1890s marked a change of American perception on World Affairs. Three decades before 1890, the country was in oblivion of what went on beyond North American boarders. Citizens and the government were indifferent to world affairs. This stance would change abruptly and the country would go into wars and acquire territorial possessions. The period marked the beginning of world influence of American presidents. They began playing core roles in the world stage. This work seeks to unearth the possible reasons for such a dramatic change of stage play. It dissects the American history of the moment to reveal the reasons that led the country into World War I. This analysis takes into account the perception of American domestic policy of the time and the manner in which it led to involvement of the nation in world affairs.
One of the chief reasons as to why America built an empire beyond its borders was its insatiable desire to have new land under its control. Greed for territorial expansion had been prevalent from its colonial days. The United States had expanded its boundaries from initial 13 founder states to include all the states between the middle portions of North America to Atlantic Seaboard. The nation had captured and placed under its control states like Texas, Florida, Oregon, Louisiana Purchase, Trans Mississippi, and Mexican Cession. America’s desire for growth remained a motivating aspect in its world affair involvement in the 20th Century. It began casting covetous eyes on states beyond continental borders of North America. It, therefore, began escapades to capture Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Isthmus of Panama and Philippines. The country would not limit its territorial expansion to North America.
Concept of manifestation of destiny and social Darwinism led America to proclaim colonies beyond its borders. Manifest Destiny was a well-known concept that grew its roots in America in 1840s. It acted as an encouragement and rationalization for spread of the US across the entire continent. American society accepted an ethnocentric idea that they had a divine mission to bring advantages of civilization and Christianity to the entire North America. America’s belief in the divine mission sped Mexican Cession territory acquisition as a result of war. The country took over Texas and Oregon by treaty. It then embarked on the task of spreading Christianity beyond North American borders. Many Americans encouraged territorial expansion in Asia, Pacific and the Caribbean for Manifest Divinity.
Social Darwinism was applicable to different nationalities and races. This was the same way Darwin’s theory of evolution had guided the business sector during the period of turmoil of concentration and industrialization. Social Darwinists believed in a theory that human races are not at the same level of evolution. Americans viewed themselves to be at an advanced stage of evolution. Their neighbors were less civilized and lacked the capacity to think for themselves. The Americans at the time felt it was their destiny to step in and help the inferior races and nationalities through conquest and building empires.
The concept of Divine Destiny and Social Darwinism as a contributing factor to empire building was evident in speeches the leaders of the time made. For instance, after Spanish-American War, Senator Albert J. Beveridge said, that God had made American the organizers of the world. According to him, God expected them to develop a system in which chaos would reign. Additionally, Senator Albert J. Beveridge asserted that Americans were empowered with a divine spirit that would enable them to ensure maximum progress throughout the world. He believed that it was God`s empowerment that enabled them to avoid barbarism and night falls. From his speech Senator Albert J. Beveridge also asserted that America was a chosen nation which would eventually bring change and happiness to man .
Thirty years before 1890, America shied away from involving itself from international affairs as it built its economic base. It concentrated on industrial revolution that made it economically stable and rich. Efforts to make a sound economic base for the country produced phenomenal results in 1890. The country’s production of manufactured goods outran the domestic consumption despite exponentially growing population. Manufactures were in a dilemma of reducing production thus limiting profitability or finding new markets for their products. Penetrating the European markets was not possible as the Western Countries used protective tariffs to protect their manufacturers. The country needed colonies to produce cheap raw materials as well as provide ready markets for their goods. Therefore, industrialization that had delayed America’s involvement in International Affairs prior to 1890 served to advance it after 1890.
Another chief reason for the involvement of American people in foreign affairs was the influence of naval strategists. The most revered of these great minds was Alfred Thayer Mahan. He was an admiral in the United States Navy and had a lot of influence on foreign policy establishment and implementation. From the naval expert’s writings, he noted that United States needed to modernize its marine merchant services if it wanted improve trade. Alfred noted that all world powers of the time had merchant marines with ability to carry out trade to all world destinations. He also noted that all world powers of the time had large military navy that allowed them to have military influence on all parts of the world irrespective of distance and location. The United States, therefore, needed to modernize and enlarge United States Navy to become a world power. The strategist also noted that the United States needed to acquire certain ports of naval importance if it had determination to be a global power. In order to implement these recommendations, the United States had to conquer nations that lay on the way of its dreams.
In the spirit of improving naval influence, United States set out strategies to acquire certain important ports in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Latin America. It reasoned that it needed a naval base in Cuba to control entry and exit into the Isthmus of Panama as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, it also constructed a canal across Panama to halve the cost and time of travel between the east and west coasts. This would also make the movement of United States Navy between Pacific and Atlantic oceans easy. America meant to have a replica of Britain’s Suez Canal in Panama. It also stressed the significance of Philippines and Hawaii as fueling stops for American Naval Ships. This called for nothing less than conquest and increasing boundaries beyond the continental borders.
Jingoism is the final reason that led America into forming colonies and empires. This war-like, martial sprit spread across the United States in the late 1890s into the 20th Century. Jingoists included leaders such as Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge and Mahan Beveridge. They were eager and ready to showcase maturity of United States through military action. Western powers had viewed United States as a political joke since its inception in 1770s. From the time the country was under the rule of Article of Federation, world powers had disregarded it as a useless bunch of many states. Under the leadership of Roosevelt, the United States was eager to show to the world that it had come of age. This was especially evident as President Roosevelt made a speech during the Venezuela-British Guiana borderline dispute. President Roosevelt asserted that America needed to enter into a war with the Great Britain. He hoped that a war between the two countries would be launched as soon as possible. Other than the need to show military maturity led by the spirit of jingoism, several other factors led the United States to take sides in World War I. by the time of the World War, United States had formed formidable relationship with its former colonial masters, Great Britain. The two nations had economic ties and benefited mutually from each other. United States wanted to safeguard its economic dominance and took sides with Great Britain, Russia, Belgium, Serbia and France. In addition, German Submarine War on the United States instigated its desire to fight Germany and its allies. The United States could not remain neutral.
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