Imperialism

What factors fueled U.S. imperialist policy in the 1880s including economic, cultural, and military reasons? In the 1880s while the U.S. was competing with other countries for economic and military control and feeling their culture growing America was leading towards Imperialism. On the economic side of things there was plenty of things to show this. A main factor was our way of acquiring raw materials. As most of our products were made by raw materials acquired by other countries and once gather would be then sold off gaining all profit. But as they soon realized the trouble of importing these materials and the money wasted the U.S. decided to establish new markets on these countries to keep the economy strong. After they had established money by these means they soon afterwards used the money and invested it back into the economy or into the exact same business. After America realized how much naval control was needed to truly rule as Mahan’s book stated that “He who rules the sea rules the world” they slowly started to do so. Because if done so then the right to trade and protect their merchant ships. Soon enough they started creating a massive navy to scare other countries and make them fear America and what it will soon become. After doing so they started working towards marking their territory to keep control and make others fear them. They began to make bases on other countries to not only keep tabs on other but to make sure that they wouldn’t be robed of their trade. After slowly inching towards a better culture and soon accepting Social Darwinism as they soon started to see everyone competing to control land over and didn’t want to fall behind in this competition against other great countries. Social Darwinism was the idea that if the weak were left alone to wither away and die then only do the strong would survive leading to a better society. While the idea of America becoming imperialist wasn’t discussed it slowly happened as many other