America fell in a depression beginning in 1893. Because of this, people started looking outside the U.S. to obtain the money needed. To achieve this, the idea of Imperialism was adopted. Imperialism is the policy and practice for exploiting nations, and its people, for the benefit of an imperial power. This can be completed directly by military occupation and colonial rule, or indirectly through economic domination of resources and markets. Basically if America expanded, it was believed their economic troubles would be over.
Alfred Thayer Mahan began a propaganda campaign to promote a stronger navy. If the navy was larger, economic and territorial expansion would occur. There were other justifications brought up to defend the idea of imperialism. Some believed that "Anglo-Saxons- were racially superior to other races occupying the world. White rule would promote three successes: national success, international stability, and to benefit other races deemed inferior by forcing American ideas and ways of life on them. Christianity was another form of imperialism because it was thought that the world should have the same beliefs that Americans do since Christianity is a large portion of this nation's founding; therefore, their lives will be better.
Ideas soon turned into action. In 1893, an opportunity came up to annex Hawaii. Yet, the U.S. declined. The Dole Family saw this as an opening and took over the island, along with setting up their version of government. In 1898, the U.S. became involved in the war between Cuba and Spain. The U.S. took the side of Cuba since it wanted to be freed from Spain, but it would also provide the U.S. with an economic growth of $200 million. After all, the idea of Manifest Destiny, a belief that territorial expansion by the United States was both inevitable and divinely ordained, was still fresh in their minds. Some Southern expansionists saw Cuba as an opportunity to gain slave territory.