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American Imperialism in the Beginning of the 20th Century

 

            Prior to World War I Americans wanted to be a model society for a number of the countries that were thought to be "barbarous" and "backwards." At this time the United States was beginning to transform itself from having an isolationist foreign policy to beginning to influence many nations around the world. Although, Americans had a fine intent on helping the citizens of other nations to forget their "backwards" ways of living, America almost always had some sort of gain when "helping" other nations. The ideal of expansionism was taken too far during this time period, until the point of imperialism. The hypocritical treatment of the people who lived in the Philippines, the devious way that America conned their way into owning the Panama Canal, and the way in which America imposed their ideals upon Hawaii are all examples of the lengths that the US would go through to expand the nation.
             Many of the reasons that American's acted in the manner that they did was for a monetary profit. When dealing with the Panama Canal, America first tried to make a treaty with Columbia, but since Columbia did not find it in their favor to relinquish the canal to America, the US sought a different route. The US basically aided the Panamanian nationalists in their revolt in 1903 in order to further America's financial status by controlling the canal that was to be later built. Although the US did try to have a formal way of buying the canal, once they did not acquire their goal, they aided a rebellion that could not have been won without their support, and this ultimately ended up working to America's favor which helped to add fuel to the flame of imperialism that took place prior to World War I in America.
             The "Splendid Little War" that took place between Spain and America, did not originally have an imperialistic intent (Doc E), but as the battling ended a number of actions that were taken seemed to once again work in America's favor.


Essays Related to American Imperialism in the Beginning of the 20th Century

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