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America and its Foreign Policy
• The late 1800s saw America resume territorial expansion that was halted by the start of the Civil War
• Why get involved with other countries??
• Several factors led us to greater global involvement:
America and its Foreign Policy
• 1. A need for more raw materials and resources to continue our industrialization makes America look outside of our borders
• 2. Racial Superiority: The belief that it is our duty to Christianize the “inferior people of the world”
• 3. A larger Navy gives the U.S. confidence in our ability to intimidate other people
• 4. Manifest Destiny: The belief that the U.S. should own everything from coast to coast
America and its Foreign Policy
• After reaching the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. expanded outward around the world establishing friendships and trade networks (Interventionism)
• In each case the U.S. was looking out for its own best interests on how to enhance our industrialization efforts
• Where do we begin?
America and its Foreign Policy
• 1867: America buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars!
• This allowed the U.S. to stretch our influence into the Asian/Pacific region
• It would pay off later when a major gold strike occurs
America and its Foreign Policy
• A democratic revolution in 1893 in independent Hawaii gains the United States’ attention
• The people of Hawaii throw off their Queen and want to become a state. After negotiations, President McKinley annexes (adds) Hawaii making them our 49th state in 1898
America and its Foreign Policy
• 1899: China opens its doors to foreign trade for the first time and the US asks for an “Open Door Policy” (Nobody would be left out)
• 1900: Chinese citizens rebel against their gov’t because of this new trade and western influence. “Boxer Rebellion”
• U.S. sent troops but did not engage in any violence
• Alaska, Hawaii, and China are examples of Interventionism
America its Foreign Policy
• The U.S. becomes more aggressive when dealing with foreign countries and becomes an imperialist nation beginning with the Spanish-American War of 1898
• Imperialism: Policy by which one country takes control of another directly, or through political dominance