t the turn of the 20th century, the United States emerged
as a world power. The Spanish American War and the acquisition
of the Philippines represented both an extension of earlier
expansionist impulses and a sharp departure from assumptions
that had guided American foreign policy in the past. For
the first time, the United States made a major strategic
commitment in the Far East, acquired territory never intended
for statehood, and committed itself to police actions
and intervention in the Caribbean and Central America.
Background
Not since the Mexican War had the United States expanded
so rapidly. In 1898 and 1899, the United States annexed
Hawaii and acquired the Philippines, Puerto Rico, parts
of the Samoan islands and other Pacific islands. Expansion
raised the fateful question of whether the newly annexed
peoples would receive the rights of American citizens. |
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