Summary of Anders Stephanson's Global Competition and Manifest Destiny on the Cusp of the Twentieth Century - Essay Example

History and Political Science Summary of Anders Stephanson, “Global Competition and Manifest Destiny on the Cusp of the Twentieth Century” Essay This essay was designed to promote critical thinking about history and an analytical look at the history of Imperialism and World Power by United States. As Stephason puts it, United States imperialism manifested itself in its policy to extend its power by gaining territories and by establishing political and economic dominance over other countries (Gjerde & Elizabeth 103).

Notably, America’s imperialism and world power can be dated back to its first endeavors in Asia and the 1899 Open Door policy. The Open Door policy has for long been identified as a watershed, delimitating a shift in America’s China policy from a de facto “follower” of British diplomacy to an independent player. This allowed United States to reap economic, political and religious benefits as well as creating animosity with nations who had interests in China. According to Stephanson, United States was a late comer on the international scene and had the zeal to take apart the impediments to entering a geopolitical arena that was dominated by Great Britain.

The American interest in China had a typically American flavor, which was the American way. Stephanson seems to show the assertiveness of the American intuition for competition (Gjerde & Elizabeth 104-106). Through the essay, Stephanson shows how United States acted pragmatically, through undermining the other nation’s attempts in China. The splitting up of China and the jumble for spheres of influence amounted to political aggression as a tactic in power competition, opening up china was also a common economic aggression employed by United States.

Stephanson shows that America stabilized China, which was a scramble for numerous nations during the Boxer Movement (Gjerde & Elizabeth 105-107). Needless to say, this essay shows that missionary and American business groups lobbied for more to be done in China, since they presented China as vast market for American business interests, a fertile ground for Christian missions and a political giant who’s re-awakening relied on the standpoint taken by United States. Works CitedStephanson, Anders “Global Competition and Manifest Destiny on the Cusp of the Twentieth Century” in Gjerde, Jon, and Elizabeth C. Hoffman. Major Problems in American History: Since 1865: Documents and Essays. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print.