Manifest Destiny 19th Century Essay

Through presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, America’s ideology was changing, and the desire among the people to impact other countries with that ideology was strong. From 1898 to 1914, the United States expanded its international role dramatically, in order to grow the country both economically and politically using those same principles.

Ever since the creation of it’s government, the United States had ideals and goals to follow for the interest of the people. During the Civil War and Reconstruction for example, American goals centered around freedom, and during most of the 19th century, American goals centered around industrialization. The difference between the interests of America before and after the 19th century, is that after,

they revolved around the need for expansion. Instead of focusing domestically, as the country had been doing in the past, America was putting its attention internationally, and specifically Westward. The idea that the United States of America has a God-given right to occupy all of North America is called “manifest destiny”, and it was first defined in 1845 (Foner, 267).

The desire to expand was alive in the minds of Americans much before then, and continued long after Manifest destiny was used as a justification to annex Texas, New Mexico, and California in the 1840s, and again in the Spanish-American War of 1898 (Foner, 230). In the Spanish-American War, America was fighting against Spain, which marked the first time they faced a European power, and although highly motivated by the principle of manifest destiny, America had other reasons to expand its control. The Cuban struggle for independence became a particularly important one, during the war against Spain. In light of Cuba’s need for independence from Spain, help from the United States would seem to be beneficial to both countries, especially since Cuban sugar was desired by the US. Fighting between the Spanish and Cubans threatened the stability of Cuban sugar production, which aggravated business owners, and when the Spanish bombed the American Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, the U.S. population called for action. They were desperately wanting to expand their country, and they

were willing to invade another country to do that. A series of battles on land and at sea, resulted in victory for America, an important battle being at San Juan Hill, the US forces being led by future president Theodore Roosevelt. In the treaty ending the war, the United States gained the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the island of Guam from Spain. Instead of having Cuba become a part of the country, since the Teller Amendment was in place, US president McKinley made the Cuban government allow for the US to have the right to interfere with its troops whenever they see fit in order to maintain its control. This sanction was called the Platt Amendment (Foner, 533). Another big reason for America to expand its control was the Monroe Doctrine. This was a message to Congress in 1823 by President James Monroe for the purpose of claiming the United States as the most notable power in the Western Hemisphere, and to warn European powers not to involve themselves with the newly independent states of Latin America. (Foner, pg 290) Throughout the entirety of US expansion, the Doctrine would be referenced and its principles used as justification for America’s sphere of influence being spread into the Western Hemisphere. The history of American ideals from both “manifest destiny” and the Monroe Doctrine is important to keep in mind when thinking about America emerging as one of the most powerful countries of the time because it had a large effect on the government’s view of expansion.

Rapid industrialization in America allowed for the country to increase in power exponentially. The United States began to expand economically, and by 1900, 80 percent of all the world’s industrial output came from the United States and Europe. Starting in 1860, the US quickly surpassed India and China, who both had been the most major world powers in the 18th century, and of course this growing strength forced foreign policy to change, especially during President Taft’s term. (Kaufman, page 47, figure 2.2) This change in policy, referred to by many as “dollar diplomacy” revolved around businesses and trading between countries. However, before dollar diplomacy came into existence, the United States had to fight for influence in the Chinese market. After its success in the Spanish American War, America was emerging as a strong power, and had lots of areas of control in the Pacific Ocean. However, without trade opportunities within China, the US would suffer a significant loss of profit, so during the “scramble for concessions” in China, Secretary of State John Hay sent a “Open Door note” to other imperialist countries to allow for trade and investment equality to all. The governments of Germany, Russia, England, Japan, Italy, and France did not share the same goal of trade equality than America did, but the act of fighting for representation like that set a precedent of how serious the US was as a competitor in the international system. (Kaufman, pg 44) This serves as an example of how powerful the US was becoming economically, and to protect that, military and political action was necessary. America was protecting its economy successfully by occupying the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii because they served as significant naval ports, three of those being along the shipping routes of Japan and China, hence the enthusiasm for access to trade with China. With the intentness to occupy these well positioned countries with direct and indirect control, American government became increasingly distrusted and disliked by the people of these governments. This means that although the wWestward expansion showed the values of the American people as well as proved what freedom meant to them, it also negatively conveys those values. The most clear example was the Philippines. It took control of the country to spread its democratic ideals, and while doing so took away the freedom of the Filipino people, the most basic right of a true American. “It expanded railroads and harbors, brought in American schoolteachers and public health officials, and sought to modernize agriculture (although efforts to persuade local farmers to substitute corn for rice ran afoul of Filipino climate and cultural traditions).” (Foner, pg 535) This takeover of the Philippines was justified as being for humanitarian reasons, but also obviously for economic reasons. As a result of this need for economic improvement, race relations became even more divided as white Americans in these Latin American countries were favored in the policies put in place, and the majority of the rural population was in poverty. Another clear example of showing the values of America was the building of the Panama Canal. President Theodore Roosevelt, who served before Taft, thought of this canal as a great opportunity for naval development and transportation of goods. However like in the Philippines Economics served as one of the most fundamental reasons for Westward expansion, as well as America’s policy towards other foreign powers as years progressed.

The involvement of America in World War I proved to be the first critical move of the country politically after the change of foreign policy just years before.

In the start of the war, President Wilson proclaimed American neutrality because of a division of opinion within the country. British-Americans sided with the Allies, but German-Americans, as well as the Irish, opposed Britain, therefore sided with the Central powers. The downfall of this neutrality was that the war was hard to avoid, and when the British ship Lusitania was attacked by Germany, killing 124 Americans, the US had to ensure its dominance as a world power. (Foner, pg 581) But before 1914, President Wilson set the stage for the upcoming war by preaching idealist goals and democratic values. A perfect example of Wilson’s love for democratic values is shown in his first inaugural address in 1913. “Nowhere else in the world have noble men and women exhibited in more striking forms the beauty and energy of sympathy and helpfulness and counsel in their efforts to rectify wrong, alleviate suffering, and set the weak in the way of strength and hope...This is the high enterprise of the new day: To lift everything that concerns our life as a Nation to the light that shines from the hearthfire of every man’s conscience and the vision of the right.” (Kaufman, pg 48) In this speech, Wilson is expanding on the Roosevelt Corollary, which was a principle of President Roosevelt’s soon before, that stood for America’s

right to use police power in the Western Hemisphere- backed by the Monroe Doctrine. On top of the Roosevelt Corollary, Wilson described how democracy in America was to be used as the example of how a government should operate, and the goal of the country should be to spread that system of government, therefore following what is morally right. The idea was to be a humanitarian-thinking country, but in practice this was totally different. As described before, this right to help the “weak” and “uncivilized people” revolved around racist motives, and like in the Philippines, the “help” of America doesn’t always work out. Liberal internationalism became the main concern for America by 1914, and as a result, both economic and political progress involved expanding America’s ideals and principles.

In conclusion, America’s goals changed dramatically by 1914, its economics and politics contributing to that change. As the US was expanding towards the West, it was using principles from the Monroe Doctrine, as well as justifying its actions with the idea of “manifest destiny”, which was already in the minds of American citizens long before its time of expansion. The foreign policy of the United States of America became essential to how the country operated, as trade, investments, and culture was beginning to be shared globally for the first time, at least in American history.