Secretary of State William H. Seward

William H. Seward is one of the original players in American imperialism. He served as Secretary of State for Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson from 1861-1869, and his policies set a foundation for the future of American foreign policy. Seward believed that the key to world power is massive market expansion. According to Seward, the Asian market was the "prize" that the whole world was competing for, and of course, the United States wanted to win this competition. The United States was preoccupied with the Civil War and Reconstruction during Seward's tenure, so for the most part he was by himself with imperialism. Seward was not really interested in occupying territories, but he did make sure to keep influence in places like the Caribbean and South America. Some of Seward's accomplishments are the purchasing of Alaska in 1867 and procuring influence in Hawaii. While many people might overlook William Seward and this era, this was a crucial period for the progression of imperialism in the United States. It was the first time an imperialist agenda was actually pursued in the United States.

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

Many people know Teddy Roosevelt as the 26th President of the United States (and from Robin Williams' depiction in Night at the Museum), but even before is presidency he had heavy influence in American foreign policy. Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1897-1898, where he pushed his imperialist ideas. Roosevelt and Seward had different ideas on how to get the United States to the top of world power. While Seward desired market expansion, Teddy was more concerned the United States' military power being unrivaled. He heavily identified with Alfred T. Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power upon History, which claims that having a strong navy leads to world power. Roosevelt's tenure as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and in the White House saw two major conflicts in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. Both Seward and Roosevelt were major factors in the expansion of imperialism in the United States.

Spanish-American War

Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" in the Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War itself was a short conflict that started in April of 1898 and ended in August of 1898. The conflict was a culmination of failed Cuban revolutions and the implementation of the United States' aggressive imperialist agenda. The sinking of the USS Maine by an unknown party sparked the war, but Spain quickly conceded. The Treaty of Paris (1898) decided that Spain would no longer control Cuba, and that Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines would be annexed to the United States. This marked the first big overseas territorial expansion for the United States and solidified the United States as an imperial power.

Philippine-American War

Filipino insurgents surrendering

The Philippine-American War was a dark spot in an era of industrial and military expansion. With the Treaty of Paris (1898) giving the Philippines to the United States, the Filipino people were once again fighting for their independence. Led by Emilio Aguinaldo, the Army of National Liberation turned its efforts to combat the United States Army. It seemed as thought the American military would run right through the Philippines and squash the "insurrection" with ease. When Aguinaldo realized he was outmatched, he and his army turned to guerilla warfare, designed to frustrate the American army. The American response to this was nothing short of horrific. Military officials authorized tactics similar to Sherman's in the Civil War. The American military arrested anyone with a suspected connection to the rebellion, burnt crops, and occupied Philippine cities. The United states had shown how far they would go to protect their imperialist interests. This conflict can serve as an example as to how ugly imperialism can get.