In this chapter, we will review the historical dilemmas of America's role in the world in the late nineteenth century when expansionism was increasing worldwide. In this global context, we will examine the motivations for intensified expansionism by the United States in the 1890s and how they were manifested in Cuba, the Philippines, and elsewhere. Finally, we will look at how the fundamental patterns of American foreign policy to this day were established for Latin America, eastern Asia and the Middle East, and Europe. Throughout, we will see that the tension between idealism and self-interest that has permeated America's domestic history has also guided its foreign policy.
