By Nicole Smith and Rhonda Rollins
“Every living thing is a sort of imperialist, seeking to transform as much as possible of its environment into itself…When we compare the (present) human population of the globe with … that of former times, we see that “chemical imperialism” has been … the main end to which human intelligence has been devoted. (Russell, Bertrand).”
Have you ever wondered how American imperialism started? From the beginning of the Spanish-American War to the end of World War I, many policies and tactics were developed to assist the U.S. in extending its political and economical powers all over the world. Imperialism started with colonial rule, which is the control of one power over a dependent area of people (http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/). One strategic tactic used to gain control over weaker countries was dollar diplomacy, this was the act of using money to conduct international negotiations. If these tactics failed or there was resistance from the opposing side, occasional use of military force would come into play. The use of military force would lead to specific wars and uprisings. Contributing to these wars was yellow journalism. Media wars caused by sensationalized stories, gradually shaped public opinions in the U.S. These newspapers were great “instigators” during war time. By the beginning of the 19th century, the United States had gained control over Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. America had emerged as the world’s most powerful nation, leaving many people to debate if they were in favor of imperialism or against it.
Reference:
Quote by Bertrand Russell: http://www.finestquotes.com/select_quote-category-Imperialism-page-0.htm
Jones, Created Equal Volume 2, sixth edition
