The American Pageant by Kennedy Cohen-Bailey - Essay Example

The American Pageant by Kennedy Cohen-Bailey After the civil war, while most of Europe was busy colonising and expanding and strengthening their borders America focussed within and tried to build up its infrastructure and reap economic harvests. There were many factors at the end of the 19th century that saw a shift towards American Imperialism. Kennedy Cohen-Bailey in his book, The American Pageant outlines the period and covers the various aspects that led to the Great War of 1914 and America’s involvement. This article reviews the book under the following subheadings: The Spanish American war and the aftermath. The legacy of President Roosevelt and the effect of his presidency on America A comparison of the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Taft and Wilson and who was the best among the three? The end of World War I and the decisive factors that lead to the end The Spanish American war and the Aftermath The US had for the most part of the 19th century strictly adhered to its non-colonization policies and even at the onset only acquired contiguous territories. Most of it was brought about by the need to expand the trade borders of the American people. America was linked in many ways to Cuba than just at the time of the war. Cuba was one of the major producers of sugar and major suppliers to the USA. The Wilson-Gorman tariff imposed on Cuba by America to protect the sugar growers in America invariably raised the price of sugar and the Cuban economy suffered as a result. The misrule by the Spanish of its colony in Cuba created a lot of unrest. The Cubans fought the 10year battle of independence from 1868 to 1878 and tried to drive the Spanish away by destruction of property including cane fields and blowing up of passenger trains. The situation peaked when Spain sent tyrant General Wyeley in 1895 to Cuba. Wyeley took it upon himself to crush the rebellion and opened up re-concentration camps, imprisoned and isolated the Cuban revolutionaries from the Filipino revolutionaries in their war of independence. Many perished and “died like dogs” (Bailey, 629). from unsanitary conditions in the camps. The American people rose against this atrocities to the Cubans and wanted war but the then president Grover Cleveland was against it and even motioned to strike against congress if they were to declare war against Spain and send troops to Cuba. This resolve however did not last very long as there were many other factors at stake than America was unwilling to admit to at that time. US also had a stake in the war because it was not really comfortable with having a European colony that close to its own borders. The unrest in Cuba was straining US trade relations in the region and threatening US investments in Cuba. There was also fear that its access to Panama would affect future sea trade routes. The anti-colonisation policies of the US went a long way in selling the concept of a free Cuba to the Americans. What cinched the deal however was the journalistic trend of the time, which focused more on justifying the concept of war. There started a spate of graphic imagery and reports of atrocities adding fuel to the situation and feeding the insatiable hunger of yellow journalism. Eventually Wyeley was removed from his position and sent back home. In February 1988, the USS Maine, which was on a friendly mission to take Americans in Cuba to safety, blew up in the Havana harbour with the loss of 260 American lives. The cause for the explosion still remains unknown. Reports have even said that the blow up was due to mechanical failure and not a case of sabotage. But sensationalised news articles blamed the Spaniards for it and the fate of history was sealed, War had begun. President Mc Kinley forced by circumstances and party loyalty consented and under Theodore Roosevelt’s command of the military, the American’s over threw the Spanish from Tampa, Florida and gave armistice to the Cubans in August 12, 1898. The war was a forgone conclusion although not evident. Spain’s military reputation suffered under ill-management and poor equipment. The US army reigned supreme despite its army of untrained soldiers that “consisted largely of western cowboys and other hardy characters, with a sprinkling of ex–polo players and ex-convicts.” (Bailey, 634) The Spanish American war started as an intervention and support in the War of Independence for Cuba leading to a chain of events that changed the history of America forever. America went on to acquire the Philippines and Puerto Rico and it was the beginning of the declaration of US Sovereignty over the continent. The legacy of President Roosevelt: The effect of his Presidency on America. Being a politician takes a different kind of mind set and Theodore Roosevelt (TR) had the moorings very early in life. He had the resolve, the idealism and the brute force and the diplomacy to work his way up the political ladder. He had acquired the reputation of “Rough Rider” during the Spanish war. Known for his sharp tongue, robust personality and vehemence he was no favourite among his colleagues and the opposition parties. His appointment as the Vice President in 1901 and subsequently as the President the same year due to the assassination of the then President, William McKinley was momentous despite the fateful circumstances. On of the first things that he focussed on as a President was the building of the Isthmus Canal. He tried his diplomatic negotiation tactics with Columbia and to build the Canal along their stretch. This made the people of Panama very anxious. They were keen on having the Canal run through Panama as they needed and wanted all the trade and business such a deal could bring for them. Afraid that the US would exclude them and learn towards either Columbia or Nicaragua they even brought down their price from 109 million to 40 million dollars. Few know if the disturbing situation with Columbia and the aggression that came thereafter was a part of Roosevelt’s strategy in the whole matter. He never had any intention to tear through Columbia to build the Canal, His iron-fisted resolve finally got America the deal at a lower price and even got 2 extra miles. He was such an aggressive negotiator and a strategist, almost bordering on devious. But through out his career and in his Presidency Roosevelt showed his political showmanship starting from his playing to the Republican Party despite his own reservation to some of their policies. One of the strongest and most emphatic changes that Roosevelt was intent on bringing about was to get rid America of the Isolationism policy that it had adopted during the McKinley term and before. He was determined in establishing American sovereignty even if it meant twisting a few things around and bulldozing his way through few international agreements to get his end. The Canal itself cost the country a lot more than was budgeted but it has till date proved to be one of the most diplomatic moves made. TR used his reasoning and assertion power to twist many things to his advantage including the Monroe Doctrine and he declared his power over the America’s by not totally interfering, attacking but by justifying it as only interference only because of the anger of a European takeover. His tactics often made Latin America look upon the US as the big bully and forcefully turning the Caribbean into a “Yankee lake” (Bailey, 658). By the time of the next elections America had total control over the trade and tariff in the region and had also built the Panama Canal and this helped TR to get elected for a second term on his own merit. The debt consolidations deals that he signed with Latin America kept Europe at bay and away from the region that the US controlled. Consequently on the same note he took over the Dominican Republic in 1905, Cuba in 1906. His supremacy played a good part in isolating and strengthening America from the moorings of war that were already brewing in Asia and Europe. Japan and Russia were at loggerheads over the region of Manchuria and Port Arthur. Roosevelt diplomacy was in play in the peaceful settling between Russia and Japan and averting a war in 1904 and in 1906 between Spain and North Africa and got him the Nobel peace prize. During his second term in office, Roosevelt sought to “strengthen the state” and “use [the] Government as an agency of human welfare”(Bailey, 664) .He sought to change the accountability of the people and bring things under control. Although Roosevelt was and has been spoken of as a man with often-devious techniques he was a man with a vision and strong ideals. His aim and vision to change the worldview of America was set in him very early in his career. He was a man of the wild having grown up and given to un-conventionalism. His astute reasoning and empathy for the people despite the party regulations made him a good President. He has been accused of hypocrisy many a time but has shown his belief and resolve in his actions especially by the banning the installing of a Christmas tree from the white house in his fight to conserve nature. He brought about many different reforms: notably ones involving women suffrage, labour control and Meat Inspection policies. One of his most notable reforms was the introduction of the “New Lands Act” where the Landlord’s paid a fee to the government to maintain and till their lands, the money obtained was used in improving road sand communication. The money that came in from reclaimed lands also went back in to the country’s development. His second term was the golden period until 1907 when a huge financial crisis hit America. Roosevelt handled it and brought America back from the doldrums by laying the foundation for some fiscal reform, which later on made America the financial stronghold in the Pacific and the world at large for a long time to come. TR may not have been very correct in his dealings but as president he was constantly changing and reforming things as they were. America as a nation it is today conceptualized by Abraham Lincoln and others was somewhat brought about by Roosevelt, despite his methods being questionable. The world power that it is today is something that Roosevelt brought about with his abolishing of Isolationism and in those aspects; he was a President that paved the path. A comparison of the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Taft and Wilson: Who was the best among the three? The 19th century was one of great change in many parts of the world. Nations as we know them today in a way formulated in that period. America as a nation also moved and swayed in its ideals and purpose under the influence of its many Presidents. For most part of the 19th century America stayed away from conflict and away from the limelight. Theodore Roosevelt changed that part of American History. Taking over from McKinley, Roosevelt had a nation that was surviving and not flourishing up to its full potential according to him. During the period of 1900 to the Great War, America went through three presidents and almost three different foreign and national policies, under Roosevelt, his republican successor Taft and Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt’s term is one, which is talked about with very mixed feelings. Staunch support of Roosevelt started only more towards his second session in office. He was a rough and rather undiplomatic leader in the eyes of many democrats and republicans at large. He was an untamed cowboy trying to rule the country under the same tactics, with a gun, a whip and a bulldozer. But TR was also a man with a very pragmatic and bureaucratic mind. The America that he wanted to see was a very deeply singed in his mind and he made it happen, regardless of the fact that they were by means that were often questionable. An eye for an eye and attack before we get vulnerable was his tactic. His Presidency saw many ups and downs of foreign relations between the greats in Europe and Asia. He felt strongly for injustices around him and his actions made him a bit of a rogue president amongst the three. Taft came in failed very much where TR has succeeded; he did not posses the diplomacy and panache that TR had. He did bring about many foreign trade and financial policies. His fiscal reforms made America stronger in the financial sector. He effectively monopolized the American economy. His theory of non-Isolationism was to strengthen financial sector and make American dollar an international currency for trade, which is notable n its own way. He continued Roosevelt’s fight with the trusts, reduced tariffs and showed his legal prowess in the realm of politics. He was not a people’s President like Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson after him. Woodrow Wilson who came in as a breath of fresh air was as Roosevelt strong willed in his own way. Typically and staunchly Jeffersonian in his policies he fought to get America back on the foundation it was built on. His efforts and his suave nature opened many doors and also made enemies in his own party. He was again not the smooth player that Roosevelt was. His term saw many financial ups in America, he de-centralised banks, which made local businesses, flourish. His goal to make entrepreneurs come up sought to build America as the land of opportunities and where dreams come true for any one who worked for it. He reduced import taxes and this showed on the economy. His biggest test came in when the Great War brewed in the horizon. He struggled to maintain neutralism and eventually failed in the eyes of the people as America was in the centre stage of World War I during his second term in office. When comparing the three and taking all things into consideration what one needs to acknowledge is that, to be a politician requires a bit of tact, a lot of vision and the will to make things happen. Roosevelt and Wilson showed a lot more resolve than Taft did in this matter. Roosevelt in a way had a lot more in his hands when he took office a paved the path for the others The America he gave them was already remodelled. All three had upheavals especially Roosevelt and Wilson. While democratic freedom is what makes the country grow Roosevelt as a politician, a statesman and someone who built his way through into American politics with single minded vision and iron resolve nevertheless a tad ruthless brought a good balance. American politics at that time needed a bit of both Roosevelt and Wilson. The end of World War I: The decisive factors that lead to the end World War I or at least a great war was a foregone conclusion because the imperialist tactics and policies of most of Europe edged towards it. It predominantly came to the Asian and Pacific coast only around 1916 when America was thrown into the middle of it. The declaration of war started with the killing of the heir to the throne of Austrian- Hungary. Serbia’s non-reluctance to negotiate and the tension in the Balkan states precipitated the matter. Finally the allied nations came in and by 1914 Germany declared war on Russia and subsequently Britain and the Allied nations. America under Woodrow Wilson stayed neutral, as the President did not believe that the European war would in any way affect America. War also was very much against Woodrow Wilson’s political principle. Britain precipitated the matter by the closing of trade routes to Germany. Wilson tried to negotiate and reached a peaceful agreement that trade would be allowed and that nations will not interfere in non-war related matters. To be fair however America supported the war with financial help on arms dealings bringing in a lot of criticism from Europe. Wilson had no choice and could not control that aspect of financial gain for the nation. America remained neutral till almost the very end and the people revelled in the prospect of peace. Even European immigrants in the nation although mixed in their reactions were happy to be away from the main scene. World War I saw the most amount advancements in warfare ever seen in history. Unable to get across the borders by the British monopoly of trade routes and sea roués the German resorted to aggressive moves against all kinds of water traffic started attacking all shops in their trade routes. Despite many warnings and peace agreements with Wilson and the European conglomerate. There was loss of American lives. Britain in the whole matter seemed to be one who did not want to have a peace agreement. After many futile attempts at peace negotiations, America under Woodrow Wilson America finally joined the war on April 6th 1917, as winning the war seemed to be the only way to obtain a peace agreement. America joined in with the clear notion that peace should be obtained in the end and that peace and reconciliation had to be a result of victory in the war. Wilson continued peace negotiations and joined forces against Germany and entered the war. World war I brought about many changes in America, Industry boomed, as there was a growing need to feed the war. Employment rate among women and the minorities increased as the able-bodied men were at war. Women started enjoying equal rights as men. The war influenced foreign policy of future America and in a way paved the way for its diplomatic stance during World War II. War has its catastrophic effects on all population but the aftermath of World War I was less felt in America than in the rest of the world. All three presidents and the nation policies at that time played a great role in shaping America for the future. The nineteenth century was the hallmark of American history and brought about the America that had emerged from civil wars. Works Cited Kennedy-Cohen-Bailey. The American Pageant 14th Edition, year, Publisher, 27-30. Read More