American Identity Dbq

The actions and conflicts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had a mostly positive effect on the American Identity. They were influential in the ideas of our nation that we still use today, especially in our foreign policies. We really expanded as a nation, and solidified our stance as a global powerhouse and in some parts of the world, as the police. Also, the government inside of our country was ramping it up too, by adding new laws and helping to get our nation past some of it’s unfair opinions and ideas. This time period was a big change in our relationships with countries, World War One was an example of this with our alliances with Great Britain, France, Russia, Belgium and Serbia. As well as a general spread of our morals, democracy …show more content…
One example of this is a quote from an excerpt from “Man with the Muck Rake” written by Theodore Roosevelt on April 15, 1906. One such line in this piece states that, “There are in the political, economic, and social body many grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man, whether politician or business man, every evil practice, whether in politics, business or social life,” Showing that President Roosevelt meant to try and cause change and advancement away from some of the ‘evils’ found in our nation at the time. Some of his longest lasting triumphs came from his attacks on what he believed were evils, such as his square deal, that worked to create a fair deal for everyone, businesses and consumers, workers and employers. Also, he started “trust-busting” which worked to cut out monopolies that had too much influence over the government. And finally, his Pure Food and Drug Acts that helped improve the quality and safety of foods and …show more content…
Our nation was acting on it’s own interests and now had begun to have the power to back them up. Some examples of our growing power was “gunboat diplomacy”, which was when the military and the navy would use their power to get what they wanted, like when we gained influence over Japan. Another name for this was Roosevelt’s “Big Stick Diplomacy” which was the idea that we would use our military power to keep countries from fighting, therefore ensuring peace. One of the main things that allowed these actions was the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine which was written in 1904. One of the lines found in this doctrine, clarifies that “In asserting the Monroe Doctrine, in taking such steps as we have taken in regard to Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama, and in endeavoring to circumscribe the theater of war in the Far East, and to secure the open door in China, we have acted in our own interests as well as in the interest of humanity at large.” This is an example of our increase in strength and shows how we were able to positively enhance our global status and influence on other