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.
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