p. 6 Answers to Causes of American Expansionism
Economic
 Depression of 1893
 Turner Thesis – proclaimed the “end of the American frontier” – led to fears of lack of
opportunities at home
 Needed to compete with Europe for markets, resources, investment opportunities
 Needed new markets to address problems of overproduction
 Needed new places for investment for continued economic growth
 Needed access to trade routes and sea lanes (globalization)
 Needed a large merchant fleet
 Needed more and cheaper raw materials
Social
 Growing sense of internationalism caused by new technologies – telegraph, telephone,
trans-Atlantic cable
 Social Darwinists believed that some nations and races were superior to others. Belief in
racial superiority – Josiah Strong’s Our Country – Social Darwinism becomes scientific
racism when applied internationally; Eugenics enters into philosophical discussions –
leaders: France, Germany (Hitler born in this time period), US (Charles Lindbergh born in
this time period)
 Mass media stimulated popular interests in becoming a major world power
Political
 Colonies symbolized power; European countries began a period of “new Imperialism” in
the 1870s
 Security needs – a 2 ocean navy, an isthmian canal, coaling stations
 Global jingoism and nationalism
 Must civilize and Christianize inferior peoples
Religious
 Must spread American values to counter the values being spread by our rivals
 Missionaries such as, Lottie Moon spread Christianity in China where she promoted
progress and the beginnings of an “awakening” in China in the late 1800s to early 1900s