Unit 1 Essay: American Imperialism

Unit Essay: American Imperialism

In order to receive credit for this project you must write an essay on the following topic:

American Imperialism

In 1884, the diplomats from nearly every nation in Europe sat down at a conference in Berlin and divided up the continent of Africa between themselves without anyone noticing that no Africans had been invited to the meeting. Occurrences like this were common during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an era that historians often name, "The Age of Imperialism". During this time, the mostly European industrial nations colonized and subdued nearly every corner of the globe looking for new markets, much to the resentment of their newly acquired colonies. One would think that the US, a former colony itself, would be above this type of action, but American Foreign Policy and actions during the late part of the 19th and early 20th centuries tell a different story. Using the knowledge that you have gained from your lessons in this unit, examine three pieces of foreign policy legislation and American actions associated with them from this era and write an essay of 600 words or more describing American Foreign Policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Political Cartoon illustrating the Roosevelt Corollary, 1904

Some legislation and events that you may consider when writing this essay:

Newlands Resolution/Annexation of Hawaii

Roosevelt Corollary/Spanish-American War/Philippine-American War

Hay Bunau Varilla Treaty/ Panama Canal

Dollar Diplomacy/Banana Wars