The heading is as follows:
To what extend was late nineteenth-century and earl twentieth-century United States expnsionism a continuation of past United States expansionism and to what extend was it a departure?
I have developed it to that it is asking if imperialism is a continuation or a departure from westward movement, I believe that it is a little of both but more on the side of continuation..
If anyone has any ideas of how to make the thesis, and some evidence or web pages with evidence... It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
The question is basically asking if the United States is still under their early characteristics of imperalism? And how have they changed since then?-it is askiing you talk of when the United States wanted to become an isolated country, falling to recognize the worlds problems(WWI)
The part about the continuation of past U.S. expansionism refers to the whole concept of Manifest Destiny. Americans felt it was their God-given right to expand across the country and spread superior Christian civilization to the Indians. Also, the capitalist economy demanded capital, natural resources, and a steady flow of labor which could be easily exploited.
When the frontier was officially closed in 1890, people still felt the ideology of Manifest Destiny, so that is why they were so open to the concept of imperialism. The annexation of Hawaii and the results of the Spanish-American War (American control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines) only fueled the Imperialist desire. However, the major change that resulted from this new expansionism was that it caused the U.S. to become a major world power. It was thrust into the international spotlight, and its involvement in world events became evident everywhere (Platt Amendment, Panama Canal, Roosevelt Corollary and Pan-Americanism, Open-Door Policy in China, Mexican Revolution, Moroccan Crisis, Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan, Root-Takahira Agreement, dollar diplomacy, etc.). This is likely what also led to American involvement in WWI, even before formally entering. America was seen as a world power, and it was expected to act like such.