American Foreign Policy in 1900s

Scott Stevens

Unit I Essay

March 24, 2015

Foreign Policy

         Democracy is a form of government for the people, by the people that have a long history in world civilizations. The United States of America was founded on that idea and it has been a main focal point in major events in history.  Until the late 19th century when the frontier closed, the spread of democracy has been an internal issue.  Once the United States became a two-ocean nation, the spread of democracy could be introduced to the world on all fronts. Many individuals believed that democracy was the root of America’s foreign policy agenda in the late 19th century.  Based off of America’s role in the Latin America countries and America’s involvement in World War 1, that claim can be undeniably refuted.

        One of the best ways to understand that America’s foreign policy goal was formed on building an empire rather than spreading democracy is America’s role in Latin America and the Pacific. When the frontier closed in the late 19th century, America was considered a third world country.  One of the best ways of counteracting that dilemma was to follow the in the footsteps of successful European countries, such as England. England was a strong nation with many colonies across the world and they dictated what happened on their side of the world. America’s answer to that dilemma was the Spanish-American War.

The Spanish-American War was a short war fought between America and Spain. This war was the first war that produced America as a top dog in the world. No longer would America be considered a third world nation. After the victory, America was shoved to the top.  Not only did this victory allow America to take center stage, it also paved the way for America to “spread democracy” in the newly acquired nations. Many politicians believed that it was “the white mans burden” to spread Christianity to these nations that were taken over. This burden gave a perfect excuse to exercise the right of acquiring wealth to a new nation that was forced to the top.

“When William McKinley became president in 1897, he was looking for an excuse to annex. “We need Hawaii,” he claimed, “just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is manifest destiny.”^[1] This quote from the book America: A Narrative History Volume II, explains that during this time many politicians sought any kind of excuses to conquer nations in the pacific and in Latin America. In this case, the spread of Christianity and democracy was the excuse for the government to acquire these nations to create wealth and profiteering. Islands, such as Hawaii, would strengthen the US naval capabilities in the Pacific by acting as coaling stations. These stations helped keep US naval ships running to ward off growing threats from the East.