American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century Essay Example

American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century Essay In political science studies, it is not often that one reads of American Imperialism. The term imperialism is almost exclusively associated with colonial exploits of major European powers such as Britain, France and Germany in the West; and China and Japan in the East. Although a late joiner of the imperial club, the United States is by far the most dominant in this group. With the entity called the United States of America having emerged only toward the end of the eighteenth century, it was only in the subsequent centuries it meaningfully expressed its imperial goals. The perception of the United States as an imperialist state was first mooted in the early part of the nineteenth century and the outbreak of the Spanish-American war in 1898 confirmed this fact. Indeed, the final years of the 19th century saw the peaking of American imperialist aggression as it occupied Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands – the latter two eventually becoming American colonies. (Len s Zinn, 2003) The early indicators of imperialist tendency can be found in the founding documents of the country. Even luminaries such as Thomas Jefferson have articulated an imperialist vision for the United States in no unclear terms. The annexation of Louisiana in the eighteenth century is seen as the first act of this vision. During the nineteenth century, the U.S.’ foreign policy was largely confined to the American continent, with Central and Southern American regions being focal points. As is typical of imperialist propaganda, convoluted justifications were given for aggressive foreign policy. It was stated that lands of ‘semi-civilized’ and ‘primitive’ peoples were occupied in order to bring Western civilization (which is supposedly superior) to these lands. Empire expansion was also projected as benign and compassionate, for Christian missionary work was invariably associated with it. Propaganda also had it that the standards of living of subjects o f the empire will eventually rise. On the whole, imperialist enterprise was promoted using these vapid and empty slogans and motives. (Lens Zinn, 2003) We will write a custom essay sample on American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Recognizing the duplicity and dubiousness of these claims, intellectuals both within and outside the country started expressing their discontent. The ruthlessness and gruesomeness with which Filipino uprising was crushed evoked shock and anger among some of America’s illustrious citizens including Andrew Carnegie and William James. It is in this context that they founded American Anti-Imperialist League in 1899. â€Å"We hold that the policy known as imperialism is hostile to liberty and tends toward militarism, an evil from which it has been our glory to be free. We regret that it has become necessary in the land of Washington and Lincoln to reaffirm that all men, of whatever race or color, are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We maintain that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. We insist that the subjugation of any people is â€Å"criminal aggression† and open disloyalty to the distinctive principles of our Government.† ( Platform of the American Anti-imperialist League, 1913, p.77) The League might have been promoted by well-known leaders of the American cultural landscape, but it had the backing of numerous lesser-known liberals. The identification of American foreign policy as imperialist might seem politically radical for a modern reader, but during the 19th century there was a vibrant Left-Liberal tradition in American political discourse. Trade unions could be formed and collective rights could be demanded. There was also a thriving working class press, which articulated the concerns and preoccupations of newly arriving immigrants and ethnic minorities. But eventually, dissenting voices would be marginalized or disregarded, as the nation marched ahead with its imperialist vision. As the new century ushered and geo-political power equations changed, America seized its moment to emerge as a global superpower. American involvement in WWI was minimal as it saw the war as a dispute internal to Europe. But with Hitler’s Third Reich threatening to m onopolize power, United States was forced to ally with Britain and Russia to defeat Axis powers. (Field, 1978, p.659) Far from being an act of charity, the defeat of Nazism and Fascism created unprecedented opportunities for the expansion of American empire. With the fall of Soviet Union in 1989, the last substantive resistance to its imperialist agenda has been removed. But the seeds for this foreign policy direction was first evidenced during late 19th century. References: â€Å"Platform of the American Anti ­lmperialist League,† in Speeches, Correspondence, ard Political Papers of Carl Schurz, vol. 6, ed. Frederick Bancroft (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1913), p. 77, note 1., retrieved from Field, James A., Jr. (June 1978). â€Å"American Imperialism: The Worst Chapter in Almost Any Book†. The American Historical Review 83 (3): 659. Lens, Sidney; Zinn, Howard (2003). The Forging of the American Empire: From the Revolution to Vietnam: A History of American Imperialism. Plkuto press. ISBN 0745321003. In political science studies, it is not often that one reads of American Imperialism. The term imperialism is almost exclusively associated with colonial exploits of major European powers such as Britain, France and Germany in the West; and China and Japan in the East. Although a late joiner of the imperial club, the United States is by far the most dominant in this group. With the entity called the United States of America having emerged only toward the end of the eighteenth century, it was only in the subsequent centuries it meaningfully expressed its imperial goals. The perception of the United States as an imperialist state was first mooted in the early part of the nineteenth century and the outbreak of the Spanish-American war in 1898 confirmed this fact. Indeed, the final years of the 19th century saw the peaking of American imperialist aggression as it occupied Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands – the latter two eventually becoming American .

OZonE layer essays

OZonE layer essays Society has been widely addressed with the many problems that we are having in our environment today. A major problem is that of CFCs. CFC stands for Chlorofluorocarbons which are found in many of the aerosol spray cans. In December of 1973, Rowland and Molina discovered that CFCs can destroy the ozone in the stratosphere. In June 1975, the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) sued the Consumers Product Safety Commission for a band of CFCs used in aerosol spray cans. United States's fifth largest manufacturers of aerosol sprays announced that they will reduce the amount of CFCs used in there products. But as things started to get better, The Consumer Product Safety Commission rejected NRDC's law suit in July stating that there was insufficient evidence towards the amount of harm the CFCs were doing to the ozone layer. On September 1976, a report was released which re-enforced Rowland and Molina's hypothesis, but also stated that the govern- ment action on CFC regulations should be postponed. This report also stated that the CFCs can initiate climatic changes and contribute to the warming of the earth's atmosphere, i.e., the greenhouse effect. May 1977, several government agencies announced joint plans to limit, but not eliminate uses of CFCs in aerosol spray cans. But on February of the following year, the government decided to postpone the regulations on CFCs used in refrigeration, air conditioning, solvents, and other industrial processes. With all the new regulations taking affect and being postponed, nothing was getting accomplished, but finally, on October 1978, aerosols where banned in the United States. August of 1981, satellite pictures showed that over one percent of the ozone was lost due to CFCs. Then, in October of 1984, research groups found a forty percent loss of ozone over Antarctica. In August of 1985, satellite photos confirmed the e...

I need a topic for my dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I need a topic for my dissertation - Essay Example esource practices of the high-tech firms must cater to the special needs of employees working with innovation at the leading edge and it should be possible to groom promising employees. According to Ting-Hua (2006, Pp. IV – V) the Human Resource Department of a firm involved with innovation does make a contribution to the overall success of the firm and the practices implemented should satisfy and act to groom brilliant employees. The previously mentioned study suggests that policy related to recruitment and selection, firm attitudes towards continuing professional development, salary and benefits, training and performance evaluation are a few examples of human resource practices that make a difference in motivating employees and helping with the success of firms involved with innovation. Jemielniak (2009, Pp. 402 – 403) suggests that capability it is important for organisations associated with innovation to identify capability and to develop this capability further. It is important to provide those involved with innovation and research with the right environment, which motivates and it is fitting to handle these employees differently from others. Jemielniak (2009, Pp. 402 – 403) suggests that individuals matter and as an example, tensions between knowledge creation and knowledge sharing should be properly mediated by firm policies. Thus, the right human resource policies make the difference for the success of firms involved with innovation and the national economy. Managing and developing human resources in firms involved with innovation makes the difference, but not much is available about the selection and adoption of human resource practices at high-tech firms located in the Birmingham Science Park. Thus, it is likely to be useful to carry out a research study of human resource practices of selected high-tech firms at Birmingham Science Park and to investigate their merits or shortcomings. Any suggestions for improvements will be of benefit for