Always Wanting More: Imperialism and Expansionism Essay -- American H

Going to the local grocery store while hungry is always on the list of things not to do. Why? Because while walking up and down the aisles, hunger decides to strike and more grocery items are added to the shopping cart. Another not to do idea for grocery shopping is taking little kids along for the trip. Why not for this one? Because the little kids will want even more in the cart than the hunger attack would. The 19th and 20th century United States of America was the little kids and the hunger attack in the scenario given above. America wanted more. They wanted more land, more power, more international influence, and more control. After being under the hands of Britain for majority of the 18th century, America was ready to explode and make a name for their self, and by their self. With this, no one was going to get in the way until America had made a name for itself. The plan may not have gone as smoothly as the political figures would have liked, but their plan must have worked. Since America is known for having the most resources and being one of the greatest problem solvers in the world , the game plan of making a name worked successfully. Expansion begins within oneself. America was not completely foolish and began trying to exhort their authority in matters where they did not belong when it was still just an eastern coast country. No, instead Americans and their political authorities had the brilliant idea of Manifest Destiny. The United States did not try to expand in any international way; instead they followed the baby steps method. Manifest Destiny was the beginning to expansion that will probably never end. With this, America expanded physically as well as mentally. The Manifest Destiny idea gave Americans the moti... ...hens, GA, September 26, 2011. Farber, David. Taken Hostage: The Iran Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter With Radical Islam. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005. Logli, Michael. "Greencastle Banner-Graphic: Local News: Lee Hamilton talks about American influence in the world (3/16/11)." Banner Graphic. March 16, 2011. http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/1710813.html (accessed November 22, 2011). Platt Amendment. CourseReader. Detroit: Gale, 2010. "President Dwight D. Eisenhower Explains the Domino Theory." Public Papers of the Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1958. 381-90. CourseReader. Detroit: Gale, 2010. University of Houston. "Westward Expansion: Manifest Destiny." Digital History. 2006. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=311 (accessed November 22, 2011).