Imperialism

Nicola Harrigan
March 19, 2014

Imperialism is the expansion into another country to gain better resources, spread religion,receive markets for food and gain economic and political power. The United States followed the Neutrality act which was created by George Washington. The Neutrality act stated that the U.S would not get involved in other countries disputes and would remain neutral. Washington left office and McKinley was voted president and in the late 1800s’ the U.S was trying to become a world power, in order to do this they had to get involved in other countries. The U.S became involved with Cuba and the disputes they were having with Spain. Which gave the U.S the opportunity to display that they had the capability of becoming a world power. Soon after the U.S got involved with Cuba Mckinley was assassinated leaving Theodore Roosevelt as president. The U.S had control over many nations but needed more economic power so Roosevelt made the decision to build the Panama Canal which gave the U.S the extra power they needed. For the U.S to be able to become a world power they had to intervene in as many countries as possible have great economic stability and a strong army.
In the mid-1890s the U.S had reaffirmed the Monroe Doctrine and also forced the worlds most   powerful nation to bow to its will, and events in Cuba allowed the U.S to display the power they held. Spain's repressive rule over Cuba had caused the Cubans to revolt. This resulted in the Spanish fighting back and sending Cubans to concentration camps where they ate little food and lived in extremely poor sanitation. There were a number of Cuban exiles living in the United States led by journalist Jose Marti whom urged the U.S to intervene. McKinley refused at first unwilling to spend the money that intervention would require and believed the U.S would have colonial responsibilities they could not handle. In response to the U.S refusing to intervene Cuban guerrillas used a tactic they knew...