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Reasons for American Imperialism

Reasons for American Imperialism. “New Imperialism”. Colony : direct rule by a foreign power, backed with military force Protectorate : indirect rule by a foreign power; local rulers left in place but must answer to foreign power

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Reasons for American Imperialism

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  1. Reasons for American Imperialism

  2. “New Imperialism” • Colony: direct rule by a foreign power, backed with military force • Protectorate: indirect rule by a foreign power; local rulers left in place but must answer to foreign power • Sphere of influence (“economic imperialism”): no direct political control by foreign power, only interest of foreign power is in control of access to trade

  3. Reasons for US to Grow an Empire • Need to develop new markets for US agricultural & manufactured goods: US producing more than it can use • Need new opportunities for capital investment • Mercantilism: belief that nations need to export more than they import to grow and maintain wealth • No more frontier: US had expanded as much as it could in North America • Manifest Destiny: Americans still believed that God favored their way of life and wanted them to spread elsewhere

  4. Frederick Jackson Turner • 1861 – 1932 • Historian / Professor • 1893: Proposed his “Frontier Thesis” which argued that American society had evolved as a result of always having a Western frontier; now that the frontier was closed, US was at risk of stagnation • Many interpreted this as meaning that the US needed to find new frontiers in order to maintain our position

  5. Social Darwinism • Political, economic, and military competition between nations leads to the failure of the weak and the “survival of the fittest” • Small, “inferior” states will be overpowered by “superior” states

  6. Anglo-Saxonism • Belief that English speaking nations were destined to rule due to superior character, ideas, and systems of government • Popular in Britain and the US • Fit well with American idea of “Manifest Destiny”

  7. John Fiske • 1842 – 1901 • Writer / Historian • Argued that physical evolution of man had ended due to social developments • As a result, the society which is superior will be the dominant force in social evolution

  8. Josiah Strong • 1847 – 1916 • Protestant minister • Americans should support imperialism because it spreads Christianity • The Anglo-Saxon race have a responsibility to “civilize and Christianize” the rest of the world • Identified 7 “perils” for American society: Catholicism, Mormonism, Socialism, intemperance, wealth, urbanization, & immigration

  9. Capt. Alfred T. Mahan • 1840 – 1914 • 1890: Wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History • Argued that powerful nations have powerful navies • Powerful navies require naval bases worldwide • His ideas won widespread political support in both Congress and the White House

  10. The Great White Fleet • Fleet of 16 US battleships sent out on a world tour to demonstrate American naval might between 1907 and 1909 on orders of President Theodore Roosevelt • Greatly enhanced American prestige

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