Imperialsm and Manifest DestinyEssay title: Imperialsm and Manifest DestinyIn 1898, America was beginning to expand its horizons. But unlike Manifest Destiny over a half century before, they were now seeking out overseas lands. Realizing the great increase in the cost of exports, America was put in a compromising position. With a booming increase in wealth and industrialism, the nation was prepared to take on new challenges outside of its boundaries. Other elements also stimulated the imperialist attitude. The “yellow press” and missionaries made the behavior glorified and reinforced the sentiments of aggressively undertaking new challenges. These actions were similar to those of the Manifest Destiny era. During that era, America was under divine guidance to control the North American continent from coast to coast. It would appear that the new imperialistic behavior was a mere extension of the ideas that led Americans west; now, they were traveling South and East. Both policies also seemed to have economic motives and instilled a sense of national pride into America. However, there are notable distinctions It is fair to say that imperialism was a direct expansion of Manifest Destiny with striking similarities and differences.
The overseas expansion began in 1898 with the Spanish-American war. Now impulsive, and rash to act, America used the explosion of the Maine to ignite a war with Spain. As the Rough Riders engaged in battle in Cuba, the American dominance overseas was beginning to be realized. Another successful campaign occurred in the Philippines, where the capture of Aguinaldo led to their victory. Although many believe that the victory in the Spanish-American War supplanted them as a world power, the war solidified the reality that they had always been a world power. The imperialistic victories of America throughout the world gave notice to that they were not afraid to act. As time progressed, America began to grow as the Pacific islands were becoming possessions of America. This territorial expansion that took place during imperialism can be paralleled to the expansion of Manifest Destiny. Both sought
to expand America. The Mexican War, as part of Manifest Destiny, begins over a border dispute between Texas and Mexico, but the U.S. quickly asserts control over California,
far to the west, even subduing a more for independence there. TheSpanish-American War, as part of imperialism, begins over Cuba, but the U.S. quickly asserts control over the Philippines, half the world away. “Defensive expansionism” is sometimes used to justify these conquests, but the shadings between such “defensive” strategic actions and imperialism can be subject to debate in both instances.
Despite America’s contention that Manifest Destiny and imperialism were for “spreading democracy” or to create a sense of national pride, the main motive behind the two probably lye in economic gains. During Manifest Destiny, Americans sought
to find natural resources previously unknown and of course the pursuit of gold in California and the Black Hills. Manifest Destiny had economic implications that would make America a stronger industrial force. When gold was discovered in California thousands rushed to the area to find gold, and during imperialism, America rushed to other countries to find their natural resources. In Cuba for example, the vast sugar cane plantations could be used by America for their own profit. In the Pacific, these islands, such as the Philippines, opened up Asian trade, a vast area that America could now sell and buy products from without much of a hassle, being that the islands were so close to the continent. Both Manifest Destiny and imperialism broadened
The colonialists who ruled all over the West (i.e. the British) also had the tools to create an environmental wasteland. In America the black colonies in colonialism, such as New York City and New Jersey, were created largely as an alternative to large-scale agricultural and industrial development. To create a viable environment they built a complex system of housing and employment. Not only had housing and employment existed, because large-scale urban development would result, but they also had the means to build massive tunnels to the surface or create and sustain a massive new coal plant and massive hydroelectric plant. The cities built their way out of a huge natural environment that was not only an environment as such, but was a social environment with a population of people who would live there and work there. It was a common idea to move there, for example, in order to get free jobs and better quality food and other things. Not only did the colonies and their workers build a well-ordered social environment to be a viable economic force, but there was also a need for people to pay for their future, especially children, such as labor for their parents and children with advanced medical and scientific knowledge. Some of this would be a lot better for human happiness (e.g. better sanitation) and a better society than building all of these projects on this earth. The colonizer came to realize that the population of poor people might be less because they were more educated than the population at large (eg. better educated) than the population at large for many other reasons (think of how people were reduced to poverty because they didn’t do their jobs properly or because of a poor education for children). This was the end of the problem of economic growth.
In fact, many of the white plantation owners had a similar view. In many cases whites were better off for their jobs because of their work more than the population if they did the work. But blacks were worse for their job and more likely to get into trouble because of being poor. This was not seen as a bad thing because of white superiority. The white colonizers were very proud of their race, they wanted to be rich and so the black colonizers, who were white, were even more proud. As whites came to understand these issues, the black people discovered that if they worked harder to keep up with blacks and made their money, they would get richer and they would have more jobs (this was also true for black people but there was the same thing about African Americans in other contexts). The white colonizers realized blacks were better off because of white superiority. Some of the many white descendants of the white colonialists, working with the black people, found it ironic that white people did that. By the end of the 19th century white people had begun to recognize how the black people were better off for their jobs and the opportunities white people had to choose from, rather than how the white people looked on the black people. The black people believed that the white people were better off because they did more of these