Imperialism in colonial era

- The Munroe Doctrine of 1823, the US is declaring that the Western hemisphere can no
longer be colonized by European power

- Industrialization created a need for raw materials and new global markets

- The 1890 Census revealed the West is “closed”

- The Arguments for Expansion: Spread democracy to “uncivilized parts of the world, the
ideology of Social Darwinism, survival of the fittest, in which a powerful nation can do
as they please to further expand their empire, access to new markets to sell manufactured
goods

- The Arguments against expansion: Respect other country’s sovereignty and ideology,
should not engage in aggression to gain access to global trade, honor the tradition of
isolationism

- The Platt Amendment of 1903: Article III, the right to intervene for the preservation of
Cuban independence and the protection of life, property, and individual liberty.

- The imperialist era is complex as it contrasts America’s origins as a colony in rebellion

with the idea that America is the keeper and spreader of democracy

- Primary sources being biased

Washington’s Farewell Address > focused on isolationism, the U.S. to avoid foreign conflict and
exerting power on other nations. Monroe Doctrine: Continued isolationism unless European
powers threatened liberty etc in the Americas. End of 19th Century: move to US imperialism,
exertion of global power and influence

During the late 1800’s Americans supported the idea of expansion because they wanted: to
expand their commerce with foreign nations (especially trade with Latin America), to spread
their democracy and to politically influence other countries to govern themselves the same way
they do, and they wanted more territory. the Spanish American War was going on. The ideology
of Social Darwinism also influenced America because they believed that other nations were
subjects to survival of the fittest in terms of politics of governing. The Spanish American War
also began in 1898 because America wanted to support the Cubans and Filipinos against the
Spanish. The Munroe Doctrine also stated that any European power that colonized a nation in the
Western hemisphere would be defended by the US. The War allowed America to purchase the
Philippines and Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the US.