American History Between 1890 and 1930

The mind set of Americans during the decade prior to the Spanish American war, the influence of the Americans during the war. Expansionism and imperialism and the causes of the war and what did the Americans gain and lose. The Americans had a long history of imperialism from the expulsion of the native Americans, the Mexican American war, the Spanish American war, the control of cuba and the Philippine, the annexation of Hawaii and Samoa and also the occupation of much of latin America between 1890 and 1930.

Their tendencies were outgrowth of ethnocentrism which was the belief in manifest destiny. Expansionism was the control of another country’s market or political system through the use of trase and diplomacy and imperialism was the control of another country’s market or political system through the use or threat of use of force. The causes of the American Spanish war, united states had little interest in economic cuba and the south had yet to regain its stature.

The Cuban rebels began to attack Americans owned properties, McKinley sent the battleship maine to Havana to protect the American interests, the battleship blew up due to coal dust or the magazine too close to the boiler room, Theodore Roosevelt also wanted war, he dispatched dewey to the Philippines with out the knowledge of the secretary of navy or the president of united states. America was in the mood for war to demonstrate its strength, and what better nation to go to war with, manifest destiny, racism and imperialism were also cause to the war.

The United States gained almost all of Spain’s colonies, including the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Cuba was granted independence, but the United States imposed various restrictions on the new government, including prohibiting alliances with other countries, and reserved for itself the right of intervention. Cuba remained technically independent but was required to submit its foreign policy to American approval. By gaining these territories it helped America gain some more resources.

3.The conditions and causes of the progressive era, how it affected people, where did the reforms begin and why, who were the three of the most famous national leader. The causes were the deplorable state of america’s cities including the boss system with it’s corruption, graft and the resulting high taxes which fell on the middle class. Uncontrolled monopolies which ran roughshod over small business and the interest of the people. The corrupt relationship between big business and state and federal government’s elected officials. Lack of any control of the negative impacts on the public of the rampant abuse of the public trust by big business. And then the abuse of children and women in the work places.

5. General reasons for the war in Europe and specific causes and the reasons for the U. S entry into the war. The general causes of the great war, imperialism each major European nation had its colonies in Africa and asia and each saw its colonies as a measure of its own national prowess and also colonies meant sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods for each country. Nationalism was such an ingrained part of the culture and different nationalities in Europe that it is had to separate it from what it means to be british, French, german, or Russia.

Its also played apivot role for the Serbians who assassinated the arch duke of Austria hungary, played a role second to pride and marital fealty which bought the arch duke to Sarajevo on that fateful day and also bought America into war. Militarism could not separate from a country’s nationalism in 1914, it was the struggle for the military to make sure that their country would not loose territory if attacked that led to the war that could have been prevented, it also helped the deformed Kaiser Wilhelm to compensate for his short stature.

Disintegration of the ottoman empire, vacuum caused by the dissolution of the ottoman empire caused the other nations to lust for those territories and it also liberated yearnings of nationhood and ethnic pride and revenge. Secret and entangling alliances were developed in order to maintain an equilibrium while other nations were trying to upset that equilibrium and gain a power advantage over their rivals were a material cause for the war.

War was viewed as an extension of diplomacy and relatively risk free way to gain territory and advantage over a rival, the memory of the diplomats was short, it did not take into account the suffering caused by the Napoleonic wars. Continuing rivalry between france and germany following the franco-russian war. The lack of meaningful communication and understanding internally between the military and diplomatic wings of the various European countries.

The U.S entry into the war, Wilson called on his fellow citizens in 1914 to remain which was impossible for a nation of immigrants from all of the countries in the war. Economic realities also made imposible the task of dealing with the belligerents on equal terms, the british put a blockade on german and the germans were using the new submarine warfare to challenge british domination on the atlantic. Wilson demanded that german promise not to repeat such outrage and the germans agreed to his demands. He also demanded that german abandon its unlawful tactics and the german government.