American Imperialism in the 19th Century term paper In the late nineteenth century, the American Imperialism movement began. Imperialism is the "acquisition of control over the government and the economy of another nation, usually by conquest." (Davidson, Delay, Heyrman, Lytle & Stoff, 2008, p. G-4) During the late 1800's, Americans had visions of empire. Their sights were aimed toward Canada, Mexico and Cuba, as well as "more distant lands in Asia and Latin America...by opening the doors of trade to foreign markets and resources." (Davidson et al., 2008, p. 611)
Through imperialism, a country can gain power by amassing new territories and building wealth. The American Imperialism was adopted for many reasons. According to the Regents Prep website (2000):
The public perception of the "closing of the west", along with the philosophy of
Social Darwinism, contributed to a desire for continued expansion of American lands and the spreading of American culture. The result was a shift in US foreign policy at the end of the 19th century from a reserved, homeland concerned republic to an active imperial power. (para. 1)
The Spanish-American War started the era of American Imperialism. Cuba was trying to gain independence from Spain. Newspapers made up stories of Spanish brutality in Cuba causing Americans to call for war. 260 Americans were killed when the USS Maine, stationed in the harbor of Havana, exploded. The newspapers immediately blamed the Spanish increasing