The US dominated the world because they had tremendous resources that they distribute to various parts of the world in forms of aid, funds and at the same time influences the policies of other countries. Research has established that immediately after the Civil War, the functions of the military force of the United States acquired widespread recognition as one of the world’s policeman. It is evident that this brought about additional responsibility to the US government where they had to find alternative ways to address the problems of other countries that might be a problem. The primary responsibility that was placed on the US includes among other, maintain peace and order across the world and aid countries experiencing conflicts, wars, or natural calamities like hunger.
While in office, Blaine greatly encouraged a peaceful relation throughout Americans and further advocated for the American commercial expansion which significantly increased their naval power. As the secretary of the state, Blaine was considered as one of the famous transitional figures who played a huge role in ending isolationists’ period in foreign policy and at the same time foreshadowed the rise of the American Century war between the Americans and Spanish. Blaine made significant efforts aimed at extending the US trade exchange and initiated US foreign policy. An expansionist, his policies led to the US acquisition of Pacific colony in addition to the dominance of the Caribbean. The department further negotiated for the release of the Americans arrested and confined without proper trial in Ireland as a part of the British crackdown on Irish nationalists rent boycotts. He further unsuccessfully tried to negotiate for peace between Chile, Peru and even Bolivia who were firmly engaged in the Pacific war between 1879 and 1883. Blaine further oversaw the Pan-American Conference that covered legal issues, trade and communication which later on led to the establishment of the Pan-American Union.
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By the beginning of the 1880s, the majority of the Americans showed their willingness to support the country’s involvement in the imperialistic ventures. A huge portion of efforts previously directed to the country’s internal growth particularly into westward expansion was diverted to the enterprise far and beyond the US continental limits. The Navy and Army were later on called upon to protect and even support what came to be the US interest overseas. Throughout Pacific, the US adopted critical strategies in acquiring coaling control. In the year 1893, when Hawaii new government threatened to withdraw the concession including the naval station at Pearl Harbour site, the US citizens attempted unsuccessfully securing annexation of the islands by the US. The US businessmen significantly promoted the establishment of great trade relation with various Latin American states hence laying basement for the Pan American Union.
Throughout the 1800s, Cuba increased its exchange with the US and most of the American businessmen further invested heavily in the electric utilities, sugar mills and railroads. Cuba, therefore, sold their sugar to the US and at the same time bought food and other manufactured foods from the American firms. Spain thus considered selling Cuba to the US however the two states could not come to an agreement on the terms. Through the Treaty of Paris that was signed in the year 1898, Spain were reported to renounce all the claims to Cuba, Puerto Rico and even ceded Guam to the US and at the same time transferred sovereignty over the Philippines to the US for approximately $20,000,000. The war between the Spanish and the American was a major turning point in the history of both antagonists. The US and Spain later signed a Treaty of Paris around 1898 that ended the war. The treaty thus dissolved the Spanish Empire and in the process, Cuba became an independent state under the US control. After the Spanish had realised that they could not repress the insurgency, they opted to employ severe methods. In 1898 at Havana harbour, there was an explosion that killed 266 people. Most of the American newspaper went ahead to blame Spain for the explosion, but Spain denied the explosion’s responsibility. It was later established that the explosion was an accident; however, the American still wanted to engage in war with Spain. The Congress had recognised the Cuban independence and further demanded the withdrawal of the Spanish forces from the island. During this time, the US President McKinley was authorised to use the army and navy to enforce American aims. In the year 1898, the Congress declared war on Spain.
An insurrection had begun to smoulder in the Philippines before the war between the US and Spain. The head of the insurgent, José Rizal got detained and later put to death by the Spanish leadership. Dewey, however, advised Washington that the native republican elements were the minority hence there was the need to have a stronger hand to protect the islands. The causation by Dewey was strongly founded on facts. Germany associated closely with Spain with the desire of buying the island. The amount of tension rose rapidly such that Germany fleet endangered Dewey’s Navy before the Manila Bay events. The well-timed emergence of British vessels substantially allowed the Americans to go on with the conquest. In late 1898, the fighting had come to an end, and peace negotiations were already underway. President McKinley experienced a dilemma on making the decision on how to handle the Philippines. Both the anti-imperialist and the imperialists went on to voice their views.
The president seemed hesitant, turned to prayers and later concluded that the US should accept the Philippines control to spread Christianity to the locals. The war emerged around 1899 after three Filipinos were shot dead by the US armies around Manila. Based on history, the uprising went on for about two years which exacted an increased tolls compared to the war between the US and Spain. About 120,000 US militias were serving in the war, and among them, 4,200 got killed. Reports have it that approximately 16,000 Filipino fighters died. By the year 1901, Aguinaldo got detained making the insurgent unfruitful hence asked for to it to end.
The signing of the Paris Treaty was reported to have brought a break of the armed operation for the Philippines Army. After the fall of Manila, peace negotiations were going on, but uneasy truce also existed between the American occupation forces and the insurgents. In 1899, when the US proclaimed to possess the Philippines and their desire to expand their political power in the island, the insurgent Congress went on ratifying the constitution and in the process formally established Filipino republic and at the same time got prepared to resist the Americans. Following the emergence of insurgent aggression, the American column further pushed east, north and east from Manila and captured the rebel capital at Malolos hence securing Pasig River.
Since the year 1865, there have been several issues that have contributed to the rise of the US as the world superpower p. For the US to transform to become the Policemen of the World, they created various ground regulation that was believed to be effective and would enable them to administer their control approaches in different countries as need arises. The control methods established by the US were specifically aimed at controlling weapon production in addition to the manufacturing of military equipment. There have been numerous events of the global magnitude that can be argued to reflect the function of the US as the World Superpower including the anti-terrorism policies, immigration policies in addition to the strict policies against the production of the nuclear weapons. It was necessary for the US to fight against terrorism in the world to ensure that there was peace throughout the world and at the same time maintain their higher level of integrity.
The state established some strict and efficient antiterrorism policies aimed at putting in place extreme checking measures to counter massive immigration. The policy was aimed at regulating the number of the foreigners entering the country as immigrants. Both the Americans and the foreigners were to be subjected to an intensive security clearance particularly at an event of suspicious accusations. Throughout this time, it was created that the US was the land of greater hope and further was considered as the world superpower that greatly attracted immigrants from various parts of the world who had the dream to improve their lives. With increasing number of the immigrants, the US was forced to establish other new regulation aimed at ensuring that all the immigrants in the US had proper documentation.
The US also saw the need to establish some of the strictest regulation that regulated and prevented the development and production of nuclear weapons. It was clear that the presence of a nuclear weapon in any country would pose a significant threat to the US and other nations. Iran, for instance, had shown some signs that they were developing nuclear weapons an aspect that brought increased fear among the world nations. Strict measures developed ensured that no country had the right to develop any nuclear weapon because it was associated with massive permanent destruction as was the case in Hiroshima and Nagasaki where the impacts of the nuclear weapons are still felt to date.
Based on this essay, it is clear that the US played a significant strategic role as the World Policeman. After the end of the WW II, most nations attempted to define themselves as the World Superpower in addition to position themselves as the world policeman. However, the US has managed to secure this position and today; the majority of the countries in the world often look up to the US as one of the front-runners. The US has been able to establish major policies that have extensively shaped various external and internal developments throughout the world that have further positioned the US as the superpower.
