Topic > Economic and political profits of American imperialism

When we analyze the reasons for the change in the US government's approach towards foreign policy, we essentially encounter a wide range of them ranging from religious, to ethnocentric, to political and, above all, economic. It is clear that, as a result of industrial expansion carried out by companies such as Carnegie Steel, the United States expanded its production capacity and while the United States had adopted a policy of isolationism, foreign traders had created strong markets and profitable in which they exported. and imported large quantities of goods and services. Isolationism was an ingrained feature of the administration of the American economy from its origins, when George Washington addressed this subject, arguing that “in the wars of the European powers, in matters relating to themselves, we have never taken any part, nor is with our politics, so to do. However, a theory known as Social Darwinism challenged this isolationist notion in which Darwin's theory of natural selection and conservative sociological theories stated that nations and individuals competed with each other for success in life, and administrations such as the government of The United States measured this success by the prosperity of its people. its economy and the imposition of political power on other nations. Thus, imperialist policies essentially relied on Social Darwinism as a means of justifying their involvement and investment in wars and shouldering the resulting costs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The roots of American imperialism date back to 1867, when the U.S. government initiated a purchase from Russia to obtain Alaska, which became known as "Seward's 'Folly'." In addition to the debt accumulated during the Civil War, Alaska was purchased thanks to its availability of resources such as oil, timber and its substantial gold deposit. Numerous events followed in which the United States participated in foreign affairs because they provided the United States with financial opportunities, but these intentions are the same ones that led Congress to declare war on Spain and that resulted in thousands of casualties at once in the Philippine Insurrection and other events. events of a similar nature. The prosperity of the American economy and its political power came at very high costs, and the American population's support for imperialism was the result of the fact that these intentions were hidden by the façade of "manifest destiny" and the desire to impose culture and Western religion to help those who found themselves trapped under colonial rule. Therefore in this article I aim to describe how the pursuit of imperialism did not arise from charitable causes but has always been rooted in maximizing profits in the economy and establishing and exercising dominance and power over other countries. The industrialization undergone by the American economy in the late 19th century eventually led to the United States surpassing Great Britain in its means of production to the point that it could now export much larger quantities of both final goods and capital and production resources and any surplus they had. they could now take advantage of this as they had access to foreign markets. The Spanish-American War was particularly advantageous to the United States since, in addition to using many of its resources, the United States conquered vast amounts of territory with abundant resources such as sugar and minerals in the Philippines after gaining control of the country along with Puerto Rico and Guam following the Treaty ofParis. The Treaty of Paris took place in December 1898 and ended the Spanish-American War. However, what seems curious to me are the main reasons why I declare war on Spain. The catalyst that Congress used to convince and incite the revenge that led to declaring war on Spain was the attack on the 'Battle Maine' in which 266 crew members died due to the explosion of a mine in which the government, after an investigation, did not blame any nation or individual. However, the government had an interest in attacking the Spanish army since Spain had control of many strategic and resourceful locations. Therefore, Congress placed the blame for the attack on Spain, and the public supported retaliation. However, many historians now believe that the explosion was due to a malfunction of the ship, which is why no one was to blame, but this proved to be a convenient incentive to declare war on Spain. improve America's economic and political reach. If any conclusion can be drawn from this it is that on most occasions the US government has prioritized economic opportunity and political sovereignty abroad, while providing a facade or distorted version of reality to direct public intent in compliance with government objectives. A clear example of how the United States neglected the intent to help the less fortunate and the uncivilized under the guise of manifest destiny with which American values ​​were imposed by force was the acquisition of the Philippines after fighting together with the inhabitants oppressed of the islands against Spanish rule. . After the United States “bought a revolution for twenty million dollars,” the results were catastrophic with 24,200 casualties due to attacks on freedom by the United States in battles such as the “Battle of Manila Bay.” Thus, the administration that was the United States Congress clearly did not induce a war on Spain to secure the freedom promised to the inhabitants of Spain's oppressed colonies such as Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In turn, the United States used existing opposition and the desire for freedom to gain alliances in those territories and replace the authoritarian system already in place to not only implement but also profit from that system and commit “atrocious cruelties… equaled only by those of Spain. " Gaining control over nations like the Philippines provided the United States with valuable resources and manpower that increased the nation's production capabilities, and the acquisition of consuls in the Pacific Islands led to greater profits from trade's reliance on them trade routes from Asia. could therefore conclude that imperialism on the Pacific islands was essentially incentivized by economic expansionism. However, perhaps the most significant reason for this expansion into the Pacific towards Guam and the Philippine archipelago was the clear intent of. Washington to demonstrate American political and military power in the Western Pacific. For example, Hawaii was annexed by President McKinkley to the United States due to their convenient and necessary geographic location during the Spanish-American War. However, when President McKinley referred to the event in June 1898 as “the inevitable consequence of three-quarters of a century,” we must recognize that the timing of this event was not simply a coincidence but a key location for both trade in products such as sugar and, most importantly, a strategic military position from which the navy”..