SEE ATTACHMENT
You will submit two responses of 75-100 words each. Each response post should be a
critique, pointing out to a fellow student ways he or she could improve, clarify, expand, etc.
While we, of course, want to be cordial and fair to one another, college education is a time and place to hone our critical thinking skills and learn to receive constructive criticism. We do want to avoid “ganging up” on anyone in particular.
SO, if a person already has two critiques, move on to someone else until everyone has two critiques.
Some helpful questions to ask when formulating a critique:
·
· Is the thesis missing something? What?
· Does the thesis miss a key piece of evidence?
· Is there evidence that should have been used but is not?
· Is there better evidence to use than what the student is currently using?
· Is the student’s post ignoring important counter-evidence to his argument?
· Does the essay seem to misunderstand the evidence?
· Is there an alternative interpretation of the Scripture passage or historical document?
#1: Robert Thompson
Why America Expanded
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States started getting more involved in the world. Three major motivations for American expansion overseas were increasing foreign trade, improving the social standard for home life and living quality, and also establishing ourselves as a world power through big conflicts like World War I. These reasons show how America was growing as a country.
One reason was money. American businesses wanted to sell goods and get resources from other countries. For example, Secretary of State John Hay made the Open Door Notes to make sure America could trade in China. President Theodore Roosevelt helped build the Panama Canal to make trade between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans faster (Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911; Wilson 1966). This shows that the U.S. cared a lot about protecting its business interests.
Another reason was fixing problems at home. Industrialization caused bad working conditions in factories. People like Upton Sinclair and Ida Tarbell wrote books to show the public how workers were treated (Sinclair 1906; Tarbell 1904). The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, where 141 workers died, shocked the country and led to new labor laws. These reforms show that Americans wanted their country to be a better place for workers.
Finally, World War I pulled the U.S. into global politics. At first, President Woodrow Wilson wanted to stay out of the war. But attacks on American ships and ties to Europe made him change his mind, and the U.S. joined the war in 1917 (Wilson 1966). Being part of the war gave the U.S. more influence in world events.
In conclusion, America expanded overseas for a mix of reasons. Businesses wanted money, people wanted safer and fairer conditions at home, and world events pushed the country to get involved globally. These things together helped America become stronger and more important in the world.
Bibliography
Du Bois, W. E. B.
The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1903.
Sinclair, Upton.
The Jungle. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1906.
Wilson, Woodrow.
The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, vol. 39. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1966.
Tarbell, Ida.
The History of the Standard Oil Company. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1904.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. “Police Officers Collect the Bodies of the Victims.” 1911. Photograph.
#2: Devon Richardson
American Expansion Discussion
As evidenced by key primary motivators/factors from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the American expansion was driven by economic, strategic military interests, and ideological beliefs in cultural superiority.
One major motivation for expansion was the pursuit of new markets and resources. In his 1890 report, Secretary of State James Blaine emphasized the importance of Latin American trade, arguing that “the United States ought to control the commerce of the American continent” to ensure prosperity and industrial growth. Similarly, Albert Beveridge’s 1900 speech to Congress declared that “American factories are making more than the American people can use,” justifying overseas expansion as a solution to overproduction and economic stagnation. These sources reflect a growing belief that economic stamina depended on global reach.
Military strategies also played a critical role in shaping aggressive policies. Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power upon History (1890) argued that national greatness depended on naval supremacy and overseas bases. He wrote, “No nation has ever attained greatness without control of the sea,” urging the U.S. to secure and gain access to ports and coaling stations. This view was documented in Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which asserted that the U.S. had the right to intervene in Latin America to maintain stability and protect American interests. Both sources indicate how military power was justified for territorial gains and engagement overseas.
In conclusion, the expansion was driven by a belief in American exceptionalism and the civilizing mission. Josiah Strong’s Our Country (1885) claimed that Anglo-Saxons were divinely appointed to “Christianize and civilize” the world. He warned that failure to expand would mean moral and racial decline. Similarly, Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” (1899), though British in origin, was circulated in the U.S. and used to justify imperialism as a noble duty. These sources show how cultural and racial ideologies formed American foreign policy. Together, economic, strategic, and ideological beliefs formed a powerful explanation for expanding America’s role in the world.
Bibliography
Beveridge, Albert. “The March of the Flag.” Speech to Congress, 1900.
Blaine, James G. “Pan-Americanism.” U.S. State Department Report, 1890.
Kipling, Rudyard. “The White Man’s Burden.” McClure’s Magazine, 1899.
Mahan, Alfred Thayer. The Influence of Sea Power upon History. Boston: Little, Brown, 1890.
Roosevelt, Theodore. “Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.” Presidential Message, 1904.
Strong, Josiah. Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis. New York: Baker & Taylor, 1885.
