawaii was proclaimed American territory. The United States has a long history of interest in a Central American canal to link the east and west coasts, expand trade, and for military interests. In 1902 Roosevelt decided on Panama and negotiated a treaty with Columbia that gave the United States permission to take forth with the canal project. This treaty also gave the United States the right to have control over the Canal Zone as if it were their territory and to add more land, if it was necessary for the canal. The canal was opened in 1914, and the control of it enhanced United States power; however the way that it was built ruined relations between Latin America and the United States. The policy of isolationism was