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Becoming a World Power
Summary
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The spirit of Manifest Destiny did not leave Americans when the continent had been conquered; on the contrary, in the name of profits, patriotism, piety, and politics, America looked overseas to Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and in so doing became a player on the world stage. With the Monroe Doctrine the basis of its proprietary air toward the region, the U.S. was most active in Latin America, acquiring the Panama Canal and even going to war with Spain over Cuba. In the Spanish-American War, the U.S. also gained the Philippines in Asia, which it annexed and put down a drawn-out and costly insurrection in. But in addition to the annexation of Hawaii and the Midway Islands, American involvement in Asia was generally limited to agreements on trade and balance of power in the area with Japan and the other western nations present there. In addition to dealing with European nations with regard to Asia and Latin America, Theodore Roosevelt played a part in European affairs and helped to draw the U.S. close to Britain. America's imperialist impulses were the subject of heated debate at home because of the constitutional issues colonization raised and racism toward the colonized peoples.
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