UNITED STATES HISTORY AND THE

CONSTITUTIONSouth Carolina

Standard USHC-5.1Mr. Hoover, Abbeville High School

Questions to AnswerHow did the development of American

expansionism, including the change from isolationism to intervention change the way Americans saw themselves in the world?

What were the rationales for imperialism based on Social Darwinism, expanding capitalism, and domestic tensions?

George Washington

Since the Washington administration, the United States had steered clear of ‘entangling alliances,’ as President Washington had advised in his Farewell Address, because of the predominance of domestic interests and the United States’ limited military capacity.

American expansionismThe United States was involved in westward

expansion since its inception; however American expansionism changed in the late 19th century.

While previous expansionism had been motivated by land hunger and resulted in the establishment of new states that entered the Union as full participants in the democratic republic, the expansionism of the late 19th century reached beyond contiguous territory to secure markets.

"Seward's folly."The purchase of Alaska in the 1860s was the last

land on the North American continent to be added [but did not become a state until the 1950s.]

Expanding Capitalism The United States

moved from isolationism to intervention because of expanding capitalism that increased the need for raw materials and new markets for the products of developing industries.

Civil Unrest

Depression, strikes and farmer unrest demonstrated some of the domestic tensions that were prevalent in the 1890’s .

American ProductsOverseas markets were potential outlets for American

produce and manufactured products that would increase demand for American farm products and ensure continuous production for America’s factories.

NationalismGrowing nationalism

fostered the desire to expand American naval power to compete with other nations which had long been engaged in imperialist activities, to protect trade and secure markets and to spread Christianity around the world.

Social DarwinismSocial Darwinism fostered the idea that Americans

were superior to other cultures and countries and should expand to fulfill the nation’s destiny.

Yellow JournalismDevelopments in other countries contributed to the

United States’ emergence as a world power, including competition for markets among the European nations and a continuing movement for liberation in Latin America, especially in Cuba.

Foreign ResentmentThe United States initiated their status as a

world power with their involvement in the Spanish-American War.

This new expansionism led the United States to spread American ideas, religious beliefs and capitalism to other nations but also initiated foreign resentment of American interference.