Lecture 3 Flashcards
Early Foreign Policy in the US
- US was created by rebelling against the empire of the time, had a negative view of Britain and the way it ran its colonies
What did the Founding Fathers think of how Britain ran its colonies?
- disagreed with how they had ran colonies, set principle where the new nation would not become involved in the politics of Europe
- nevertheless, many founding fathers still saw the new nation as a rising empire
Foreign Policy Doctrine of the Founding Fathers
- do not get entangled in European politics
- never tie up the country in alliances, especially with European powers
- expanding commercial relations
- freedom of action
- “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.
The Monroe Doctrine
- The US would not interfere with internal affairs of Europe
- The US recognized and would not interfere with existing colonies in the Western Hemisphere
- The Western Hemisphere was closed to future colonization
- Any attempt by a European power to oppress or control any nation in the Western Hemisphere would be viewed as a hostile act against the US
What was the purpose of the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine was established by US president James Monroe in 1823, to warn European countries from intervening in the Western Hemisphere. As a result, it paved the way for American dominance of the New World
Mexican American War
- 1845, President Polk used as an excuse regarding Texas’ southern border to launch a war against Mexico, and demand the northern regions of Mexico
- as a result, the US annexed areas that are now Texas, Cali, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah.
- US greatly increased their territory as a result of the war.
What is the significance of George Washington’s Farewell Speech?
The basis of US foreign policy was to ignore foreign interests of the British.
- the exception to this is the war of 1812.
How much did the US GDP multiply between 1865 and 1920?
More than seven times
How much of the world’s output did the US produce in the 1920?
more than half?
Corporations from the end of the Civil War to the 1920s
the number of corporations grew rapidly in this period. An index of incorporations went from about 5 in 1870 to 100 in 1925
What was the significance of the early 20th century?
Arguably the golden age of American entrepreneurship.
What was the aim of US policy decisions in 1800s and 1900s?
protecting American economic interests abroad.
- this includes the Spanish-American and the takeover of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Hawaii, as well as construction of Panama Canal.
Open Door Policy
Adopted towards China in 1899. At the end of the 19th century, China was being invaded by the Japanese, and the US advocated for open door policy, as in trade. In terms of trade, the doors of China should be open no one should have exclusive rights over China due to military advantage. This would allow the US economy to expand through trade.
Woodrow Wilson
- liberal idealist, advocated for liberal principles
- US policy was to stay out of WWI, they did not want to be involved based on previous tradition.
- there was tension because in early 1900s the main goal of US foreign policy was trade, and trade was being affected by WWI
What did Wilson do on April 1917?
Declared war on Germany. The US formally entered WWI