Question

What long-term factors encouraged the U.S. to become involved in foreign affairs in the late nineteenth century

Answer 1

A different philosophy began to emerge towards the end of the nineteenth century. In Europe, the free-trade and non-interventionist ideals of the classical liberals have faded; more and more European states have become imperialists. The establishment of settlements and coal stations around the globe and the creation of vast armies and navies to occupy and garrison them became the order of the day.

This imperialism has found an echo in the political class in the United States. Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan of the Naval War College published The Effect of Sea Power Upon History in 1890. It was soon translated into many foreign languages, and the imperialists in Britain, Germany , Japan, and elsewhere used it to escalate the naval arms race and the colony scramble. In America, a young revolutionary named Theodore Roosevelt made it his own bible.

The year 1898 was a landmark of American history. It was the year that America went to war with Spain, our first confrontation with a foreign adversary in the dawning era of modern warfare. Apart from a few brief periods of retrenchment, we've been involved in foreign policy ever since. Starting in the 1880s, a group of Cubans were agitated for independence from Spain. Unlike other revolutions before and after, there was no real support among the majority of the population. Therefore, they resorted to terrorist tactics that ravaged the countryside, dynamized railroads, and killed those who stood in their way. The Spanish authorities replied with harsh counter-measures.

By concentrating solely on protecting the country, military forces and costs would not have to be so high. However, a number of factors , including increased military strength, a desire to promote Western civilisation and globalization, have led to a shift in policy. During the Progressive Era, the United States played a more active role in international affairs by fighting around the world in the name of ideals, rather than simply defending the homeland.