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America had remained mostly an isolated country until the late 1800's when the United States was faced with the opportunity of building a colonial empire. By 1890 the United States, like Europe, had began to expand its influence onto islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific areas. They entered in other countries' affairs claiming that it served the interests of all peoples and were motivated by Idealism. In reality, the United States was mostly after its own self-interest. The Spanish-American War, the United States' Open Door policy, and the control over the Panama Canal zone make it unclear if the United States was pursuing its own self-interest or was inspired by Idealism.



In the Spanish-American War the United States was supposedly fighting for Cuba's independence from Spain. Though Idealism might have been present in the United States' reasons for war, there is evidence of America's self-interests in the war. The United States did fight to defend the Cubans but it......

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Approximate Word Count: 445
Approximate Pages: 2 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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