Could someone just read over my essay? The prompt is Evaluate the motivations for the imperialist actions of the United States that began in the 1890s. How did supporters of imperialism justify specific acts of American foreign policy at the time? It was the early 1900s and the nation was divided on whether or not the US should become an imperialist nation. The Philippines and Hawaii had both been annexed. These expansions drew supporters of imperialism, but also those who were opposed to the foreign policy. People thought upon the question if the benefits of imperialism outweighed the morals and negatives? Imperialism was necessary since it brought economic growth and prosperity to America. These benefits were showcased in the US territory of Hawaii and the passage known as the Panama Canal.
The annexation of Hawaii proved to be beneficial to the American economy. Hawaii provided a port for ships to stop and resupply on their trading routes across the Pacific. This allowed American ships to reach East Asia and establish an economic presence thereby boosting American economy through exportation and importation. Hawaii was a major exporter of the popular product sugar to the US. Once Hawaii was annexed it was economically integrated which met that plantation owners didn’t have to pay the tariff on sugar anymore. This allowed more sugar to be imported into the US and increased commerce in both Hawaii and the US, while also benefiting both of their economies. When Hawaii was annexed it expanded the market of American goods to more Hawaiins. The expanded market also increased demand resulting in higher production. The end and the most important factor was that it increased trade which boosted the American economy. Hawaii was a good representation of the positive effects that resulted from imperialism. Benefits were also shown in the US territory/passage known as the Panama Canal.
The construction of the Panama Canal was extremely beneficial to the American economy. Before the Panama Canal was built ships on the East coast of the US had to go all the way around South America to reach the Pacific Ocean. Once it was built they only had to reach Panama for the canal which shortened the trip greatly. This resulted in shipping and trading becoming more efficient and affordable which benefited the US economy. The US owned the Panama Canal which was arguably the most important trade passage in the Western hemisphere giving them more control and power. America could control rates and who could and couldn’t use the canal. This could be used to the advantage of domestic businesses by hurting the competition thereby boosting domestic business which would also benefit the US economy. The Panama Canal allowed for a US economic presence in Central America.