Inculcation of Imperialist Policy - Essay Example

American Democracy: Inculcation of Imperialist Policy “1898 was a watershed year, a moment in which outcomes were both defining and decisive, at oncean end and a beginning: that special conjecture of historical circumstances that often serves to delineate one historical epoch from another” [Kinzer, 32]. These were the words of famous historian Louis Perez with regard to America’s changed political outlook and seemingly imperialist foreign policy, as opposed to its original standing as a pure democracy. After the Spanish American War of 1898, the United States abruptly changed its foreign policy from one of Isolationism and self government, to one that demonstrated shades of Imperialism. This was clearly indicated by the annexation of the Philippines and other Pacific territory to the United States, along with the building of Pearl Harbor, an American military base at Cuba. To ensure economic success, the United States of America stopped adhering to its original democratic principles of Isolationism and began to employ subtle methods of dominance over world trade, in a policy that came to be known as Neo Imperialism or American Imperialism. The United States of America warred with Spain to ensure the freedom of Cuba, a nearby Pacific Territory that was a conquered Spanish province prior to 1898. However, when the war was won, America did not melt back into the shadows, allowing Cuba to rule itself. American Military Governor of Cuba, General John Brooke forbade the triumphant Cuban soldiers from entering Havana. He also declared that the United States of America did not consider the Cuban army to be legal, and required it to be disbanded immediately [Kinzer, 31]. This was quickly followed by the annexation of the Philippines and other nearby Pacific territories. Due to a combination of factors: the need for economic expansion, the search for foreign markets and even to some extent, the continuation of Manifest Destiny and the Roosevelt Corollary added to the Monroe Doctrine, America was given the power to manipulate the political policies of its Pacific neighbors. Cuba was not the first of the Pacific territories that felt the shift to Imperialism in America’s foreign policy. America had annexed Hawaii in 1893 using a warship that American Minister John Stevens claimed was “for the protection of the United States legislation and the United States Consulate, and to secure the safety of American life and property.” [Kinzer, 24] This created widespread angst among the American people who did not believe in Empire building or in deviation from the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that the United States was to uphold a policy of Isolationism that decried the colonial policy of inhibiting self-government for the so called ‘colonies’. President Grover Cleveland referred to the seizing of foreign lands as “not only opposed to our national policy, but a perversion of our national mission” [Kinzer, 32]. This decidedly Democratic outlook soon changed due to growing industrialization in America. Overproduction and lack of international markets for American goods and the widespread unemployment of many American citizens, led to a change in American thinking. After the Spanish American War of 1898, Americans began to believe that it was their right as a superior nation to have control over the nearby Pacific Islands and to manipulate the trade of these Islands with Europe to their own benefit. This collective acceptance of Imperialism, for the economic betterment of America and the propagation of American merchandise, led to a kind of informal or indirect colonialism in American foreign policy, which was called “Neo-Imperialism”. It was aided by feelings of Social Darwinism i.e. evolutionary superiority and Protestant Triumphalism i.e. superiority of American religion. Thus, within five years of the angry outburst against the annexation of Hawaii, Americans were crying for the annexation of the Philippines and other Pacific Islands. This seemingly overnight alteration of American policy was accurately summarized by Senator Albert Beveridge of Indiana, who said “American factories are making more than the American people can use; American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has written out policy for us. The trade of the world must and shall be ours.” [Kinzer, 34] With the support of the American people, President McKinley along with expansionist supporters like Captain Alfred Mahan, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge and Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, advocated control of Cuba. The Spanish Prime Minister, Praxedes Sagasta, called for peace agreements with the United States that would enable Cuba to have complete independence. But America refused to hear Spain’s proposals, deeming them insincere, and pushed instead for an American victory over Spain. Thus, when America was victorious in 1898, it was able to set up a military base in Cuba, which would not have been possible if it had held a peace conference with Spain. In fact, the entire conflict over Cuba was not supported by America’s new policy because it would free a terrorized people from Imperial Spain, thereby upholding the principles of Democracy. It was more conflict fought to resolve a single question: Who would control Cuba? Conditions in Cuba led to the war, Cuba was the battleground, and Cuba was the prize."[Kinzer46]. This implied rejection of complete self-government for Cuba - an integral part of democratic policy, showed quite clearly that the United States of America was willing to imbibe Imperialism into its democratic setup to ensure an indirect control of Pacific trade. Raw materials were more readily available to American factories and there were new markets for American products. Economic ventures in the newly annexed territories, large-scale industrialization in the ‘American Empire’ and widespread capitalism forged America into a wealthy and mighty nation. Thus, in my opinion, it was in some ways inevitable that America would shift from the Monroe Doctrine to a new foreign policy, which contained traces of indirect Imperialism. Massive overproduction and industrialization in America needed an outlet, which could only be ensured by a certain amount of foreign dominion. The United States of America was a prime example of the consequences of Imperialism on a democratic society. Where before, Democracy was used to guide Americans away from Imperialism; it was now used to disguise indirect imperialism for the sole purpose of gaining a foothold in foreign markets. Although America did not seek to control foreign markets like European Imperialists, and merely wanted access to them, 1898 was the only instance where Americans used outright colonization to annex Pacific Territory. It was still a hallmark year, wherein a purely democratic society changed its political attitude forever and exerted subtle dominion over world markets to ensure economic prosperity. America gained Superpower status world over and large quantities of wealth thanks to lucrative foreign trade, but in the process, it also sacrificed large parts of what it had once stood for: isolationism, self government, liberty, equality and democracy. [1121 words] Works Cited: 1. Kinzer, Stephen. Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. U.S.A: Macmillan Inc, 2006. Read More