His 204 week 2 dq 2

Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Discussion 2

America’s Age of Imperialism

 Background: America’s Age of Imperialism was relatively short-lived,   and somewhat anomalous in terms of overall US history. For a few brief years   in the 1890s, the US aggressively pursued overseas colonies, holding on to   those colonies even in the face of indigenous resistance and, unlike its   handling of continental territories, offering the new colonies no pathway   toward equal statehood and citizenship. The Filipino Insurrection of 1899 to   1902 provides a particularly unsettling episode in terms of how Americans generally   like to remember their past. Having driven the Spanish out of the   Philippines, the US ignored the Filipinos’ demand for independence, for which   they had been fighting against the Spanish for several years, and instead   took possession of the islands, treating the Filipinos as colonial subjects.   For several years, Americans and Filipinos fought over the destiny of the   Philippines in a brutal conflict which cost the lives of hundreds of   thousands—perhaps even more than a million—Filipino civilians.
 

  American Imperialism combined the expansionist ideology that propelled   Americans from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans with a desire to become a   world power as well as the need for new markets and raw materials to feed the   growing industrial base. Inspired by Alfred Thayer Mahan’s concept of sea   power, Americans began to look outside their borders for the means to grow   their global political influence. Fueled by the technological innovations and   cheap labor of the Industrial Revolution, American industry looked abroad for   new markets and access to natural resources. Unlike in previous periods, the   United States pursued territorial expansion through the acquisition of   imperial possessions with no intention of offering a path to statehood. An   early and vociferous proponent of American Imperialism, Theodore Roosevelt   aggressively and effectively promoted the cause through initiatives like the   construction of the Panama Canal and the demonstration of American military   power embodied by the Great White Fleet. With the articulation of the   Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt claimed the US right to   keep European powers out of Latin America through the use of military force.
 

  Drawing from material in the textbook and the video below, explain how American   foreign policy generally grew more interventionist and aggressive from the   1890s into the twentieth century, identifying key moments in that   development. Then, examine the specifics of the Filipino Insurrection,   explaining how the conflict was perceived in the United States. Using at   least three primary sources—articles written during the conflict—summarize   the arguments which Americans of the time made for and against the   colonization of the Philippines. Also, review one scholarly secondary article   about the insurrection. Summarize its contents and explain how its depiction   of the insurrection compares with what you read in the primary sources.
 

Resources: All outside sources for this assignment, primary and   secondary, need to come from JSTOR, a database available through the Ashford   University Online Library. Before beginning your research into JSTOR, review   the resources from Week One about the differences between primary and   secondary sources:

1. BeamLibrary. (2009, September        23).  Primary,        secondary, tertiary sources .        [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/L5DdedR_iF8 
2. Sections 8.1 and 8.2 of the        Ashford Writing Center, located in the left navigation menu

Draw from material in the following video for a discussion   of American foreign policy generally:

1. (2001). America becomes a        world power [Television series episode].        In America in the 20th Century. New York, NY: Films for the        Humanities & Sciences. Retrieved from        http://digital.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=36214&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=        

Instructions:   After reviewing your Instructor’s Guidance and completing the weekly reading   assignments (including those in the resource section below), please post a   substantive discussion post of at least 200 words that analyzes American   Imperialism in either the Philippines or Latin America, using the following questions   as the basis of your analysis: 

• How did American foreign        policy become more interventionist (aggressive) from the 1890s into the        twentieth century?  
• What issues led to the        Filipino Insurrection? How was this conflict perceived in the United        States?  
• What arguments did Americans        use to justify their colonization of the Philippines? What arguments        were used against colonization?  
• Why did the U.S. want to        build a canal across Central America? How did the U.S. eventually        accomplish this?  
• What is the Roosevelt        Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and how was it used to justify        imperialism?  
• In your opinion, which branch        of the service, the Army or the Navy was more influential in this period        of imperialism? Why? 

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length.   Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and properly   cite any references. You may use additional scholarly sources to support your   points if you choose. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by   Day 7 in at least 100 words.