Question

4 events in 1895 that caused america to shift toward expansionism

Answer 1

In 1895, the United States leaned toward a more aggressive expansionist policy due to events like the eventual annexation of Hawaii, the lead-up to the Spanish-American War, economic interests in new markets, and the ideological backing of 'Manifest Destiny' following the closure of the American frontier in 1890.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 1895, several events prompted the United States to adopt a more aggressive expansionist foreign policy. Although not all of these events occurred within this year, their influence and the atmosphere they created in the preceding and following years were pivotal. One key event was the annexation of Hawaii, which, although completed in 1898, was influenced by economic interests that had been building since the early 1890s. Additionally, the Spanish-American War started in 1898 but the events leading to it, including the Cuban struggle for independence and the US's growing imperial ambitions, were fermenting in 1895. Economic expansion and the pursuit of new markets also played a significant role, as did the idea of the 'White Man's Burden,' a concept which rationalized imperialism with the supposed duty of Americans to civilize 'lesser' nations. Lastly, the closure of the American frontier in 1890 symbolically pushed America to look outwards for new territories.

The global context of 1895, from foreign powers carving empires out of Africa and Asia to American industrialists seeking international markets and raw materials, created a strong push towards American imperialism. The fate of the Buffalo Soldiers, the ideological underpinnings of 'Manifest Destiny,' and the military and political outcomes from the Spanish-American War reshaped America's relationship with the world, leading to an era of overseas expansion and international engagement.

Answer 2

19th century, manifest destiny was a widely held belief in the United States that its settlers were destined to expand across North America. There are three basic themes to manifest destiny:

The special virtues of the American people and their institutions

The mission of the United States to redeem and remake the west in the image of agrarian America

An irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty[3]

Historian Frederick Merk says this concept was born out of "a sense of mission to redeem the Old World by high example ... generated by the potentialities of a new earth for building a new heaven".[4]

Historians have emphasized that "manifest destiny" was a contested concept—pre-civil war Democrats endorsed the idea but many prominent Americans (such as Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and most Whigs) rejected it. Historian Daniel Walker Howe writes, "American imperialism did not represent an American consensus; it provoked bitter dissent within the national polity ... Whigs saw America's moral mission as one of democratic example rather than one of conquest."[5]

Newspaper editor John O'Sullivan is generally credited with coining the term manifest destiny in 1845 to describe the essence of this mindset, which was a rhetorical tone;[6] however, the unsigned editorial titled "Annexation" in which it first appeared was arguably written by journalist and annexation advocate Jane Cazneau.[7] The term was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico and it was also used to divide half of Oregon with the United Kingdom. But manifest destiny always limped along because of its internal limitations and the issue of slavery, says Merk. It never became a national priority. By 1843, former U.S. President John Quincy Adams, originally a major supporter of the concept underlying manifest destiny, had changed his mind and repudiated expansionism because it meant the expansion of slavery