Americas empire lite and traditional imperialism compared

Imperialism

Westward Expansion:

Laying the Foundation for American Imperialism

While the United States' primary motivation for revolution and independence was England's invasive interference into the colonists' affairs, soon after becoming a sovereign nation, the current hegemon began practicing an imperialism of their own. While many scholars have cast this imperialism in the same negative light as its contemporaries' brand of imperialism, other studies have suggested that American imperialism rises out of United States' liberal philosophies (Ninkovich 2001, p.2). Although American imperialism is most often associated with Westward expansion, the imperialistic foreign policy decisions of the 1800s simply set the stage for the United States' history of hegemony and interference that masquerades as "empire-lite," but functions similarly to any other empire.

Although the United States had practiced imperialistic actions before the 1800s -- confiscating Native American lands -- the late 1800s has become known as the Age of Imperialism in United States' history textbooks. First coined by democratic editor John L. O'Sullivan, the phrase manifest destiny soon came to encompass the United States' foreign policy decisions of the late 1800s. Americans rallied together to champion its cause -- expansion and the belief that Americans were endowed with the ability and responsibility to spread their influence throughout the continent (Lubragge 2003). In addition to the Indian Removal Acts, which forced thousands of Native Americans from their homes in order to supply land for Americans, the annexation of Texas and war with Mexico, and the Spanish-American war serve as examples of conflicts created by United States' expansionist philosophies. Like their predecessor -- the European conglomeration of the British Commonwealth -- the United States became entangled not only in conflicts that dealt with the land acquisition of its near neighbors, but also with overseas nations. For Leupp, the United States' acquisition of Hawii by force in the late 1800s signaled the dawn of United States imperialism (2003).

Although Westward expansion and the United States' interference in over-seas affairs, like that of Hawaii, certainly allow for an impressive imperialistic base, the cessation of acknowledged expansion did not lead to a cessation of imperialism for the United States. Instead, United States foreign policy during the late 1800s allowed for the continuation of imperialistic trends through military and political intervention in numerous states around the world. Primary examples of this include both Latin America and the Middle East. The instability in both of these regions has resulted in nearly constant United States interference over a period of years. In Latin America, the United States oversaw and installed a variety of leaders and political organizations based on the United States' best interest. For instance, the United States aided in the installation of Fidel Castro in Cuba, and then initiated a trade embargo against him when his policies did not meet their expectations. Ronald Reagan's involvement in the Iran-Contra affair suggested United States imperial action in both Latin America and the Middle East. Furthermore, while the United States' intervention in Latin America after the 1800s has been primarily motivated by a desire to establish favorable economic ties and like-minded political leaders, the United States' involvement in the Middle East has gone farther to fit the classic description of imperialism -- "the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas" (Merriam-Webster 2008). In fact, through two gulf wars and an Iraq conflict that some call the third, the United States has mimicked their British ancestors, searching for land instead of oil.