American Expansionism
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American Expansionism
Troy Gardner
HIS/120 – U.S. History 1865 to 1945
Instructor: JAMES HARRISON
June 2012
University of Phoenix
American Expansionism in the late nineteenth, continuing well into the twentieth century had many differences and similarities to the previous expansion efforts. Americans thought it would be best if they expanded the borders to keep the country well balanced during both of the expansion efforts. During this time, Americans felt that the United States could take all of the land they wanted because they were convinced that they were the strongest of all nations. This is proved by the events of the Manifest Destiny of the 1840sas well as Darwinism during the later part of the 1800s. This demonstration continued into the and early 1900s. Aside from the similarities, there were also many things that were included the attempts by Americans to stretch their empires into other parts of the world and across the seas.
For most of our countrys history, the United States had become known as a nation that was convinced that at any cost, it could take what ever they wanted. Examples of this can be seen in both cases of expansion, as national safety and war were risked by the Americans, just so they could acquire the land they wanted. During the early years of the expansion, Americans had pushed aside the Native Americans and anyone else who dwelled on the land they desired. The Americans at that time were under the belief that the land belonged to them and all others trespassing on their territory. As the twentieth century came, the belief was still there through out most of the country as the greedy Americans looked for to the seas and new lands to add to their empires.
Contrary to earlier beliefs of many Americans, the need and desire for expansion was more of a worldwide competition of all nations, than just wanting control of the adjoining lands. The new spread quickly and soon other countries were also purchasing the remaining unclaimed lands, and at that point, America felt the need to stake their clam in imperialism on a global scale. America felt powerful. More powerful than ever before, now with a naval fleet, they could do battle while at sea. In early expansion attempts, Americans were crippled and at a disadvantage by having no naval military, which made battles overseas out of their reach, allowing them access to just the nearby areas to attempt to acquire. Now that America had an established and growing and powerful navy, new acquisition opportunities could now become a reality such as acquiring such territories as Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines.
The late nineteenth century proved to have a lot of outside resistance directed towards American expansion. Due to the localization of the first expansion, there was not as many disputes over the land as when America took their hopes for land overseas. The American Empire additions many islands including the Philippines, the United States became a self-proclaimed ruler of the western hemisphere.
During this new American Empire expansion, like in the earlier expansions, Americans thought of themselves as helping others who they could put under their power. In his 1904 annual message to congress, President Roosevelt said, “All that this country desires is to see the neighboring countries stable, orderly, and prosperous.” During the expansion of 1840, this very same thing happened when the United States were supposedly helping the natives when in actuality Americans were just pushing the natives out of the way so they could take what they thought was theirs. The population of the Native Americans slowly declined to a very small amount in many areas. The “end all be all” of the world idea by the Americans would continue last through history, nearly causing several conflicts because of it.
There were several differences and similarities, which occurred during the two periods of expansion in America. The need for strong American domination, expanding their power out as far as possible was one thing however, that remained the same in both