Foreign Policy 1865-1890 Flashcards
Possible essay question: ideas and ideology were the most important influences in foreign affairs 1865-1890. Give 2 other influences.
Individuals
Economic
Define isolationism
Where the US detaches itself from all foreign entanglements and doesn’t intervene in other nations’ affairs
Give 2 key ideas/ideologies that influenced foreign affairs
Manifest Destiny - belief that the USA was fated to be a great power and therefore had a right to expand and prosper. Created by John O Sullivan and popularised during the success of the Mexican war.
Isolationism - staying out of foreign powers’ business and sticking to your own continent. Based on the MONROE DOCTRINE which said the US would avoid European wars unless American interests were involved and therefore asked no one to interfere with them. - shown by the expansion of the navy from the depleted 40 ships of which only 17 were modern steamships
Outline 3 key individuals (secretaries of state) who influenced foreign policy and a piece of evidence for each
Seward - 1860-69 - expansionist but only within the the continent - bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in the hopes to trade with Asia and help Russian relations
Fish - 1869-1877 - avoided conflict - isolationist to an extent - signed treaties with Hawaii who was already reliant on the US (by 1875 they were exporting sugar daily) intervened when President attempted to annex Dominican Republic
Blaine - 1889-1892 - More expansionist - he was involved in Latin American affairs to improve American trade and prevent European powers there - organised the first Pan-American conference in 1889
Give 2 possible ways economy influenced foreign affairs
The expansion of America was for economic purposes more than the ideological ones like manifest destiny. Like the purchase of Midway Island in the Far East was less to dominate those people but to facilitate trade with China.
Also the economic hangover from the Civil War was the reason for tension over Canada. The US demanded compensation for damage caused by Canadian built confederate ships from Canada’s owner Britain - eventually being given $15.5 million.
