Imperialism In The 19th Century

The United States expanded its part as an imperialistic nation in the 19th century to descend economic advantages and to mostly improve power. Imperialism is “The policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies.”(Dictionary Reference) So much of the impulse to develop overseas was definitely not for religion purposes, relatively for economic gain and national prestige. The United States sought out to be recognized as top dog to the additional countries and the only way they could actually attain this was to expand. Overseas regions also offered an inexpensive labor force and an abundant amount of raw natural resources with which to drive the U.S
economy. As the United States was originally expanding westward within the country in the beginning of the century, the U.S didn’t have any anticipation of expanding overseas until later on.
Once the Civil War finished the United States decided to get busy and start to expand internally throughout the U.S, there was this big shove to move westward right after the war because that is where the agricultural business was starting to advance.
It took so long for the united states to even think about expanding overseas because they were too busy trying to settle into their own frontier first until late 19th century. Initially the United States only wanted to expand within the U.S but finally decided that they wanted more because they are very selfish. At the time when the United States started thriving with production the surplus of it all started the downfall, “Surpluses resulted in downturns in the economy, as evidenced by the financial panics that occurred in 1873 and 1893. American business leaders and farmers believed that foreign markets with access to additional consumers would alleviate some of these problems.”(Expansion in the 1890’S) The farmers in the U.S were generating way too much products that the American people couldn’t buy in time for use. The main goal was to branch out to other countries and let them buy all of the
products.
The most important reason why the United States wanted to imperialize was for economic benefits.
The United States main views during that time period was on the expansion with political, economic, and military control. The military pretty much desired to expand everywhere to create naval bases so that the U.S would look strong through the military, while the government wanted to have the most power. The U.S at first had no reason to go overseas and primarily they didn’t want to until the need for all of these materials started coming about. The United States sought out to do a lot of business with china because “China was the source of some of the world’s most sought after commodities—tea, porcelain, and silk—and Western merchants had sought access to this highly lucrative trade since at least the 17th century.”(United States Marine Time) No one knew how beneficial these different types of natural materials would be for them and the U.S. At that time China played a vast part with trading between all countries but especially with the U.S, even today they still play an enormous role within the United States. Trading with outside countries was also cheap considering how under developed they were, at that time the U.S really wanted to be a part of the
action.
The citizens of the United States were trying to push the government to expand in other areas, so that the U.S would have the upper hand. The people favored overseas expansion because they needed the American economy to grow. Theories such as Social Darwinism and Manifest Destiny made people believe that it was right for America to expand its frontiers and the less fortunate, which were other countries that the U.S could hold Power in. That is how the U.S got Hawaii, was because they over ruled the people there and also because it would hold a great naval base for America. The United State also required Alaska, “The purchase of Alaska in 1867 marked the end of Russian efforts to expand trade and settlements to the Pacific coast of North America, and became an important step in the United States rise as a great power in the Asia-Pacific region.”(Office of the Historian) The United States purchased Alaska from Russia and the people actually had no clue as to why the U.S would purchase it until later on when they discovered oil there. Throughout the idea of expanding overseas U.S citizens wanted to play an immense role in the decision to pursue promising trade agreements and alignments. The people craved other countries to examine the world as they did through political ideals and their faith of Christianity.
Thomas Jefferson once said “Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”(Brainy Quote) Every country wants to be considered influential, they want to be acknowledged for attaining the greatest military, land, society, agriculture, particularly the finest government. The United States desired to have all of this power that they eventually decided to look overseas for it. At the end of the 19th century the development in population and in production led many people to look outward. By expanding, America would guarantee that there would continuously be access to foreign markets for America’s extra products to be sold. All that America has now is foreign markets because they expanded overseas too much and don’t construct anything of their own any longer.