Malan

With the incident of the Maine sparking expansionism, how did foreign policy unroll? After the Civil War, the United States was emerging as a new world power. They were placed with many advantages in agricultural and technology materials. However, on February 15, 1898, there was an explosion in Havana harbor on the battleship known as the Maine. The United States automatically blamed Spainregardless of any evidence. In addition, the exaggerated stories of yellow journalism worsened the situation. With this said the initiation for the Spanish American war is highly debated among historians. While some contend that perhaps the powerful influence of the press and its yellow journalism were the reason for the outbreak of the war, while opposing historians others contend that perhaps it wasthe bias of powerful political figures, or even the influences of Wall Street. Nevertheless, William McKinley asked congress to declare war after the U.S. battleship Maine sunk near Cuba, although there was no conclusive evidence to prove that it was sunk by the Spanish. The sinking of the Maine was influential to U.S. foreign policy at the early 20th century because it prompted the SpanishAmerican wars, which then lead to some very aggressive U.S. foreign policy in the early 20th century such as the expansionism, the Open Door policy, and Big Stick diplomacy along with Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy.
Coming late into imperialism compared to other powers, the United States was considered as the new kid on the block (Kennedy). The United States asserted hegemony hoping to seek for diplomacy.According to Kennedy, the United States was looking for new markets along with international relations. The U.S. wanted to become part of a world power so they in fact looked at the Western Hemisphere and the Philippines. The idea of expansion was brought upon due to the Maine explosion. As President McKinley was an extreme expansionist, he was seeking for the ultimate movement or perhaps otherhistorians argue that McKinley had no choice in going into war with the Spanish because American property was being destroyed. Whichever reason McKinley entered the Spanish-American war; the Maine for a fact was a spark that guided the United Stated into the direction of the war. “In the process, an unnecessary war became known an inevitable one” (Perez, 286). For this reason, the United Statesfound itself in a war due to the public opinions and their chaotic reaction towards the explosion of the Maine. As it can be argued that the United States desired to expand American culture because if not for the public opinion pushing the war, it would not have become so unavoidable, leaving no doubt that the United States as a population wanted to continue being part of the world powers.
Inaddition, after the Maine sparked the idea of expansionism, it also influenced the Open Door Policy. Since the United States held no influence in China, U.S. Secretary of State, John Hay decided to propose an Open Door policy with China in order to open equal trade in China and expand world trade as well. According to Kennedy, the United States was looking to increase in exporting goods by preservingChina’s political goals. However on the other hand, journalist saw this foreign policy as part of “the Americanization of the world” (Kennedy, 276). As a result, not only did the United States become more aggressive at the oriental trade in China, but they were also Americanizing the world by opening equal trade as an international law. Furthermore, as the U.S. wanted to prove that they were adifferent country than the European powers so they began opposing imperialist oppression. However, the impact the Open Door policy and the idea of opening up markets overseas was not successfully accomplished due to the fact that the United State’s financial structure was underdeveloped and not yet potent enough to be effective (Kennedy. 274).
Furthermore, Roosevelt’s corollary to the Monroe...