Reasons For American Expansion
During the 1880's and 1890's America underwent a dramatic change in foreign policy. Except for a brief interlude with Manifest Destiny in the 1840's, the country had been in a state of isolationism from the inception of independent government. Near the turn of the century, this policy changed to one of competitive interest in and foreign ex-change with other countries. Industrial and mercantile expansion required new markets; the editorials and stories of the so-called "yellow press" sparked the interest of the peo-ple; religious missionaries spread their message to groups which expanded as rapidly as did modes of travel; as well as the acceptance (if somewhat altered) of the theory of Dar-winism by the wealthy backers of government officials. Another cause of this policy shift was the mass colonization effort by the English, Germans, and Russia, and the American need for a superior navy.American factories and mills were producing far more than this country could consume, and foreign markets for export were desperately needed to sell off the excess. This cry for new markets was partially heeded with the illegal acquisition of the Hawai-ian Islands by the American Navy. Rich investors flocked to this new "island paradise"
He ran as the Vice-President for McKinley, who was assassinated six months after taking office. As Roosevelt's popularity grew following his success with the famous Rough Riders in Cuba, and with the public's enthusiasm for his views, he was able to further the new foreign policy. The race to keep up had revitalized the American fighting spirit, and our navy, though small, was new and included the latest nautical innovations. In an effort to gain a wider following, Hearst sent the budding young artist Frederick Remington to Cuba to draw pictures of the atrocities the papers had described. Unfortunately, the newly "conquered" countries did not enjoy our protection, despite the noticeable improvement in their general welfare. A strong proponent of Darwinism, he believed the world belonged to the strong, and that meant America. As tensions began to rise in the US, congress stationed the warship 'Maine' off the Cuban coast for the protection of the American population residing there. With public opinions highly in favor of rescuing the Cubans, the government began to consider the idea of intervention. Hawaii was not the only non-American island in which the rich in-vested. The de-ciding factor came when the rebels, realizing that their greatest potential savior was in nearby America, began burning the sugar-cane fields in which so many Americans had invested. There were many reasons for American expansion at the turn of the century. The government could no longer ignore the American people. With the near acqui-sition of Hawaii, Cuba, and the Philippines, the missionaries spied fertile lands to seed with their faiths. Remington wrote that he found no evidence of any such atrocities, but at Hearst's insistence, he drew them anyway. " With no more frontier, no place to explore and expand to, America had grown restless.
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