During the late 1800s, the fact that America had become a world power became very evident. Events around the world and at home had changed the nation and forced it to branch out and become more active abroad. Three main reasons for this were: the spreading of other nation's power and influence, traditions and values that had been part of America since the beginning, and the need for raw materials, and more importantly, economic markets around the world. America took on the role of a much more imperialistic nation than it had been in the past.

Nations around the world were becoming more imperialistic and straining to spread power and influence to new lands. In a way, America may have felt pressure to follow suit. With other countries dominating larger areas in new locations, America needed to do the same to compete. It was a sure bet that America would be at risk of losing power and influence if other countries like Japan, Germany, and Russia were gaining it across the globe. The Unites States, in a way, succumbed to the international peer pressure, and so did Theodore Roosevelt. The Monroe Doctrine stated that other countries should not interfere with the Western Hemisphere, but w

America's status as a world power grew also from tradition that had been rooted deep in the people of the nation since it was formed. Values like progress, expansionism, mission, and racial inequality had been around forever. These all contributed to the view that imperialism was not only smart and necessary, but also the right thing to do. Many Americans felt that we were civilizing and saving peoples of lesser value. Unlike today, when religious diversity is accepted by America, people then thought that it was extremely important to spread Christianity to all the people of the world. It was seen as a necessity to spread not only Christianity but also freedom and civilization. Ideas like Manifest Destiny also contributed to the expansionist view. The world belongs to those most fit to rule it: the strong, the civilized, and the Christian. This is how people felt at the time and for centuries before that. Race was an issue as well; people saw the darker skinned races as inherently inferior and savage. They immediately believed that they lacked structure and civilization. Even McKinley held the belief of racial inequality, as well as expansionism, progress and mission. These were all solidifi

Some common words found in the essay are:
Manifest Destiny, World Power, Panama Canal, Western Hemisphere, Monroe Doctrine, Hemisphere America, Germany Russia, world power, america world power, america world, power influence, western hemisphere, racial inequality, monroe doctrine, markets materials, markets world, raw materials, peer pressure,
Approximate Word count = 815
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)