Fundamental factors like the growing powers all the governments, a new thrust and desire for foreign goods- especially Asian goods, and a desire to spread the Christian religion drew the Europeans to the exploration, conquest and settlement of the New World. The key players in exploration of the New World all became more powerful. The Portuguese set up trading posts along the coast of Africa which allowed money to flow through the country, giving them more power. The marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile unified the kingdom of Spain, which increased its power. This increase in power made many countries and governments hungry for more power and would do anything to find it.
European nation would increase in power and security. By increasing their wealth, European countries could gain power and security. (11) Amerigo Vespucci [pic] Amerigo Vespucci is important because he was one of the early explores of the new world, and also because the continents of north and south America were name and his honor. (He was also known by the name of Americus
John Hobson, an English economist, saw imperialism as inevitable, for powers of production outpace consumption resulting in more profit for the mother country (doc 2). The United States was involved in imperialism due to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which made the western hemisphere an American protectorate and their victory in the Spanish-American War making them a Pacific power. Both Europe and America believed imperialism could bring them economic power and capacity. Imperialism was not strictly confined to economics; it also included the political aims of unique states. John Hobson deemed demand for foreign markets for manufacturers and investments was responsible for the adoption of Imperialism as a political policy (doc 2).
Imperialism can also be known as colonialism. Basically all imperialism is, is the growing and expanding of a nation through gaining colonies and territories that will be able to help the country by providing not only the land, labor, and raw materials, but also by providing possible sea ports in a time of war or conflict, and gaining trading routes that help to provide easy transport of goods and materials by avoiding countries or peoples that may cause trouble for the traders travelling through(1). There were many reasons why a nation would become imperialistic. Economics played a very large role in a countries decision to become imperialistic. Many times imperialism occurred in a nation shortly after it had begun to
Thus it can be see that through the goal of the early American pioneers to gain natural resources many settlers were pushed further west and thus expanded America towards the west coast rapidly. However it must be acknowledged that the establishment of the intercontinental roads such as the Cumberland Road aided industries such as farming and in particular the cattle frontier massively. Therefore it must be seen that without such means of transportation attempts to settle the west would have been near impossible. Transportation from one side of America to the other undoubtedly was a massive goal for the American government, as it would establish a more economically
….,Before the Civil War, the U.S. practiced isolationism or noninvolvement in world affairs. After the Civil War, the U.S. changed it’s policy to expansionism or a belief in expanding the nation’s boundaries . The late 1800s and early 1900s were called an age of imperialism. Imperialism can be described as a nation’s policy of increasing its power by gaining political, economic, or territorial control of other areas. The U.S. became interested in overseas expansion at the end of the 1800s due to the growth of American industry.
Control and wealth is a desire for power seeking individuals. An increase in land and raw resources benefits one on their expedition to success. A union of British North America and it’s colonies into a single nation would lead to an increase in land and power. Political deadlock, the threat of masses of invading Americans, and abolition of Corn Laws, all set British North America at a disadvantage. Combining under one political structure would solve many of the problems and instabilities that they were faced.
Colonizers' Expectations Essay Expectations When the European voyagers first set out with on their voyage, they set out to find a faster shorter trading route to access India and China. In the process the voyagers ultimately ended up coming across and discovering North America and South America. When the voyagers explored the continents they also learned that both continents were very much enriched with natural treasures. The voyagers documented and reported all of the findings they discoveries about the people and treasures the land provided. The European voyagers were adamant and eager to claim the new land and all of its riches almost immediately.
US economic growth also created the need for increased prestige and influence in the world and the need for a strong navy. * Alfred Thayer Mahan ‘The influence of Sea Power upon History’ (1890) ‘whether they want to or not America must now begin to look outward’ and argued that America needed Hawaii as a naval base and to increase the size of the navy. * Imperialist ideology was dominant in Europe. It was the ‘white man’s burden’ as racially and culturally superior to enact a ‘civilising mission’ to raise up non-white societies from their ‘backwardness’. * The year of the massacre at Wounded Knee, 1890, was the year that the internal frontier was closed.
European nations began by establishing colonies in foreign areas to gain access to new resources that could not be easily accessed in Europe. These colonies were established in places such as India, and Africa which were fertile growing areas for spices and other raw materials that are not able to grow in the northern colder climates of Europe. With the establishment of these colonies, the rulers of the European nations such as England, France, and Germany saw a great way to make some extra money in the form of taxation. I believe that this led ultimately to the idea of Imperialism in which these nations were heavily taxing these colonies. This in turn led to things such as the American Revolution and the commonly known phrase “taxation without representation”.