1. Why does the word “empire” have a negative connotation in terms of the United States and its foreign policy?
2. How did the effects of the U.S.-Mexican War become an important catalyst in causing the later conflict known as the Civil War?
3. Many people who favored the U.S.-Mexico War believed in manifest destiny. Democratic Review editor John O’ Sullivan argued that it was “our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions” (page 51). Why was manifest destiny not associated with the imperialism of building an empire?
4. How did the Cold War enable historians to view the interventions of the United States around the world as not being imperialistic?
The word "Empire" is negative because Americans escaped from an empire. One nation controlling everything under their apprehension of how things ought to be is scary. Because not everyone may agree with their beliefs and systems.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why I don't understand how Roosevelt could continually call entire nations uncivilized.
Had that much time passed that the entire American history was forgotten? Sure, today, with 2,000 channels maybe, but 110 years ago? How could they call a different way of living "uncivilized and barbaric" unless they wanted them to be just like "us". In which case everything would be the same and run the same and look the same.
That's why the Thomas Cole's painting were not called The Course of American Empire or The Course of European Empire, but a very broad "The Course of Empire". Because any empire will be the same.
Those connotations are completely accurate. And I don't want to live in an empire either. I like trees.
The word “Empire” has a negative connotation to it is due to the fact of its definition. Since grade school we have been taught that a empire is a form of civilized people which over take or conquering a smaller more defenseless nation. America is globally viewed as a super power where its image could make it rather intimidating to other smaller nations. Even the American people sometimes view themselves as a inferior people when comparing themselves to a lesser developed nation. The United States and its history shows that our nation was built on a notion of war. Succeed by any means necessary is a common term in our culture. It really is no wonder why America has a negative image as a foreign policy empire. We have previously gone into a nation and militarily occupied them, enforcing and imposing our rule upon smaller nations (Iraq). Comparing the US to a empire is not a far fetched notion.
ReplyDeleteThe word "empire" has a negative connotation in terms of the United States because empire is the one thing the United States tries to avoid being. The whole reason the United States formed is to provide a sort of refuge against empires and imperialists. If it were to become known as an empire, then the united states would not be any more different than any other country in Europe.
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