American Imperialism (World History)

Crash Course: American Imperialism (World History)

Crash Course: American Imperialism

Introduction Imagine a country that's been to the moon, but still can't get its colonial history straight. Welcome to the wild world of American Imperialism, where the land of the free and the home of the brave got its start by taking land from others.

The Core Idea American Imperialism refers to the period when the United States expanded its territory and influence through military conquest, economic domination, and cultural imposition, often at the expense of indigenous peoples and other nations. This wasn't just a matter of Manifest Destiny (the idea that the US was destined to expand across North America); it was a deliberate policy of expansion and control.

Key Facts & Figures

• 1492: Christopher Columbus "discovered" the Americas, marking the beginning of European colonization.
• 1607: The Jamestown settlement in Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States.
• 1776: The Declaration of Independence declared the 13 American colonies free from British rule, but didn't mention the Native Americans who already lived there.
• 1803: The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the US, adding over 828,000 square miles of land.
• 1846-1848: The Mexican-American War resulted in the US gaining control of a significant amount of land, including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
• 1898: The Spanish-American War gave the US control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
• 1903: The US annexed Hawaii, which had been an independent kingdom since 1795.
• 1917: The US entered World War I, which led to the country gaining control of several territories, including the Panama Canal Zone.
• 1945: The US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.
• 1953: The CIA overthrew the democratically-elected government of Iran, leading to a decades-long US involvement in the country's politics.
• 1965: The US began its involvement in the Vietnam War, which lasted for over a decade and resulted in the deaths of millions of people.
• 1989: The US invaded Panama, leading to the overthrow of dictator Manuel Noriega.
• 2003: The US invaded Iraq, leading to a long and bloody occupation.

Thought Bubble Imagine you're a Native American living in the 1800s, and you're watching the US military arrive at your village. You see the soldiers, the guns, and the horses, and you know that your way of life is about to change forever. You're forced to relocate to a reservation, where you're given land that's not suitable for farming or hunting. You're told to adopt European customs and language, and you're punished if you don't comply. This is what it means to be a victim of American Imperialism.

Why This Matters

• Colonialism is still a problem today: Many countries in Africa and Asia are still dealing with the legacy of colonialism, including poverty, inequality, and cultural erasure.
• The US is still involved in imperialism: The US is still involved in military interventions and economic domination in countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen.
• Imperialism is a form of cultural imperialism: The US has imposed its culture and values on other countries, often at the expense of local traditions and customs.
• Imperialism is a form of economic imperialism: The US has used its economic power to dominate other countries and extract their resources.
• Imperialism is a form of military imperialism: The US has used its military power to conquer and occupy other countries.
• Imperialism is a form of ideological imperialism: The US has used its ideology to shape the politics and culture of other countries.

Crash Course Recap

• ⚠️ The US has a long history of imperialism, dating back to the 1600s.
• The US has expanded its territory through military conquest, including the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War.
• The US has imposed its culture and values on other countries, often at the expense of local traditions and customs.
• The US has used its economic power to dominate other countries, including the exploitation of natural resources.
• The US has used its military power to conquer and occupy other countries, including World War I and World War II.
• The US has used its ideology to shape the politics and culture of other countries, including the spread of democracy and capitalism.
• The legacy of imperialism is still felt today, including poverty, inequality, and cultural erasure.
• The US is still involved in imperialism, including military interventions and economic domination.
• Imperialism is a form of cultural, economic, military, and ideological imperialism.

Quiz Yourself

1. What was the name of the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States? a) Jamestown b) Plymouth c) Salem d) Boston

Answer: a) Jamestown

1. What was the result of the Mexican-American War? a) The US gained control of a significant amount of land b) The US lost control of a significant amount of land c) The US gained control of a small amount of land d) The US did not gain or lose any land

Answer: a) The US gained control of a significant amount of land

1. What was the name of the US president who oversaw the annexation of Hawaii? a) Theodore Roosevelt b) Franklin D. Roosevelt c) Harry S. Truman d) Dwight D. Eisenhower

Answer: a) Theodore Roosevelt

1. What was the name of the country that the US invaded in 2003? a) Iraq b) Iran c) Afghanistan d) Syria

Answer: a) Iraq

1. What is the term for the idea that the US was destined to expand across North America? a) Manifest Destiny b) American Exceptionalism c) Imperialism d) Colonialism

Answer: a) Manifest Destiny