Preview

To What Extent Was Late Nineteenth-Century and Early Twentieth-Century United States Expansionism a Continuation of Past Unites States Exansionism and to What Extent Was It a Departure?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
734 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
To What Extent Was Late Nineteenth-Century and Early Twentieth-Century United States Expansionism a Continuation of Past Unites States Exansionism and to What Extent Was It a Departure?
The United States has been an expansionist country throughout the decades of history. Excet for the Civil War and the Reconstruction period, the United States acquired huge amount of land, establishing a powerful world influence, and finally developed current territory. Not only that, US started looking outside of the nation and the era of imperialism began with the reinforcement of expansionism. The early twentieth-century US exansionism is a continuation of late nineteenth-century expansionism in some aspects.
With exploring the newfound land of America, the concept of "Manifest Destiny" emerged. "Manifest Destiny," is the belief that Americans are given the right to all of the land between the eastern and western seaboards. In 1983, one of the earliest cases of imperialism started with the expanding of the colonies past the Appalachian Mountains, to current day Mississippi. With the Louisiana Purchase, and the joint occupaiton of Oregon, respectively in 1803, and 1818, America's newfound imperialism continued. This expansion did not stop until they controlled the entire current day continental United States.
After the expansion inside the nation, its expansionism did not stop there; the US then set its newly superior sights on the foreign countries, such as the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Hawaii. By the time, America was full of pride, thought America itself knew what is best for the rest of the world. From the English poet Rudyard Kipling's pem, imperialists within the United States understood the phrase "white man's burden" as a characterization for imperialism that justified the policy as a noble enterprise.
Both of expansionism and imperialism before and after 20th Century eventually caused conflicts. During expansionism, as they desired more free slave states, a series of violent events occurred such as the Border War. This characteristic is shown in imperialism more incessantly. They face revolts in such countries like Cuba and the Philippines

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    1994 Dbq Outline

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Main Idea: American expansionism isn’t a result of the hunger for land and resources, but a desire to bring aid to less fortunate peoples and bring stability and prosperity to their societies.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    America had remained mostly an isolated country until the late 1800's when the United States was faced with the opportunity of building a colonial empire. By 1890 the United States, like Europe, had began to expand its influence onto islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific areas. They entered in other countries' affairs claiming that it served the interests of all peoples and were motivated by Idealism. In reality, the United States was mostly after its own self-interest. The Spanish-American War, the United States' Open Door policy, and the control over the Panama Canal zone make it unclear if the United States was pursuing its own self-interest or was inspired by Idealism.…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The long history of the United States is one of continual expansion as shows in the late nineteenth and twentieth-century. Certain factors can be found that are responsible for early American expansion and late nineteenth century imperialism. The motives for expansionism both in America and out were relatively the same. Religious reasons such as in early expansion was spreading Christianity and in late imperialism spreading Christianity to our little brown brothers in the Philippines. Economic factors were contributed by building railroads in expansion and using the sugar and cheap labor in Cuba during imperialism years. Social motives like those in the early years were that of railroads across the plains and keeping up with the European powers in the imperialistic years. Humanitarian, we thought, reasons in the early expansion years was assimilating the Indians and then years later, assimilating the Filipinos. Finally, geographic motives such as the Louisiana Purchase to double the size of America and annexing Hawaii and imperializing Cuba and the Philippines in the later years. The only major difference between these times was the expansion beyond America’s borders.…

    • 1365 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    There were many different factors leading to imperialism and the pressure to expand such as economical factors, nationalistic, and military factors. One reason for the rush of expansion was economical factors and the need for natural resources and manufacturing nations increased also. During this time extractive economy was often used by countries like Europe and Japan. Meaning that a colonizing country removed raw materials and shipped them back home to benefit its own economy.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The idea of Manifest Destiny ran through American history since the 19th century. America began to expand through the continent, because it was their destiny to expand. America wanted to become bigger and greater. Manifest Destiny not only included the idea of being destined to expand America, but it also included the idea of expanding America for economic opportunity and for the progress of Liberty. America went straight for Manifest Destiny to better its economy and strength. Imperialism degrades other nations making them oppressed by their ruling countries, however the United States did try to expand their colony into the pacific ocean for the ideology of Manifest Destiny by having people from America going to other countries, building canals in other provinces and creating companies in China to expand the American economy.…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Expansionism in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century shared many similarities and differences to that of previous American expansionist ideals. In both cases of American expansionism, the Americans believed that we must expand our borders in order to keep the country running upright. Also, the Americans believed that the United State, being one of the strongest of the nations, had a need to become even stronger. This is shown in the "manifest destiny" of the 1840's. Apart from the similarities, there were also several differences that included the American attempt to stretch their empire across the seas and into other parts of the world.…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    American imperialism in the late 1800's was a break in American foreign policy. America has always wanted to expand the country. In the 1880's, many people thought that America should join countries such as England and set up colonies overseas. Imperialism is when a bigger, stronger country wants to control other smaller and weaker territories.At that time, imperialism was a trend around the world. America became an imperialist nation because of economic reasons, militery interests,and cultural superiority.…

    • 941 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the final years of the 1800's, American focus took a unexpected turn from industrial development to the far more risky game of international politics. Previously a primarily isolationist country, America's burst of imperialism appeared almost random. After all, President Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality set the precedent for a non-interventionist country, which the United States as adhering to, more or less. However, considering the extremely popularity of Manifest Destiny, imperialism can only be an obvious result of America's obsession with territorial expansion. Imperialism was Manifest Destiny, albeit on a much larger scale.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many countries expand for overall growth as a nation. The United States has expanded numerous times. During the late 1800s throughout the early 1900s the United States expanded once again. The United States not only gained territory, but also gained trade with Japan and China.…

    • 467 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The US was never completely isolated from the rest of the world, therefore engaging in imperialism in the early twentieth century had some justifications. The trade made the US an active member of world affairs. It was during the period of the 1890s that the US foreign policy became influenced by imperialism. During that decade, the US became the most important industrial power in the world. The US military, especially the Navy, was growing and expanding in other areas of the world where we had not had the ability to go in force before. The war with Spain and the presidency of T. Roosevelt also made the US a major economic, military, and imperialistic power.…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    American Imperialism has been a part of United States history since the American Revolution. Imperialism is practice by powerful nations or people seeking to expand and maintain control or influence over weaker nations. The United States switch to imperialist behavior in 1898 has caused great historical attention. After all, the United States had generally claimed to stand in opposition to the practice of taking colonies, instead being an advocate of freedom, democracy, and self-government for all. However, the United States saw a need for expanding more. The United States embarked on a new wave of expansionism in the late 1800's because of its desire for new markets, America’s aggressive mood, and new military strength.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Us Expansionism

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To what extent was late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century United States expansionism a continuation of past United States expansionism and to what extent was it a departure?…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An inclination for American identity rose from the blooming patriotism of a young United States. The idea that the United States was special, that it had a God-given right to rule over the North American continent, backed an essential facet of the patriotism arising at the time. “Destiny” in itself holds immense value in connotation, and the United States believed with startling conviction that their fate stood above the rest of the world’s. It’s an ideology still breathed through the channels of American culture, as United States’ patriotism tends to hold a special edge: a belief that the country, unlike others, stands for freedom intrinsic to the land. Being such a young country, the United States felt out their identity, aiming to create something of themselves while simultaneously gaining more power to substantiate their…

    • 1190 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The decade of the 1890s marks a diplomatic watershed in American history. During that period the United States embarked upon a very assertive expansionist policy that led to the nation becoming an imperialist power by 1900. The reasons for this change from an essentially low-key, isolationist foreign policy stance to an aggressive involvement in world affairs involved fundamental changes in the American economy and the attitudes of the American people.…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Colonial Expansions

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Colonialism expansion is where countries (such as Britain, France, Germany and Russia) settle on new land. They do this to expand their territories, and to use their resources for to benefit their empire. Rivalries between the empires are consequential. This is because many empires are involved in conflicts when attempting to regain new land.…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays