The American Empire Post 1

The unit that we are currently on is about how people, places, and power can affect different societies. These three things can have a huge impact on the world, and changing it for the better, or for the worse. My group selected the topic: Imperialism in America, which is about the expansion of America's influence and trade throughout the rest of the world.

Key Terms and Definitions:

Imperialism - a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Nationalism - devotion to ones nation

Annex - to join a new territory to an existing territory

Banana Republic - another name for the Central American nations, due to their exportation of bananas to the U.S.

Manifest Destiny - the widely held belief in the United States that American settlers were destined to expand throughout the continent.

George Washington - first president, advised Americans to "steer clear of permanent allies"

James Monroe - established Monroe Doctrine; main principle of foreign policy, broadened to support American Imperialization

Alfred T. Mahan - Captain (later admiral) who argued that Americas future hinged on gaining new markets abroad. influenced Roosevelt in expansion.

"Seward's Folly" - Alaska, when first purchased by the United States from Russia in 1867

Enduring Understandings:

The expansion of a territory will cause it to gain power and resources.

• US Acquisition of Alaska gave them access to to its "rich resources". (American History: Pathways to the Present Chapter 17 Section 1)
• The US Acquisition of Hawaii in 1853 allowed the United States exclusive access to Hawaii's sugar trade. (American History: Pathways to the Present Chapter 17 Section 1)

Wealthy people have more influence in their country than those of lower social class

• Rockefeller brothers urging government to become more imperialistic and to develop more assertive polices (“The Empire and the People”)

This topic represents the theme, "People, Places, and Power", in a few ways. The expansion of American influence caused the United States to gain power through foreign trade markets, annexation of new territory, or investing in new nations such as the ones in Central America. Men such as Alfred T. Mahan would classify as a "person" in this theme. He argued how America needed to venture abroad into new trade markets, breaking free of anti-foreign policy set by James Monroe. Some examples of power would include the Rockefeller brothers influencing the government. The Rockefeller brothers, being very wealthy, had a large influence on the United States, pressuring them to adopt more dynamic foreign policies for their benefit.