This is not a homework.. but I was just wondering... was the US government forced to start imperialism ?
Was it because of the cold war US was dragged into the worldly affairs?
The US has been involved in "worldly affairs" from the beginning!
http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS379US379&aq=1&oq=timeline+USA&gcx=w&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=timeline+us+history
Timelines are really interesting, not to mention different people put timelines together differently! Read through several.
So the Americans have been imperialistic since then? Or the cold war lol?
If you google "manifest destiny," you will see that American presidents have been greedy since the beginning of the nation, always wanting to push people out of their lands and take advantage of those people's natural resources.
"(It is) ..our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty"
First it happened with the "Indians" ("manifest destiny") and the doctrine that the white man must move all the way from the eastern United States to California, taking Indians' land and killing them off along the way.
Once that engine of US economic growth (robbery) had been exhausted, when all of the Indians had been driven off of their lands and white men were mining, fishing, hunting and planting those lands that the Indians once owned, then the nation (run by white men) had to look outside its borders for ways to extract wealth from others, and that's where what you call "imperialism" comes in.
Google this: "The Monroe Doctrine was articulated in President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. The European powers, according to Monroe, were obligated to respect the Western Hemisphere as the United States' sphere of interest."
It's just a new way of doing the same old thing: announcing that the white men of the United States are the rightful owners of something they do not yet own and then going to a land where people live, taking over the land, resources and markets -- one way or another -- and reaping the profits.
If it seems unfair or combative to use the phrase "white men," just reflect on who was able to vote and hold office at the time: ONLY white men.
American slavery was another example of the same arrogant megalomaniacal greed. Quotation: "The right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution."
In 1857, the all-white-male US Supreme Court announced that Blacks had "no rights which the white man was bound to respect." Blacks had not even the right to profit from their own labor, because the US Government said no such right existed for Blacks.
That was just another of many announcements that normal concepts of property rights did not apply when the US (with white men and only white men at the helm) was laying claim to what others had, in order to make a profit.
To answer your question, we need to take a step back and understand the historical context.
Imperialism refers to a policy or ideology where a country seeks to extend its power and influence over other territories, typically by acquiring colonies or exerting economic and political control. The United States, like many other Western powers, engaged in imperialism during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The motivations behind US imperialism are complex and multifaceted, but it wasn't necessarily a case of being forced into it. There were several factors that influenced the US government's decision to pursue imperialist policies:
1. Economic Interests: Industrialization in the late 19th century led to excess production capacity in the United States. Seeking new markets and resources to maintain economic growth, US business interests pushed for expansion overseas. This desire for economic gain played a significant role in driving American imperialism.
2. National Security: The US government saw the acquisition of overseas territories as a way to protect American interests and establish naval bases to safeguard trade routes. Control over strategic locations, such as Hawaii and the Philippines, was seen as essential to project power globally.
3. Ideological Factors: Some policymakers believed in the concept of "Manifest Destiny," the belief that it was America's destiny to expand its influence and values across the continent and beyond. This ideological perspective contributed to the government's justification for imperialism.
Now, let's address your second question about the Cold War. The Cold War was a geopolitical conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. While the Cold War did have an impact on US foreign policy, it is important to note that imperialism predated the Cold War era.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a global struggle for influence and control. This led to US involvement in various countries, including military interventions and support for allied governments. However, it is essential to distinguish between imperialism and Cold War containment policies, as they have different underlying motivations.
In summary, while the United States was not necessarily forced into imperialism, various factors such as economic interests, national security concerns, and ideological beliefs contributed to its pursuit of overseas expansion. The Cold War did shape US foreign policy, but it cannot be solely attributed as the cause of American imperialism.