1. What were the strengths of the Indian Ocean economy around 1500, and what were its most significant weaknesses? Largely because of the strange weather patterns and increase in maritime trade, the Indian Ocean economy during the 1500s was a unique one. It created a sense of community among formerly-foreign towns and peoples, and fostered cooperation in a field that could be hostile and harsh.…
In Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History, Wim Klooster examined and compared four Atlantic World Revolutions: The American Revolution, The French Revolution, The Haitian Revolution, and the Spanish Revolutions. Klooster provided an introduction to global events leading up to the eighteenth and early nineteenth century Atlantic World revolutions. He then devoted a chapter to each revolution, and in the fifth and final chapter conducted a comparative discussion. Klooster approached the studies with specific ideas in mind; 1) International context was mandatory, 2)…
Mahan’s ideas on sea power are said in the reading to be revolutionary for his time. In 1865, the United States Navy went from being the world’s strongest sea power to the one the weakest. Many ships were sold off and funding for the Navy was cut drastically. This drought lasted for twenty years. Mahan said the nation that controls the seas is the nation that controls communication.…
The United States responded by launching its own “dreadnaught”, the USS Michigan, and other nations later followed. Throughout the developments of ships and technology, navies could not afford keeping them all. The process of commissioning ships, as well as decommissioning ships became more and more influential when stronger technological advances came into play. There was no reason to keep a vessel used in the Battle of Ironclads when you have resources to further develop more and more dreadnaughts.…
What typically motivates people to do anything? Self-Interest, and America did not fall short of this characteristic throughout the following years: 1895-1920. There were always hidden causes in America’s actions such as land, money, and power, which were strong influences in the young World Power’s influences. This is evident through the imperialistic nature of America always growing and needing somewhere to further its claws, the demand from the ever growing economic system, and the power that radiated from the growing nation, and even the president. Once America became aware of its strength, the wish to ‘expand’ became merely only a part of America’s natural tendency.…
His struggles to set out on the voyage is revealed, his exploration and greed for wealth and gold are not erased from history. James Loewen simply gives the bold truth of the history of the United States. Loewen discusses in this chapter that unlike the false statements in most textbooks, America had been discovered before Christopher Columbus' voyages, and had he not discovered it, someone else would have. Loewen sheds light on the struggle of Columbus to set the voyages going.…
Forcing the power or influence of one country onto another is not peaceful, in fact it is domination. Many intellectuals in the early twentieth century European societies, like Hobson, Comfort, Ferry and Kipling, had contrasting opinions when referring to imperialism. Hobson for example, does not agree with the idea of imperialism because of how it impacts the inferior country. Foreigners who work in the factories built there are forced to depend on those wages and begin to look up to the superior country. Comfort argues that imperialism should not be a concern in the U.S. because of the fact that their own problems have not been resolved.…
There was strong desire for expansionism in the United States during the 1800’s. Americans believed it was their God-given right and duty to spread America’s influence over the entire continent of North America. Any opposition to this expansion should be dealt with by any means necessary. This belief that Americans were destined to dominate North America was known as “manifest destiny”. Even though one could say manifest destiny was present in America as early as the War of 1812, it gained immense popularity in the 1840’s.…
Once again, Henry Cabot Lodge was one of the main leaders in pushing for advantages in commerce. He wrote that, “In the interest of our commerce...we should build the Nicaragua Canal...we should control the Hawaiian Islands and maintain our influence in Samoa”(Doc B). He also wrote about Cuba, saying, “the island of Cuba, still sparsely settled and of almost unbounded fertility will become to us a necessity”(Doc B). This shows how the first thing that jumped to people’s minds when discussing a mostly uninhabited island was commerce and how the U.S could take advantage of it. Many Americans believed that as the U.S dominated more countries, foreign trade would grow, resulting in a better economy for the country.…
Exam 2 Chp.22 In the late 1800’s the United States commence to gain possession of territories. American expansionists who promoted imperial expansion were men such as, Senators Henry Cabot, Henry Calbot Lodge, naval captain Alfred Mahan and a familiar figure, Theodore Roosevelt. Mahan, a western imperialist believed that a stronger and expanding navy will develop America’s economy and influence Sea Power. Roosevelt supported Mahan theory and was a strong Imperialist.…
Expanding to a new place has many difficulties that come with it , and the biggest challenge that comes with this, is deciding on a specific one. During the 1840’s and 50’s, California was as popular and widespread as the campaign of current republican nominee hopeful Donald Trump. The U.S. during the 1840’s and 50’s saw new and exciting opportunities in California, and the people of the union clearly didn’t hesitate in the move as by the end of the gold rush in 1855, 300,000 people had moved to California. Considering the population of the U.S. at the time was just over 23 million, the amount of people that moved to the west was incredible. We know that a lot of people did move west to California, but the real question is why did the U.S.…
According to Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois “expansion was America’s “Manifest Destiny” because during the 1845-1848 time period America was able to have the annexation of Texas, the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain, and the acquisition by force of New Mexico and California from Mexico, this increased the land by 1,150,000 square miles.” The Senator further proclaimed that “increase, and multiply, and expand, is the law of this nation’s existence. You cannot limit this great republic by mere boundary lines.” I believe that he was way ahead of his time in his proclamation. The senator knew that in order for America to be a great nation, the greatest nation we must acquire as much land as possible and be the biggest possible.…
Lastly, America was a new country and needed to expand to show its power. Perhaps a connection to the United States’s global presence could be tied back to westward expansion in the industrial United…
Abulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea, is unique in its approach to the African literary terrain, choosing to address those issues which were previously silenced or unheard of. The novel begins with the first narrator Saleh Omar who has just arrived in England as an asylum seeker from Zanzibar. His journey as an elderly refugee into England under the name Rajaab Shabaan Mahmud sees him come into contact with an ‘expert’ of his area – Latif Mahmud. When their paths collide a bitter cross-generational dispute lays the foundation of the narrative, and in the process seduces the reader into utter complicity until the final words are uttered.…
The play, The Tempest is one of the many texts which allegorically represents various aspects of colonial oppression. The Tempest resonates with unusual power and variety. Prospero’s supreme control over the island and over the spirits of the island symbolizes his imperialistic nature within the play. Shakespeare presents the issue of imperialism through the character, Prospero as he has dominant power and control over the island and the original inhabitants. Parteni defines imperialism as “the process whereby the dominant political-economic interest of one nation controls other peoples’ land and goods for their own enrichment” (2005) and this can be seen in the tempest as Prospero uses his language and power to imperialize the original inhabitants…