American Imperialism

American Imperialism

American Interest in Overseas Expansion

The overseas expansion of U.S. begins after the Civil War; when many American politicians begin to consider that it was time the U.S. builds their own empire. An important step was the purchase of Alaska to the Russians in 1867. There followed the overthrow of the monarchy in Hawaii in 1893, and the establishment of a republic dominated by planters and merchants Americans, which in 1898 was annexed to the United States. When you talk about the Spanish-American War, the colonial empire of the United States in the traditional sense of the term generally accepted that it is the accidental product of their victory over Spain in 1898. But when they suddenly find themselves in possession of Puerto Rico, of Guam and the Philippines, the Americans will be willing to bear the "burden of the white man (Wait, 2003)."

Following are some of the major factor for Imperialism:

Economics Factor

Protectionism in the American states urged them to look for new markets and provide the means to ensure the supply of raw materials. Western economies also need to invest their capital in something. So they decided to use it in continents defenseless against exploitation and technical superiority of American weapons, with highly populated areas and full of natural resources such as Africa and Asia. Well, there are several causes of this type. We have on the one hand, the crisis of 1873 and the change in trend, with a decline in prices which inclines powers protectionism, raising the need to find new markets that are not protected.

Ideological Factors

All powers want to leave America, to grow, to forget all problems and aggrandizement. Some want to achieve this goal that put religion as a pretext. There societies emerging from American to Christianize the Indians of the lost world. The evangelizing mission directs it at first, and the most overwhelming, the Lutheran church. It goes with the intention of improving the living standards of the other Indians. It is believed that the white man has a responsibility to make others, indigenous progress (although not assume for them happiness). All this movement counteracts Lutheran Church Vatican, which has long retreated from that practice (especially in the first phase of colonialism and because the image left after the discovery of America), although he later embarked on the adventure. Got nothing only worsen the situation.

Strategic Factor

Colonial enterprises were presented as a nationalist camp, ...