How Did The United States Gain From Isolationism

American imperialism has undergone varying transitions through its developmental stage in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and it was interpreted to be many things, including controversial to the original colonial beliefs. The United States rapidly took up the sport of becoming involved with foreign nations, and it was clear that through influence on these nations, the United States would grow in both territorial size and power in the global sense. America helped many Polynesian, Latin American, and Asian nations during this period, and most of the conversed issues was trade and foreign relations. The desire of territorial expansion was also in response to the blossoming ideal of Social Darwinism, where expansionism was justified if the United States was aiding struggling nations with their foreign and domestic policies. Although justified, Social Darwinism was an unethical approach to world power, and many perceived this step in American Imperialism as corrupt. The Panama Canal also held a large part in building American Imperialism. Creating this canal would determine which nation dominated the sea, and the United States was more than eager to pounce on the opportunity to increase their global influence. The United States dipped its hand into many global issues during and following the Gilded Age, and these hold the honor of molding American Imperialism, but its change over time was held up to debate by scholars in the Gilded age and by contemporary

Prior to the late 19th century, the United States was preoccupied with domestic affairs and simply used the Monroe Doctrine as their lone foreign policy. By the late 19th century, however, domestic concerns suppressed just enough to let foreign issues take the spotlight. The Industrial Revolution brought mass production, which forced the United States to seek a new global market for trade. America also became increasingly concerned with intervening in Latin American affairs and spreading democracy to less powerful nations. Due to the aforementioned factors, imperialism played a pivotal role in shaping American foreign

The Panama Canal was built in the early 20th century. Before this marvelous canal was built, it was just an idea to the world. The French had first attempted to build this plan, this dream, to connect the Pacific ocean and Atlantic ocean, creating a much easier, faster, route from America to the Asian markets. However, the French encountered disease, death, and corruption. After this drastic end to the French's journey to creating the canal, the Americans had a different perspective and look on this plan that the French previously failed. Roosevelt wanted the America to be percieved as if they had world power. He wanted to protect and preserve American interest. The Americans helped Panama gain independence when Colombia rejected proposed project in Panama. When America embarked on this project, Americans left their families for Panama and started under the leadership of John Stevens, who built many successful railroads. Soon, the making of this Canal would generate thousands of jobs yearly, for skilled and unskilled workers who returned home with riches. The Panama Canal was the biggest industrial project in history.

For one to fully understand why the U.S. was an imperialistic nation, they must first understand the definition of imperialism. Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means. During the decade of the 1840’s, the U.S extended its power through obtaining

They proceeded to expand into foreign markets not only for territorial advantages but also for the economic benefit. At the turn of the century, Isolationism took a back seat to expansionism, which had now arrived in full force. Throughout 1865 to 1914, the United States foreign policy was primarily expansionism.

At the turn of the twentieth century the United States expanded into new distant places. The change that is most obvious in turn-of-the-century expansion was the addition of territory that was not on the continent of North America. Such a change made the U.S. something it had not been before: an Empire. American imperialism is the military, economic, and ethnic inspiration of the United States with other nations. Such effect often goes hand in hand with extension into foreign terrains, such as the acquisition of Alaska and Hawaii, The Spanish American War, The control of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and the Panama Canal Zone in Columbia; they all ended up as being part of the US and under its control. The reason why the US was expanding: to compete economically

The U.S motives were to make themselves into a world power and to spread Christianity and democracy. As seen through previous expansion, the U.S believed that they were racially superior to the Filipinos. Again the ideology of Social Darwinism, racial superiority and the concept of "survival of the fittest" became a guiding factor. During the building of the Panama Canal, America brought

This is a good thing about Latin America because it would probably impact the economy if it wasn’t there. It is the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is a waterway that brings together the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. It really helped trade in Latin America. The canal was built by the Americans in 1904 and a lot of leaders took over the project, including John Wallace, John Stevens and George Washington Goethals. The project was finished in 1914 after taking 10 years to build. The Panama Canal is an important feature to Latin America because it is a quicker way to import and export goods or cargo. It made it easier because instead of going all the way around South America you can go through Panama which saves you a lot of time. That means a lot of more ships pass through. If there was no Panama Canal like I said it would take a lot longer to travel to bring stuff somewhere by water. I also think there would be less ships traveling because not a lot of people would like to travel a long time at sea. I also think a lot of people would die because the trip would take so long. That is how the Panama Canal impacted Latin America in a good way.

The situation in Panama in 1989 had been the result of a vacillating sense of national pride at odds with an eighty year old American imperialist presence. Panama had been the bearer of imperialist tensions since the turn of the century solely because of its strategic location and possible economic advantages that such a location would yield. Panama is a country that occupies the isthmus dividing North and South America. With its passage way saving sea-farers 5,000 miles of additional sailing around the tip of Tierra del Fuego, it is no wonder that Panama had been so highly sought out, and so strictly guarded.

“The Canal was central to the United States vision of itself as a beneficent power in the world. As the United States was emerging as a global power, it was important to distinguish themselves from the old powers of Europe... ”2 In other words, the United States expected growth in the commerce of the United States, both foreign and domestic created a commercial revolution with promising markets affecting the country’s industries. For example, the Panama Canal open trade routes making business accessible to all countries.

As one of the seven wonders of modern times, the 50 mile Panama Canal has had an inconceivable impact on global transportation and commerce. First attempted in the 1880s, it proved to be a challenge to many pursuers, but the results of the final product have been profound across the world.

From a distance, the Panama Canal seems like an imperialist relic, a historical leftover from a nearly forgotten chapter of US history. Up close, however, it is apparent that the Panama Canal is one of the world’s great waterways, the highly efficient economic engine for a rather prosperous Latin American country. The creation of the Panama Canal was an unprecedented feat of engineering, the most costly single effort ever before mounted anywhere on earth. It affected the lives of tens of thousands of people at every level of society and of virtually every race and nationality. It marked a score of advances in engineering, government planning, and labor relations. The American effort to build the Panama Canal began in 1904. The first ship sailed through the canal in 1914, ten years and $326 million later. The canal would not be fully open to commercial traffic for another six years. Landslides shut it down for most of 1915 and 1916, and then briefly in 1917 and 1920. Strikes hit the canal in 1916 and 1917. World War I practically closed it to commercial traffic, and work continued on clearing dangerous hills, fixing locks, and finishing all the ancillary construction required by the canal. The Panama Canal finally opened to civilian traffic on July 20, 1920, after an additional six years and $53 million, costing twice its initial estimate, after adjusting for inflation.

As early as the 1500’s, the idea of constructing a ship canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans occurred to navigators and explorers, as the geographical form of the Central American Isthmus was becoming known. Many Isthmus surveys were made over the years. Opinion remained divided between a route through Panama and a longer route through Nicaragua. This divided opinion continued until the building of the Panama Canal was begun by the U.S. in 1904. By the end of the century the U.S. government would find themselves in an unnerving situation; concerned with the Panama Canal and other economic interests would unfortunately demonstrate unequaled force and damage to an innocent people with their focus on something

The Panama Canal is a manmade canal that cuts through the Isthmus of Panama. Ships use it as a cut through between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal saves boats from having to go eight thousand miles around the South American continent. Many routes for global shipping rely upon the canal especially since 1967 when the Suez Canal was closed. The United States had the canal built over a period of ten years from 1904-1914 under the leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt. The Panama Canal is important because it keeps ships from having to navigate the violent waters of Cape Horn, provides quick transfer of boats from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and vice versa, and it helped the United States move its navy around during

This investigation aims to address the question: Was the United States justified in its authoritative manner of obtaining and controlling the Panama canal zone? To address this question, this investigation will examine three critical points: the use of the United States military in securing Panama’s independence, the subsequent Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty, and the economic infrastructure of the canal zone. This investigation will analyze a book, Panama