Unit 3 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 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 events from this era and write an essay of 600 words or more describing American Imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Helpful links:

Spanish-American War/Philippine-American War

Roosevelt Corollary/Dollar Diplomacy/Banana Wars

Hay Bunau Varilla Treaty/ Panama Canal

Open Door Policy/ Harris Treaty