An Emerging
World Power
Lyrics
 An Emerging World Power
United States History
Verse:
Strong nations would spread their political visions
By controlling weaker territories, it’s imperialism
 They removed the raw materials from the colonies
This is what we call an extractive economy
Survival of the fittest was a part of the system
This idea is called Social Darwinism
 America wanted free trade, not colonies
This is called the Open Door Policy
 Cubans began to like the Spanish less
American flames fanned by the Yellow Press
A Spanish letter with United States insults in it
Led to aggressive nationalism called jingoism
 Theodore Roosevelt led some tough guys in
A cavalry unit called the Rough Riders
A “splendid little war” put the U.S. on the world scene
Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and sold the Philippines
 With China in a bind, countries pursued it
And split it into distinct spheres of influence
 Restricting the new independence
Of Cuba was the Platt Amendment
They figured out how to cut thousands of miles
 By connecting the oceans with the Panama Canal
Through promoting human rights and integrity
Wilson pursued “moral diplomacy”
 Chorus:
 An emerging world power new land acquired
But was the United States becoming an empire?
Many different views on how it was supposed to be
Big stick, dollar, and moral diplomacy