US Imperialism Prior to the Spanish American War The US has always been an Imperialist nation –Our policies towards Native Americans and Mexico clearly reflects many of the reasons for Imperialism »Political Pride »Social and Religious »Economic »Military

Manifest Destiny A major driving force in US Imperialism before the Spanish American War was Manifest Destiny This was the belief that the US was destined by God himself to conquer the continent form cost to cost to create the world greatest nation With that belief the US justified the conquest and virtual extinction many Indian cultures The US also employed Manifest Destiny to justify several wars with Mexico to increase US territories in the West The Mexican American War alone added

The Monroe Doctrine US Imperialism hasn’t just been limited to Continental conquest in 1823 president James Monroe issued the “Monroe Doctrine” The Monroe Doctrine declare the entire Western Hemisphere off limits to Europe This Doctrine basically said the European nations were not allowed to medal in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere This doctrine has been employed as recently as the 1980’s

William Steward One of the most influential forces in American Imperialism was William Steward, Steward was Secretary of State under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson Steward was responsible for the purchase of Alaska from Russia almost doubling the size of the US Steward also dispatched US troops to the Mexico border to force the French out of Mexico calling on the Monroe Doctrine Steward was also responsible for sending the US navy to Japan to force the Japanese to trade with the US

Big Business US business also increased US imperialism US fruit companies pressured the US government to intervene in Latin America on their behalf in order to ensure supplies of fruits and vegetables to the US year round Banana Republic were basically Latin American Nations run by US fruit companies US Fruit was among the largest of the companies and controlled several small Latin American Nation, US Fruit is today called Chiquita and Company with its headquarters in Cincinnati

US business interest are also responsible for the US taking control of Hawaii US sugar and fruit farmers disliked paying tariffs to import the goods to the US so they over threw the Hawaiian Monarchy Almost immediately after overthrowing the Hawaiian government the farmers request the US annex Hawaii and make it part of the US The US did and the farmers didn’t have to pay tariffs and the US gained control over a strategic island in the Pacific the only loser were the Hawaiian people