The meaning of American imperialism
At the end of the 19th century, the United States started to follow the footsteps of European imperialistic countries and began to keep to the policy of the corresponding behavior. The United States starts its intervention in the territories of other countries with the purpose of development, advancement and domination on many levels. The American politicians of those times strongly believed that the expansion of the country’s territory was the best and only demonstration of its power.
According to Henry Cabot Lodge, the Americans have been too absorbed with their own domestic problems for too long and left unnoticed some really important interests that lay outside of the country’s borders (1985). For decades the United States’ political development was mainly directed to the improvement of the situation inside the country, annexing local lands, fixing the inner policy of the state. However, at the beginning of the 1890s, the United States rapidly started to be interested in the imperialistic experiences of the European countries. Ambitions and national ego began to grow and desire to be fulfilled.
Factors and causes
The factors that contributed to the National expansion were different. There was a strong economical point to this movement. The consequences of the devastating battles of the Civil War, attaching more new lands, mass disorders and disagreements influenced the economy and caused confusion in the ways to determine the future direction of the country’s development within the borders.
The desire for the new territories was not satisfied by Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, and other states. The opportunity to move up north was not enough. The United States started to be interested in expanding the horizons, moving abroad, looking at the territories of other countries, moving into the Caribbean, becoming the greatest force on the Pacific. The times of diplomatic isolationism were over. The country’s leaders started to be aware of so many possibilities, waiting for them abroad.
Strategically the idea of taking new lands was based on becoming more influential and starting to play an important role in the world’s politics. Lodge believed that “small states are of the past and have no future”. Of course, one of the best motivational factors for the expansion was the opportunity of gaining power through international trade.
Officially, during the expansion, the United States was bringing what they considered to be the correct ideology to less fortunate nations and their uncivilized lands. Americans strongly believed that intervention in foreign countries has a positive and useful purpose of sharing Christian values and setting peace and order in damaged and chaotic societies. Americans only saw their policy as an act of great generosity and giving help to countries that appeared under their control.
Critics and supporters
Of course, such policy had its critics. First of all, the war was disapproved by many citizens. People of the United States were against the war and military conflict with other countries. New York Herald Tribune published a protest, saying that President William McKinley has “violated the unwritten law of the Republic” by not declaring the war he started (1898).
The supporters of the imperialistic movement were motivated by the ideas of how many possibilities would the expansion provide for the United States. They wanted to have access to the new markets, which would bring a lot of income for the nation, but, as Love explains on the example of the Philippines’ intervention, Lodge’s concern was not with the nation struggling through hard times under Cuban power, and their desire for political independence (2004). Lodge wanted the islands as a good purchase so that he could have a promising opportunity to sell or trade them for some other islands that were more useful for increasing American influence in the Caribbean.
There is no doubt, that the arguments of imperialist supporters were much more powerful and loud. The protesters, speaking against war and armed conflicts had little impact because their main strategy – being neutral and isolated – has been rejected long ago. The ambitions and high-level goals of the country’s international policy, the opportunity of taking more lands and territories sounded much more appealing to the politicians, keen on the country’s development, progress and finally becoming visible on the international scene.
The “splendid little war”
The war between Spain and the United States was very short. As a result, many goals were achieved. New lands were annexed, a strong European rival was defeated, Theodore Roosevelt, at that time an Assistant Secretary of the Navy had a great chance to demonstrate the strength of the US military. Access for market expansion was granted, the United States became one of the most powerful countries in the world in many aspects.
Another very important impact the Spanish-American war made was the redefinition of national identity and unity. A confused country with a layered society and scattered opinions, not knowing which direction to take in its further development, has managed to make one huge leap and break through all of the obstacles at a time, turning its various nations into one force fighting for a common purpose and achieving the first steps in unity and agreement. For the United States’ leaders this “little” war was truly splendid, and as Rosenfeld noticed, “its proceedings made it America’s most popular war since nationhood” (2000).
Reference List
Lodge, H. C. (1895), Forum. Web.
Love, E. T. L. (2004), Race over Empire: Racism and U. S. Imperialism, 1865-1900. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
New York Herald Tribune. (1898). Web.
Rosenfeld, H. (2000), Diary of a Dirty Little War: The Spanish American War of 1898. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.