Summary
Highlights
The video introduces the concept of imperialism as a powerful state extending authority over a weaker state to exploit resources, leading to a loss of sovereignty for the colonized. It highlights the historical irony of the United States, which fought for freedom from British imperial rule, becoming an imperial power itself within a century.
The U.S. began to look overseas for new markets and raw materials, following the trend of European sea-based empires. Although late to the party due to the Civil War and Reconstruction, rapid industrialization by the late 19th century prepared the U.S. to join other imperial powers. This expansion was seen as a continuation of Manifest Destiny, previously applied to westward expansion.
Imperialists argued for expansion based on economic opportunities. Secretary of State William Seward's purchase of Alaska in 1868 (initially dubbed "Seward's Folly") later proved strategic for accessing Asian markets, especially after the Panic of 1893 spurred a need for new markets for American goods.
Imperialists also used racial theories like Social Darwinism, believing America's wealth and power indicated its "fitness to survive." This fueled American exceptionalism, suggesting it was America's duty to spread its blessings and civilization. Minister Josiah Strong advocated for a worldwide empire to spread Christianity and Western civilization to "backward" peoples, a concept known as the "civilizing mission" or "White Man's Burden."
A third argument was competition with European empires. Policymakers feared the U.S. would fall behind if it didn't engage in overseas expansion. Alfred D. Mahan's book, "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History," argued that powerful navies were crucial for global power projection, leading to increased investment in the U.S. Navy.
The closing of the American Western Frontier, as revealed by the 1890 census, presented an existential crisis. Frederick Jackson Turner's "Frontier Thesis" argued that expansion was vital for American democracy, implying a need for a new frontier in the form of overseas territories.
Anti-imperialists, forming the Anti-Imperialist League in 1898, countered these arguments. They believed imperial expansion violated the principle of self-determination, harkening back to the "spirit of 1776" and the idea that all nations should govern themselves. They also appealed to America's long tradition of isolationism, citing George Washington's warnings against foreign entanglements and the Monroe Doctrine.
Ironically, anti-imperialists also used racial theories. Andrew Carnegie argued that annexing non-white populations, such as in the Philippines, would dilute the "superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race" and was therefore undesirable. Ultimately, the imperialists won the debate, leading to the U.S. acquiring an overseas empire after its victory in the Spanish-American War.