From the end of the Civil War to the 1880s, the United States was very isolationist, but in the 1890s, due to rising exports, manufacturing capability, power, and wealth, it began to expand onto the world stage, using overseas markets to sell its goods.
The "yellow press" or "yellow journalism" of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst also influenced overseas expansion, as did missionaries inspired by Reverend Josiah Strong's "Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis". Strong spoke for civilizing and Christianizing savages. People were interpreting Darwin's theory of survival-of-the-fittest to mean that the United States were the fittest and needed to take over other nations to improve them.
Such events already were happening, as Europeans had carved up Africa and China by this time.
Us Imperialism in the 1890s Facts
Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan's 1890 book, "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783", argued that every successful nation had a great navy, and started a naval race among the great powers and moved the U.S. to naval supremacy.
James G. Blaine pushed his "Big Sister" policy, which sought better relations with Latin America, and in 1889, he presided over the first Pan-American Conference, held in Washington D.C.
Us Imperialism in the 1890s Essay
The new aggressive mood was also shown by the U.S.-Canadian argument over seal hunting near the Pribilof Islands off the coast of Alaska.
The Monroe Doctrine, which had impacts on British Guiana, Venezuela, and Britain, wound up strengthening the policy.
Spurning the Hawaiian Pear:
From the 1820s, when the first U.S. missionaries came, the United States had always liked the Hawaiian Islands.
Treaties signed in 1875 and 1887 guaranteed commercial trade and U.S. rights to priceless Pearl Harbor, while Hawaiian sugar was very profitable. But in 1890, the McKinley Tariff raised the prices on this sugar, raising its price. Americans felt that the best way to offset this was to annex Hawaii-a move opposed by its Queen Liliuokalani—but in 1893, desperate Americans in Hawaii revolted.
They succeeded, and Hawaii seemed ready for annexation, but Grover Cleveland became president again, investigated the coup, found it to be wrong, and delayed the annexation of Hawaii until he basically left office. Cleveland was bombarded for stopping "Manifest Destiny," but his actions proved to be honorable for him and America.
American Expansionism after the 1890s
Cubans Rise in Revolt:
In 1895, Cuba revolted against Spain, citing years of misrule, and the Cubans torched their sugar cane fields in hopes that such destruction would either make Spain leave or America interfere (the American tariff of 1894 had raised prices on it anyway). Sure enough, America supported Cuba, and the situation worsened when Spanish General Valeriano "Butcher" Weyler came to Cuba to crush the revolt and ended up putting many civilians into concentration camps that were terrible and killed many. The American public clamored for action, especially when spurred on by the yellow press, but Cleveland would do nothing.
The Mystery of the Maine Explosion
The yellow presses competed against each other to come up with more sensational stories, and Hearst even sent artist Frederick Remington to draw pictures of often-fictional atrocities. For example, he drew Spanish officials brutally stripping and searching an American woman, when in reality, Spanish women, not men, did such acts. Then, suddenly, on February 9, 1898, a letter written by Spanish minister
Reasons for U.S. Imperialism in the Late 1800s
The second part of the Monroe Doctrine is still in effect today. According to the 2nd part of the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. gained a stronger position and international importance. Was the Monroe Doctrine successful? Yes, as it allowed the U.S. to enhance its role in global politics and economic activities. Whether it was successful or not, the important thing is that the Monroe Doctrine shaped U.S. foreign policy for many years to come.
