What was the song really selling?
The 1890s were a transitional decade for the United States. Rapid growth in industry following the Civil War had resulted in greater national wealth, but by the end of the century Americans learned that their economy was far weaker than they could have ever imagined. The "Gilded Age" had passed, leaving in its wake labor conflict, business corruption, racial violence, population surges, poverty, unemployment, and markets saturated with manufactured goods.
America's great Western frontier had closed. After nearly three centuries of American pioneering on the continent, the lines between settled and unsettled territory had vanished. The destiny of the nation, long rooted in the spirit of exploration and expansion, suddenly seemed uncertain.
The United States economy needed foreign markets to sustain itself, the federal government was under pressure to secure its power and prestige in the world community, and Americans yearned to be reassured of their national prowess. As Theodore Roosevelt told a friend in 1897, "I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one."
What gains did the United States make as a result of Roosevelt's Imperialistic position?
Recently the Chinese government has accused the United States of 'Cultural Imperialism' and blocked internet sites including YouTube, Facebook, and now Google. The Chinese Governement claims that "unlike advanced Western countries, Chinese society is still vulnerable to the effect of multifarious information flowing in, especially when it is for creating disorder." (Read more)
Is the United States truly guilty of 'Cultural Imperialism?'
