Modern America: The Great Depression and Captain Mahan - Essay Example

Until the nineteenth century, America had been an isolated, agricultural society with no involvement in foreign affairs whatsoever. The beginning of the twentieth century however was a revolutionary period in American history because it was the first step towards imperialisation and modernity lead by urbanization, industrialization and involvement in world economy and politics. The new imperialism was actually a quest for new markets and raw materials which became necessary due to economic explosion resulting from the second industrial revolution. Business organisations felt compelled to find new markets for their burgeoning supply of goods and lew sources of investment for their growing supply of capital. A widespread process of imperial expansion into Africa and Asia resulted, often with brutal consequences for the indigenous population due to Christian missionaries who wre dispatched to convert the native peoples. Americans became increasingly aware of world markets as developments in transportation and communication quickened the pace of commerce and diplomacy. The automobile and airplane helped shrink distance, and communications innovations such as radio and film contributed to a national consciousness. Throughout most of the nineteenth century, policy makers had sought to isolate America from the intrigues and conflicts of the great European powers but now America was coming out of it's isolationist shell by expanding commercial interests around the world along with the horizons of their concerns. The abundance of industries and cities invited a host of immigrants from all corners of the globe. urban-industrial development also brought along a list of hazards like corporate monopolies, child labor, political corruption, hazardous work ing conditions, urban ghettos that were finally addressed in a comprehensive way by the local, state, and federal governments who sought to rein in the excesses of industrial capitalism and develop a more rational and efficient public policy. A conservative Republican resurgence challenged the notion of the regulatory state during the 1920s when free enterprise and corporate capitalism witnessed a dramatic revival. But the stock market crash of 1929 helped propel the United States and many other nations into the worst economic downturn in history. The unprecedented severity of the Great Depression renewed public demands for federal government programs to protect the general welfare but employment restoration on a whole took place only after World War II. Captain Mahan argued that national greatness and prosperity flowed from maritime power and that modern economic development called for a powerful navy, a strong merchant marine, a leading advocate of sea power and Western imperialism, foreign commerce, colonies, and naval bases. Mahan, a self-described "imperialist," championed America's "destiny" to control the Caribbean, build an isthmian canal to connect the Pacific and Caribbean, and spread Western civilization in the Pacific. Eager for American manufacturers to exploit Asian markets, William H. Seward Seward believed the United States first had to remove all foreign interests from the northern Pacific coast and gain access to that region's valuable ports. To that end, he cast covetous eyes on the British crown colony of British Columbia, sandwiched between Russian America (Alaska) and Washington Territory. In 1891, Queen Liliuokalani, ascended the throne, she tried to reclaim a measure of power and to eliminate white control of the Hawaiian government. Hawaii's white population then revolted against the Queen and seized power. The American minister brought in marines to support the coup and within a month, a committee of the new government turned up in Washington with a treaty of annexation. The Hawaiians opposed the annexation but when the Japanese sent warships to take over the islands, McKinley responded by sending American warships and asked the Senate to approve a treaty to annex Hawaii. When the Senate could not muster the two-thirds majority needed to approve the treaty, McKinley used a joint resolution of the House and Senate to achieve his aims. The resolution passed by simple majorities in both houses, and Hawaii was annexed in the summer of 1898. As a growing number of American expansionists demanded that the United States also adopt a global ambition and join in the hunt for new territories and markets, their motives helped spark the Spanish-American War of 1898 and helped to justify the resulting acquisition of American colonies outside the continental United States followed by Entangling alliances with European powers. The outbreak of the Great War in Europe in 1914 posed an even greater challenge to the American tradition of isolation and nonintervention. American intervention in World War to transform the world order in accordance with his idealistic principle dislodged American foreign policy from its isolationist moorings and spawned a prolonged debate about the role of the United States in world affairs. The Spanish-American War 1941 In the midst of a politically tensed and sensitive situation over Cuba, February 15, 1898, Maine( an American Ship) exploded in tranquil Havana Harbor and sank with a loss of 266 men. The chip's captain, one of only 84 survivors, scribbled a telegram to Wash-ngton: "Maine blown up in Havana Harbor at nine forty tonight and destroyed. Many wounded and doubtless more killed or drowned. . . . Public opinion should be suspended until further report." But those eager for a war with Spain saw no need to withhold judgment. Theodore Roosevelt called the sinking ''an act of dirty treachery an the part of the Spaniards." A naval court of inquiry reported that an external mine had set off an explosion in the ship's magazine. Lacking lard evidence, the court made no effort to fix the blame, but the yel-ow press had no need of evidence. A compre-nensive study in 1976 concluded that the sinking of the Maine was an accident, the result of an internal explosion triggered by a fire in its coal bunker.The Spanish-American war was barely under way before the navy produced a spectacular victory in an unexpected quarter-Manila Bay. While public attention focused on Cuba, young Theodore Roosevelt was thinking of the Spanish-controlled Philippines. Which was taken over by Commodore George Dewey , commander of the small American squadron in Asia, on August 13.There had been no demand for annexation of the Philippines before the war, but Commodore Dewey's victory quickly kindled expansionist fever. Businessmen began thinking of the commercial possibilities in the nearby continent of Asia, such as oil for the lamps of China and textiles for its millions. Missionary societies saw the chance to bring Christianity to the "little brown brother." The Philippines promised to provide a useful base for all such activities. The Treaty of Paris had yet to be ratified in the Senate, where most Democrats and Populists, and some Republicans, opposed it. Anti-imperialists argued that acquisition of the Philippines would undermine democracy. They stressed traditional isolationism, American principles of self-government, the inconsistency of liberating Cuba and annexing the Philippines, the involvement in foreign entanglements that would undermine the logic of the Monroe Doctrine, and the danger that the Philippines would become an Achilles heel, expensive if not impossible to defend. The Treaty of Paris claimed to be an open door for Cuban and Pilipino independence. In its origins and content, what came to be known as the Open Door Policy resembled the Monroe doctrine. this policy was rooted in the self-interest of American businesses eager to exploit Chinese markets, also tapped the deep-seated sympathies of those who opposed imperialism, especially as it endorsed China's territorial integrity but had little more legal standing than a pious affirmation. More than any other American of his time, Theodore Roosevelt helped transform the role of the United States in world affairs. The country had emerged from the Spanish-American War a world power, and he insisted that this entailed major new responsibilities. To ensure that his country accepted such international obligations, Roosevelt stretched both the Constitution and executive power to the limit. In the process he pushed a reluctant nation onto the center stage of world affairs. Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his work at Portsmouth and Algeciras. Despite his bellicosity on other occasions, he had earned it. Before Roosevelt left the White House, he celebrated America's rise to world power with one great flourish. An insightful student quoted " One comes away from the study with admiration for Roosevelt's ability, his energy, and his devotion to his country's interests as he saw them but with a sense of tragedy that his abilities were turned toward imperialism and an urge for power, which were to have consequences so serious for the future." Roosevelt had influenced the United States in a direction that . . . was to bring her face to face with grave dangers" before the mid-twentieth century. Read More