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SHOULD WE? SHOULD WE NOT? H. L. Mencken With America breaking free of our Neutrality Proclamation set by Washington, it would seem that another conflict has been started in America. The American Anti-Imperialist League, Established June 15, 1898, says NO to Imperialism. Prominent members of this movement include Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Gompers, and John Sherman. This movement was established in response to America trying to annex the Philippines and opposes imperialism because they think that it goes against everything America was built on. After James E. McCormick published a letter in the Boston Evening Transcript asking people to meet and support his ideas of Anti-Imperialism, the movement seemed to resonate with many americans. Claims …show more content…
have surfaced from this league that imperialism is not right but the average american seems to think that these claims are preposterous. Anti-Imperialists claim that imperialism violates not only our Declaration of Independence, but also the wise words spoken by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Washington left office in the fall of 1796 with a Farewell Address that stayed with America for many years. This address led to America's policy of Neutrality, that was broken due to the idea of a New Manifest Destiny. The Anti-Imperialist society also claims that we will be violating President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address by taking others freedom, equality, and national pride. Another rallying cry the Anti-Imperialists are using is the wrongness of the Spanish-American War started over cuba. Many Americans are questioning if Imperialism is right, but deciding that it is okay because we are giving these people a better government. Today I stand up for all those who are taken over by Imperialism and say that it is not okay! Today I give a voice to all of those who feel that they are unable to use theirs! Today I stand up and fight the United States Government so that everyone can have their own freedom to govern themselves! All I ask is that the people stand with my bretheren and I to fight this monster that wears the charming face of improvement. Imperialism is a horrendous beast that needs to be slain. What makes America great? We are a nation of fighters who originally fought for our
indepencence from a great imperialist power. What makes America lose its greatness? When we fall to the same level of those who we claimed oppressed us before. If we fall to this practice we will become a nation of Hyppocrites. We will become a nation of fradulant men. Our name will be besmirched by the world with no lingering of respect. Join the fight to end Imperialism and save our great nation from hypocracy. Do not help our government violate the consent of the goverened the way we had our rights violated so many years ago. The American Anti-Imperialist League will have a meeting at high noon on the 12th of July 1898 in the district meeting house.
The late1890s signaled an imperial expansion of the United States. After the victory of the Spanish American War and the Annexation of Hawaii, the U.S. had successfully expanded its borders overseas. Through the Treaty of Paris 1898, the United States acquired territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. For example, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba were all obtained from the Treaty of Paris. That same year the U.S. also Annexed Hawaii into the Union. This massive expansion into the Caribbean and especially the Pacific created a political clash between Imperialist and Anti-Imperialist. During this time Anti-Imperialist and Hawaiian political leaders argued that the mistreatment of indigenous people was unethical. On the other hand, Imperialist like Albert Beveridge supported Imperialism. In Beveridge’s speech “The March of the Flag” (1898) he expressed imperialism was the Anglo-Saxon way, because it improved the prosperity of these islands and expanded American borders. Also, he stated that it’s America’s
Throughout the course of history, nations have invested time and manpower into the colonizing and modernizing of more rural governments. Imperialism has spread across the globe, from the British East India Company to France’s occupation of Northern Africa. After their founding in 1776, the United States of America largely stayed out of this trend until The Spanish-American War of 1898. Following the war, the annexation and colonization of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines ultimately set a precedent for a foreign policy of U.S. imperialism.
One main focus of Washington’s farewell address was to alert the citizens of the U.S. that America should not get involved in foreign relations, especially with the flare between the French and the British. He wanted America to stay neutral in foreign matters and not hold long term alliances with other nations. He stated “Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation.” He included how it is unwise for America to implicate itself with artificial ties. Washington believed that if America did conduct with foreign nations then they would influence people as well as government to act as they wanted. In other words, Washington encouraged Americans to take advantage as a new union and avoid as much political affairs with others.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Imperialism was a popular trend among the large, powerful countries. Imperialism is defined as “The policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations”. Imperialism cannot be said as either good or bad, but as a general rule: If you live in an annexed country, imperialism is not good, if your country annexes smaller ones to gain profit, land, and respect, then imperialism is good. The United States was not much of an imperialistic country until we won the Spanish-American war. As a result of this war, we annexed Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
In the 1600’s there was the foundations of representative government. In the 1600’s the colonists came up with something called a democracy. A democracy is a government in which people rule themselves. The colonists had voted for many certain laws. They ruled themselves by using the laws of society. The carter named “Magna Carta” was a character of liberties which was agreed by King John of England, it had made the king obey the same laws as the citizens. Protestantism is a branch within Christianity; this was mostly participated during the 16th century. These were people who had reformed certain practices in the Catholic churches. On November 11, 1620 the Mayflower Compact was signed. The Mayflower Compact is a legal contract which was agreed to have fair laws to protect the good.
As shown, America’s rapid change as the 19th century came to a close was supported by a various amount of imperialistic beliefs, motives, and incidents that almost jumpstarted the U.S. onto the world stage. Many of these incidents such as the public’s thirst for expansion, the annexation of several faraway lands, and the build-up of U.S. military forces would not have been possible without the Spanish American War. Moreover, the Spanish American war would not have been possible without the American people. Imperialism was a consequence of the American Democratic experiment, giving the people what they want.
There are two general views associated with the idea of American imperialism, pro-imperialism and anti-imperialism. The question being asked is, is imperialism beneficial or harmful to the countries surrounding the United States? The majority of the United States is pro-imperialism, and most other countries are on the anti-imperialism side. How do the these groups justify their beliefs?
Imperialism had one of the greatest influences on how the United States grew to be. It had set way for global modernization, a bigger wealth economically with trade and improved industrialization for all Americans. Without the belief of Imperialism around, there would have been a possibility we wouldn’t have had the chance to grow stronger. Imperialism is better for the United States as a whole for it benefited us way more than Isolationism had.
In late 1800s United States pursuit the idea called Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is the expanse of the United States empire to the Western Hemisphere by isolationism. U.S. was neutral (Forsythe, 2002). American exceptionalism is something rare creating exception. Manifest Destiny is an idea to develop business relations, increase enterprise, develop communication and technology for industrialization to a modern socioeconomic in the Western Hemisphere. American exceptionalism is developed, created, or a major asset that mark history like the Panama Canal, Open Door policy, 19th amendment, Roosevelt Corollary, Monroe Doctrine, annex Hawaii, control of phillippines, control of Guam, control of Puerto Rico, and a permanent presence
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States began to prosper because of the second Industrial Revolution. Looking to embark on expansion overseas, foreign policy became an important debate amid Americans. This lead to the concept of Imperialism. Imperialism transpires when the people of a strong nation exercise dominating control over a weaker nation, therefore denying the people of the weak nation the littlest of freedom to make their own decisions. The tendency of expansionism to become the dominant policy created negative views of Imperialism.
Imperialism is when a empire or nation extends the authority over another colony or country. In this case, it was Great Britain holding authority over the American people. However, the revolution was anti-imperialism because the American people led by George Washington wanted to be free of British Rule.
There were two different time periods where Imperialism occurred. The first wave of imperialism, called the 'Old' Imperialism, lasted from around 1500 - 1800. The 'New' Imperialism lasted from around 1870 - 1914. The three main differences that we will discuss today are the differences in economics, politics, and the motive behind all of this.
In order to examine the pro- and anti-imperialism arguments, there were several reasons why America must re-brand itself as an imperial country. America strongly believed in cultural supremacy which ranged from race to economics. America’s goal was to civilize the world through ethnocentrism means (PowerPoint class lecture). Imperialism was desired nationally because of industrialization, especially with overproduction at home. Industrialization has caused anxiety for the economy. They needed to increase in productivity to ensure their economic power which means they must gain “…new markets to expand into” (p. 656). The United States took on the role as an imperialistic nation to expand and strengthen economic benefits. Different parts overseas
The year 1898 was a landmark in the transition of the United States from a republic to an imperial power. By the early 1890s, the United States had become the world’s leading agricultural and industrial nation. The country was now able to compete militarily internationally with the other great powers (Ries and Weber 4). It had enough muscle to successfully engage in foreign expansion, otherwise known as imperialism. Many citizens had mixed feelings about the United States becoming an imperialist country. Many farmers and manufacturers were in favor of imperialism so that foreign markets can absorb their growing surpluses (Ries and Weber 4). However, others wondered why the U.S. would want to follow Europe’s powers in imperialism.
Imperialism has been around since the dawn of time. It is the “grass is always greener on the other side” mentality -- what one has, another wants. By definition, imperialism is a principle of action that extends a country's power and hold by use of militant and/or diplomatic forces. In 1760, arguably the biggest trend of imperialism across the globe started, appropriately named The Age of Imperialism. This trend lasted for many years, even well into the 20th century. The industrialized nations, which are mainly perceived to be of Europe back then, began to take over other countries and even continents. They colonized, conquered, and dominated both socially and economically. This