American History since 1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History since 1865 - Essay Example The Founding Fathers of the United States of America, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, were unanimous in their belief that the foreign policy best suited to the interests of the fledgling nation was one of non-intervention in the political affairs of other states. â€Å"(America is) the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own† (John Quincy Adams, cited in Raico, 1995). This policy of free trade and non-intervention led to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which insisted on a reciprocal non-interference by the European powers in the Western Hemisphere, and continued until the latter half of the nineteenth century. At this juncture, a call for America to pursue a more proactive role in world affairs, in keeping with her position as a great power, began to gain popularity. Its chief adherents were in the Republican Party, and consisted of Theodore Roosevelt, Admiral Alfred Mahan, John Hay and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, who advocated America’s adoption of â€Å"the large policy,† committed to the expansion of U.S. influence and territory overseas (Raico, 1995). This period saw the birth of American Imperialism. American Imperialism had several causes, led to American intervention in many countries of the world, and irrevocably changed American foreign policy. The causes of American Imperialism were complex and varied. Some intellectuals, like Senator Albert Beveridge, chose to expand the concept of ‘Manifest Destiny,’ which was initially used to justify American expansion on the American continent, to justify overseas expansion. Josiah Strong’s Our Country (1885), predicted a global American empire. Based on ‘Darwinian Socialism,’ it was considered the ‘duty’ of the superior Anglo-Saxon race to spread Christian and Democratic values to ‘backward’ people. This