The Evolution of American Foreign Policy since the American Revolution - Essay Example

The evolution of American foreign policy since the American Revolution Before speaking about the evolution of American foreign policy, the importance of foreign policy for the country should be mentioned. Foreign policy is a direction of the country in the world economical and political structure. This type of policy is aimed to regulate the relationship between countries. It should be mentioned that the most important means in foreign policy is diplomacy. Foreign policy is governed by the special political establishments, such as state department in the USA. It is headed by the state secretary of the USA. Speaking about the evolution of American foreign policy, it is worth mentioning some stages of it. Industrialization transformed the United States from a country of farms and villages to a nation of factories and cities. Its growing industrial strength and the need or larger markets for the products of its factories led the United States to take a greater interest in the world beyond its borders. After a brief but important war with Spain in 1898, the United States became, almost at once, a world power with distant colonial possessions. While some Americans believed that their national identity suited them for such overseas expansion, others questioned it. In addition, reformers began to demand greater involvement on the part of government in solving the problems of the poor and the helpless and of protecting the nation’s natural resources. Several factors contributed to the new idea of overseas expansion. New railroad lines and government land policies brought a flood of settlers to the American West. The desirable land there was quickly settled. When the Bureau of Census officially announced the end of the frontier in 1890, some Americans began to fear that the nation’s opportunities for growth would end. Another factor in the growing interest in expansion was American nation’s rapidly increasing production of goods. By the late 1800s American farms and factories turned out increasing amounts of crops and manufactured goods. American began to seek out new markets for those goods that could not be sold at home. Foreign markets for these surplus goods were considered essential for the nation’s continued economic growth. (Hall, 1999) In the late 1800s a new spirit of imperialism, the policy of extending one country’s rule over other nations and colonies, developed in Europe. Great Britain, France and Germany colonized Africa and turned eagerly toward Asia. Some Americans shared this spirit. Some believed that American empire would help less fortunate people all around the world. These Americans believed that the cultures of Asia, Africa, and Latin America were inferior to American and European cultures. They believed Americans had a duty to civilize these people by showing them American ways of governing and working. American missionaries also favored our expansion into other parts of the world so that they could bring Christianity to other people. After 1860 America became more and more involved with other nations. As a result, more complex foreign policy developed. It was a foreign policy that took shape slowly and sometimes worked differently in various parts of the world. For example, the United States worked to increase its trade with European nations but tried to avoid entanglements with them. In the Western Hemisphere, the United States based its foreign policy on the Monroe Doctrine. Thus Americans desired to increase our country’s trade with Latin America and to limit the trade and investments of European countries there. In Asia, American foreign policy was designed to increase trade and to gain control of Pacific islands that could be used as naval and refueling bases on trade routes. The next period of American foreign policy development was connected with Jeanette Rankin, who took her seat in the House of Representatives in 1917. She was the first woman to serve in the United States Congress. The first issue she voted on was if or not the United Stats should declare war on the nation of Germany. The war had been raging in Europe for more than two years. The USA, despite a number of hostile acts against it, remained neutral. Many Americans believed that unless the United States acted, Germany might win the war. Rankin believed that she had a special duty to speak for peace. (Foreign relations of the United States) During the years that immediately followed the Spanish-American war, the United States continued to develop its interests abroad. America had a colonial empire in the Caribbean and the Pacific to protect. It also had investments in various countries and profitable trade with many nations. To protect American interests, both Presidents Roosevelt and Taft worked to develop a forceful foreign policy. President Roosevelt was famous for his aggressive foreign policy. He believed that if the United States was to be a world power it must be military strong. The Spanish-American war had shown that America’s army was poorly trained and equipped. Roosevelt first step was to instruct his Secretary of War to enlarge and modernize the army. President Roosevelt also continued to enlarge and strengthen America’s navy. During his term he succeeded in doubling the size of the nation’s fleet. President Roosevelt used an aggressive foreign policy to get what he wanted in Latin America. With colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific, America needed a short water route between its possessions. A major goal of America’s foreign policy was the construction of canal across the isthmus connecting North and South America. In 1902 Congress and President Roosevelt decided on the Panama route rather than the longer but easier route through Nicaragua. Within two weeks a canal treaty between the United States and Panama was signed. The treaty gave the United States control of Canal Zone for the same price Columbia had refused. The Colombians reacted angrily, complaining that the United States use of a warship was gunboat diplomacy. Roosevelt, however, was delighted with the result. (Burton, 1999) Roosevelt’s actions angered many other Latin Americans. Later, in 1914 Wilson tried to mend fences by offering Columbia 25 million dollars and apology for the incident. The agreement was blocked by the United States Senate. With the Panama Canal completed, the nation’s economic and political interests in Latin America became even more important. President Roosevelt was determined to protect these interests by keeping the nations of Europe interfering in Latin American affairs. Ten years earlier, in 1904, he had issued a strong statement, which is known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. A corollary is an addition that follows logically from another statement or doctrine. As it is known, the Monroe Doctrine warned European nations to keep out of Latin American affairs. The Roosevelt Corollary went further, and claimed that the USA alone had the right to go into Latin America countries. (Foreign relations of the United States) In 1899 America had tried to establish an Open-Door policy in China. In the early 100s both Russia and Japan were becoming more powerful in Asia. Either nation might pose a threat to American interests in China. Roosevelt was not at all unhappy when a war between these two countries brouke out in 2904. As Japan defeated Russian forces in one battle after another, he began to worry. Too strong Japan would continue threaten America’s interests in Asia. By 1905 Russia was defeated, and Japan was out of money. Upon Japan’s request, Roosevelt called for a peace conference to end the war. Japan emerged from the war as the dominant power in the Far East. As a result, the United States negotiated a secret agreement with Japan. It gave Japan control of Korea for agreeing not to invade the Philippines. Roosevelt was determined to demonstrate America’s power, particularly to Japan. Speaking about the next stage of American foreign policy evolution, the name of Taft should be mentioned. When Taft took office in 1909, he tried to continue Roosevelt’s policy of expanding American interests abroad. However Taft emphasized economic rather than military means. He encouraged American banks and business to invest abroad. Taft’s idea was to replace existing military alliances with economic ties. He is also known for his dollar diplomacy. In Asia, Taft wanted to increase America’s trade with and investments in China. His unsuccessful attempt to organize an international group of bankers to invest in railroads in Manchuria upset the Japanese and Russians who wanted to control Manchuria. It also deepened China’s suspicion of the United States. As a result, instead of developing friendships in Asia, Taft’s policies led to increased rivalries and distrust. In Latin America, Taft encouraged countries to seek loans from the United States instead of Europe. His goal was economic dominance of Latin America, especially the Caribbean, with the hope of reducing European intervention. In addition, such investments gave America a reason to intervene in Latin America affairs. In 1911 Taft helped Nicaragua secure a loan in exchange for American control of Nicaragua’s National Bank. When the revolution broke out over the agreement, the United States sent in the marines to protect American lives and property. The marines remained until the 1930s. Not surprisingly that Latin America resented this interference in their affairs. Dollar diplomacy left a legacy of distrust in Latin America as well as in Asia. The next name connected with American foreign policy evolution is President Wilson. As a progressive President, Wilson brought high ideals to the conduct of foreign policy. He believed that the United States strength lay not in its military might not its great wealth, but in its love of peace and its democratic ideals. He thought that the nation had a mission to promote these ideals throughout the world. Thus, Wilson wanted to replace Roosevelt’s gunboat diplomacy and Taft’s dollar diplomacy with moral diplomacy. President Wilson found it difficult to follow a policy of moral diplomacy. He actually intervened in Latin America more often than did either Roosevelt or Taft. In 1915 Wilson sent the marines into Haiti to crush a revolt. They stayed 20 years, overseeing Haitian financial and other affairs. In 1914 and again in 1916, American troops became involved with Mexico because of revolutions there. Also in 1916 Wilson sent troops to the Dominican Republic, where they remained until 1924, to control financial matters. Finally, Wilson forced Nicaragua to promise not to allow any other country to build a canal or military bases there. Thus, the United States dominated Nicaragua for many years. The outbreak of war in Europe stunned Americans. President Wilson said in public that the war would not touch the USA. In private he was not so certain. Nevertheless, he immediately proclaimed America’s neutrality. Most Americans accepted neutrality, since it was the line with American country’s policy of keeping free from foreign entanglements. It also reflected the spirit of progressivism, which was for reform in America, not war abroad. (Adams, 2005) Nevertheless, many Americans found it difficult not to take sides, since they had friends or relatives in Europe. Some German Americans sympathized with the Central Powers. A number of Irish Americans also tended to support the Central Powers, hoping that Britain’s wartime troubles might free their homeland, Ireland, from British domination. Many other Americans, however, had strong ties to the Allied Powers, in part because they shared a common language and heritage with Great Britain. The United States also had closer economic ties to the Allied Powers. In 1914, for example, American exports to the Allied Powers were twice as great as those to the Central Powers. Many other Americans were outraged when the Germans attacked neutral Belgium. Both sides flooded the United states with Propaganda – information designed to influence people’s thinking or behavior. Each side published millions of pieces of literature attacking its enemies. In the end, however, people’s heritage and the course of the war probably helped most Americans decide who they would support.(Adams, 2005) Americans soon learned that it was difficult to maintain a policy of strict neutrality. As a neutral nation, the United States expected to continue selling its nonmilitary goods to all warring countries. Both sides in the war however wanted to halt the shipment of goods to its enemies. The steps taken by Britain and Germany to halt American trade made it difficult to remain neutral. As for nowadays, it should be mentioned that the terrorist acts, that took place several years ago had a great impact on the foreign policy evolution. American foreign policy is a bridge which connects the USA and the rest of the countries, past, present and future. The USA should rely on the young generation now. It is a fact that the danger goes not from the competitive countries, but from the poor ones, infested with regional conflicts. References Adams Lestyn, Brothers Across the Ocean: British Foreign Policy and the Origins of the Anglo-American special Relationship 1900-1905,I B Tauris & Co Ltd (2005) Burton David Henry, British-American Diplomacy, 1895-1917: Early Years of the Special Relationship, Krieger Publishing Company (1999) Hall Michael, United States-Latin American Relations, 1850-1903: Establishing a Relationship, University of Alabama Press (1999) Entangling Relationship: American Foreign Policy in Its Century http://books.google.com Foreign relations of the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_United_States Read More