Foreign Policy has varied throughout United States history, in order to adapt to changing times and needs. The alterations to foreign policies are generally made depending on the relationship the United States has with other nations, and to meet their own desires. Three types of US foreign policies include imperialism, isolationism, and containment. Isolationism began as early as the 1700s. The United States did want make strong ties with the British, nor any other nation, as they did not want to follow in England's footsteps. The policy of isolationism became an existent option of foreign policy after World War I. Another major policy was containment, which was created after World War II. After resolving various problems of Reconstruction and Industrialization, Americans began to resume the course of expansion. By doing so, they took on the foreign policy of imperialism. Containment was first formed at the end of WWII, in order to eliminate Communist influences from Eastern Europe. These three foreign policies of the United States, imperialism, isolationism, and containment, were imposed because of changing times and necessities.
             Imperialism was a major foreign policy in which the United States used to achieve their goals. Imperialism is the policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial gain or by the establishment of economic and political control over other nations. An example of this is McKinley's decision in 1898 to acquire the Philippines as a result of the Spanish American War (Document 1). After the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor, the United States declared war on Spain (April 25, 1898). At the war's end, the Treaty of Paris was proposed. As a result, Spain lost its control over the remains of its overseas empire, which included Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine islands, Guam, and more. McKinley decided that he does not have much of a choice of taking control of the Philippines. He reasons that?w...