American Expansionism in the 19th Century, Essay Example

Introduction

From the colonial era to the 21^st century, expansionism has always been a fundamental component of the American experience. It was originally rooted in European expansionism as Spain, France, England, Portugal, and other nations sought new trade markets and new sources of goods and raw materials. As the British colonies in North America gained economic strength and with it, a drive for independence, a new nation was born. Over the course of a century the United States expanded westward, buying or taking more and more land until reaching the Pacific Ocean. In the aftermath of the Civil War the United States was reshaped by the emerging forces of industrialization and technology, and new economic and political pressures prompted a new form of expansionism, one that saw the United States taking a larger role on the world stage (Zagarri, 2011). This new expansionism was driven by a mix of ideology and practicality; while the United States viewed itself as the world’s beacon for freedom and democracy, the economic circumstances of the late 1800s necessitated the development of new markets to underpin the rapid expansion of American capitalism.

Background

Even in the first century of United States history, from the American Revolution until the Civil War, ideology had underpinned expansionism. The notions of “Manifest Destiny” and “American exceptionalism” spurred this expansionism (Robinson, 2010); in short, Americans viewed it as their God-given right and even responsibility to move beyond the borders of the original states outward to the South and the West. Simmering beneath this sense of righteousness, however, were practical concerns: the territories that lay beyond the states were ripe for exploitation, and the burgeoning population in the states virtually assured the drive to expand outward. The history of this period of the United States is often told in terms of domestic policy, with the post-Civil War era being viewed as the cornerstone on which America built its position on the international stage.

The Spanish-American War

While no single event can be said to mark the point where American expansionism began to turn outward instead of inward, the Spanish-American War was certainly a defining moment in the nation’s history. By the late 1800s a confluence of political, economic, and social factors spurred the new international expansionism. Industrialization began to supplant agriculture as the driving force of the American economy, and with this change emerged a new “industrial and financial elite” (Hobart, 1998). The rapidly-shifting economy was plagued by a series of recessions and depressions, and the powerful elite viewed international expansionism as the cure for these economic ills (Hobart). Expansionism was supported in Congress through the development of a naval fleet intended to both protect national and international U.S. interests, and this newly-forged military power would be put to use in the Spanish-American War. As the Cuban battle for independence from Spain gained steam, the U.S. intervened on the side of Cuba. The war itself did not last long, but its implications are still felt to this day.

Implications

The decision to join the Cuban fight demonstrates how ideology and practical concerns can combine to promote political consensus. For some, the best reason to intervene was to promote freedom and democracy in Cuba; for others, it was a matter of economic necessity, as Cuba represented an important (and nearby) trade partner for the United States (Hobart). While the ideological support for Cuban intervention may have had some validity, the practical implications for the United States were equally, if not more, significant. As the U.S. got involved in the war, it expanded its military presence into Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. When the war came to an end, the nations into which the U.S. had expanded were not included in the treaty negotiations. The precedent was set: the United States was an expansionist nation.

Even if economic factors were the primary reason why the U.S. became involved in the Spanish-American War, many Americans believed (or at least were told) that the matter was more complex. The notion of Social Darwinism, popular at the time, held that superior races had a right and a responsibility to “civilize” the less fortunate in the world (Hobart). The expansion of U.S. military power in the region supported the expansion of U.S, economic might; combined with the prevailing social attitudes of the day, many Americans believed that such expansionism not only provided an economic and strategic advantage to the U.S, but that it was simply the morally correct thing to do.

Conclusion

The Spanish-American War was among the first significant steps the United States took on its route to the position as a world superpower. The social and political ideologies that combined to make U.S. involvement in the war possible were reinforced by the practical realities of economic development that resulted from it. The precedent set by this expansionism helped to reinforce the belief among many Americans in “American exceptionalism,” and would set the stage for increasing expansionism over the next century. Expansionism has always been a part of the American experience; beginning with the Spanish-American war, this expansionism was turned outward, and would shape the destiny not just of the United States, but of the world.

References

Hobart, S. (1998). U.S. imperialism and 1898. Monthly Review, 50(1), 31-37.

Robinson, C. M. (2010). God and American expansionism. Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table.

Zagarri, R. (2011). The Significance of the “Global Turn” for the Early American Republic: Globalization in the Age of Nation-Building. Journal of the Early Republic, 31(1), 1-37.