Growth of America

HIUS 202: 9:00 am Friday

The readings this week discussed America’s growth and expansion into possibly a new empire, as well as the progressive movement, which followed the United States’ expansion. Moving west provided the United States with opportunities to see that acquiring other lands, such as Alaska, Hawaii, Cuba, and the Philippines would help our nation grow. Following the emergence of the U.S. as a world power, progressive reform followed as people continued to feel the need to move forward.

The expansion of the United States suggested we were the New Empire. In 1898, Albert Beveridge summed up the general feeling of the time in his, The March of the Flag speech to the senate in which he says, “God made America the mater organizers of the world to rule over savage people.” This came after Alaska proved to be a valuable addition to the country, and the U.S. then undertook the islands of Hawaii, Cuba, and the Philippines. Theodore Roosevelt, supported expansionism, and was involved with Cuba, but he let his feelings be known with his 1901, The Strenuous Life, in which he discusses that invading these lands will leave America’s with a strenuous life in the 20th century, as the fate of many nations fall into our hands.

William Howard Taft helped get banks interested in other lands. Also, during this time, John Hay wrote a letter in 1899 called The Open Door in China. W.W. Rockhill explained to Hay that it was necessary for the U.S. to stop European powers from partitioning China, and this letter was Hay’s way of bluffing to put a stop to this, since the U.S. did not have a legal leg to stand on. Taft, and Hay helped the U.S. to expand, as well as to increase their foreign policy, which each contributed to building the American Empire.

Continuing with the expansion of our country as far as land is concerned, the progressive movement was concerned with the expansion of our country internally, expanding the horizons