Synopses & Reviews
Review
“A significant contribution to our understanding not only of American imperialism at the end of the nineteenth century, but of the longer-term trends in American foreign policy during the twentieth.”—John Braeman, American Quarterly
Review
“Healy . . . succeeds admirably. He juxtaposes theme chapters and biographical sketches of five men who exemplify those themes—James Harrison Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root, Charles Denby, and Charles Conant.”—Richard E. Welch Jr., American Historical Review
Review
“[Healy] conveys an excellent sense of the tangle of motives involved in the advocacy of expansion.”—John Milton Cooper Jr., Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Synopsis
Americans, in viewing the globe in 1897, saw a world of empires that were dynamic and fast-growing. Western powers such as Germany, France, and particularly Great Britain were making colonial imperialism fashionable, and the United States, eager to flex its muscles as an emerging world power, was swept along with the European tide. One year later, the United States had truly established itself as a contender in the global game, victorious in a war with Spain and committed to imperialism.
In US Expansionism, David Healy examines this brief but important chapter in American history. Analyzing the various intellectual, cultural, and economic forces that engendered and shaped America’s imperialist drive, Healy also illustrates the key personalities involved, including the soon-to-be president, Theodore Roosevelt. A final section of the book examines the anti-imperialist opposition inspired by the new policy, and the ensuing debates about the proper role of American power.
About the Author
“A significant contribution to our understanding not only of American imperialism at the end of the nineteenth century, but of the longer-term trends in American foreign policy during the twentieth.”—John Braeman, American Quarterly
“Healy . . . succeeds admirably. He juxtaposes theme chapters and biographical sketches of five men who exemplify those themes—James Harrison Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root, Charles Denby, and Charles Conant.”—Richard E. Welch Jr., American Historical Review
“[Healy] conveys an excellent sense of the tangle of motives involved in the advocacy of expansion.”—John Milton Cooper Jr., Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science