Essay on America Has Been A World Power

The westward expansion was caused by the idea that America should expand to the west to spread democracy and civilization called manifest destiny. During the westward expansion the following was gained: the Louisiana Purchase (bought from France for 15 million), Texas Annexation (rebellion from Mexico), Mexican Cession (went to war with Mexico and bought for 15 million dollars), Florida Cession (received from Spain), the Gadsden Purchase (bought from Mexico for 10 million to finish the transcontinental railroad), and the Oregon Treaty (treaty with Britain). Document B shows that there was a massive boom in voters (225%) from 1824 to 1828 due to the universal white suffrage allowing the common man to vote, and it steadily rose every four years from an original 356,038 in 1824 to 2,411,187 in 1840 as immigrants (new and old) and the common man could now vote. The biggest increase in voters by sheer numbers is from 1836 to 1840 it increased by 912,509 voters, more than any other increase allowing the common man to have even more political influence and power. Document E shows that population in the west boomed from 1810 (773,902) to 1840 (5,169,292) with an increase of 4,395,390 people of which the majority were common men giving them power in the political world. Compared to the slow growth of the south (+606,922) and steady growth of the north (+3,408,530) the west and in turn

The British being so powerful changed the way most American colonies thought about the British. The majority of the colonies were to

The years between 1860 and 1877 are filled with many developments in the views of the American people. The North consisted of free states based on an industrial economy while the South based its agricultural economy on the enslavement of colored males and females. The two sections of America had two very different views on how the United States should become a world power. Constitutional developments such as secession of the Southern states in 1860, the Emancipation Proclamation, and other acts and amendments contributed to more discontent throughout the country. Developments such as the Black Codes, Freedmen's Bureau, and the creation of the Ku Klux Klan contributed to the Social aspect of the argument. Problems like these had been amounting

There were many country-splitting issues that characterized the United States in the 19th century. A major one of these issues was Manifest Destiny, the belief that the United States was destined to extend its territory west to the Pacific Ocean. There were both positive and negative aspects to expansion in the era of Manifest Destiny. Expansionism was not a good idea in the 1840's in the event that it only benefitted the Americans. There were many Native American populations in the Midwest that were uprooted and forced to leave their homes. Problems in the Mexican government arose as well. Although the Americans thought that Manifest Destiny was a successful movement, in actuality, it was an aggressive imperialism at the expense of others.

Great Britain at this time had many issues with funding themselves after exhausting resources and political power, after the French and Indian War. Britain was slowly losing power trying to keep the inhabitants of the American colonies at the bay. With a victory in the hand of Britain and one of the bloodiest wars staining the hearts of the people of America in the other, Britain had to keep itself strong, so the idea of taking their colonies quickly came to mind and keeping foreign colonies in check was their first priority. There were many issues going on in the British colonies. One of many issues that happened is salutary neglect, which led to the colonies to be mad with the British Government.

The reaction of the public was bad as the British never held up to their promises in the Treaty of Paris of 1783. This act pushed forward the neutral state America wanted to have with Europe and showed that we held no grudges to the British pre-revolutionary war.

Britain did not want or expect a war with America as it was occupied with the French. Britain was in conflict with France starting with the French revolution and carrying into the Napoleonic War. This

For example the agricultural economy flourished due to the United States expansion. According to slides four and five of “The Way West,” “Wheat became the major cash crop in the North. Westerners providing food for the growing workforce of the East…By 1840s, over half the value of American exports was derived from cotton.” This proves that the west did unit the United States. This new land not only helped generate a growth in exports but also provide food for its own people. As the East became “industrial” there became fewer farms to feed the workers because the old farm land was being used for the “growing workforce.” Furthermore the annexation of Texas would help unite the country. According to Senator George McDuffie of South Carolina from the Congressional Globe in 1844, “if we shall annex Texas, it will operate as a safety-valve to let off the super abundant slave population…and will…improve their condition.” When Texas was under the control of Mexico, Mexico did not allow slaves. If you wanted to

Expansionism from the viewpoint of Northerners was just another attempt made by the South to spread the "evil" of slavery to the newly acquired western land. Some critics from the North proposed that the issue of slavery resided in that fact that it is morally inhumane and the the idea of expansion was the expression of Southerner 's ambition. Highly depended on the slave system, slavery to the South was necessary to sustain its economy and culture. The northern industrial cities with its heavy influx of immigrants, as a cheap labor

Professor David Weber says, “California was the real goal in the far west-to have harbors on the Pacific and make ourselves a continental empire. We were not terribly interested in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, all of which belonged to Mexico as well, but those territories needed to be conquered if we were eventually to connect the Atlantic to the Pacific by railroad, which was already a dream” (n.d.). “Army officials, such as Second Lt. Ulysses S. Grant, charged that the U.S. unfairly used its superior military might to take land from Mexico”

The British did not do well at the beginning of the war. The British wanted the colonies to have a united response to the attacks but they rejected the proposal and continued to care about their separate interests. This was not a smart move for the colonies and they would have been much stronger if they had listened Benjamin Franklin’s plan to unite the colonies.

America didn’t want to be in Britain’s control because King George the Third, England’s king at that time, set up unjust laws. He made taxes for certain things, and the colonists had to pay for things they used in their everyday life, like

Economically, this new expansion is quite different from the first. In the early 1800s, settlers moved westward for wholly new enterprises, mainly small farms and gold mining. However, in the imperial period, businessmen centered in the United States sought after foreign trade and new markets to expand into from existing enterprises. Racially, American imperialists had similar interests to Manifesters, sans the (already abolished) expansion of slavery. In both cases, there was desire for the Christian Anglo-Saxon race to “civilize” the native heathens, in this case to spread liberty in a charitable effort to the “lesser populations”. This philosophy could be justified with the Social Darwinist concept, with the stronger (America) naturally making the weaker

Essentially, there were five reasons why America gained interest in westward expansion in the early nineteenth century. These reasons included a need for access to the Pacific Ocean, government interest in gaining new land, political gain, a new beginning for people, and a hunger for more power and control.

Between the times when the United States declared its independent from Great Britain until WWI, the US isolated itself from the rest of the world (Brinkley 604). This had all changed right after WWI where we became much more involve in the world, taking on lead roles in all international events or international crisis, for example the Vietnam war, the Persian Gulf war, and last but not least the recent war Afghanistan and Iraq; which still continues today. Today the United States continue to secure its title as the world leader, and continue to lead the world in all major aspects; military, economy and cultures.