In 1783, the United States was a fragile country whose newly won independence was a war away from being lost. However, the American's conviction in Manifest Destiny would drive American leaders to expand the country. Manifest Destiny was the belief that God ordained the U.S. to control the whole continent and maximize its power.
Fledgling Power: 1783 and 1898
From its independence to 1898, the United States was a fledgling power. It was mainly concerned with expanding its border westward across the American continent. A fundamental aspect of this expansion was settler-colonialism, wherein Americans displaced or killed Native Americans, settled on their lands, and controlled them as part of America.
Throughout the second half of the 1800s, the U.S. went through the Industrial Revolution. The American economy switched from an economy primarily oriented to agriculture to one based on produced and manufactured goods and tools. This switch allowed the U.S. to make the equipment necessary to become a superpower.
- The Northwest Indian War (1786 to 1795): The U.S. waged war against the indigenous Northwest Confederacy, displacing Native Americans for white settlers in the modern-day Midwest.
- First Barbary War (1801 to 1805): First Barbary War (1801 to 1805): The U.S. and its allies launched an expedition to North Africa, destroying pirates who harassed American trade vessels.
- The Louisiana Purchase (1803): The U.S. purchased the vast and profitable Louisiana territory from France, increasing its size tremendously
- Tec*mseh's War (1810 to 1813): The U.S. defeated Tec*mseh, the leader of a Native American confederacy in modern-day Indiana; this opened the land to American settlers.
- Mexican-American War (1846 to 1848): After annexing Texas, the U.S. beat Mexico in war and annexed a vast swathe of land stretching to the Pacific Ocean; the status of slavery in these new lands would escalate domestic political conflicts.
- Perry Expedition (1853): A U.S. expedition to Japan forced the isolated country to open up to American trade.
- Sioux Wars (1854 to 1891): In a series of conflicts, the U.S. forced the Sioux tribes into reservations and opened up the west to American settlement.
- American Civil War (1861 to 1865): The U.S. fought a civil war over the status of slavery, resulting in the victory of northern states and the abolition of slavery.
- Spanish-American War (1898): The U.S. fought a victorious war against the crumbling Spanish Empire and made Puerto Rico and the distant islands of Guam and the Philippines colonies; Cuba was made a colony of the U.S. in all but name.
World Power: 1898 to 1945
After the United States seized the Spanish Empire, it now had a colonial empire through which it could project its power abroad. In the first half of the 1900s, the United States would focus on Asia and the Caribbean as new avenues to expand its political power. The World Wars, in which the U.S. cemented its alliance with Britain and France, also occurred during this period. Like Britain, the United States viewed itself in this period as a force for good in the world. Through armed interventions, the U.S. believed it could spread democracy and capitalism. At this point, the U.S. had the largest economy in the world and was the largest industrial producer.
- Philippine-American War (1899 to 1913): The U.S. imposed its colonial rule on the rebellious Philippines through war
- The Great White Fleet (1907 to 1909): A fleet of U.S. ships traveled around the globe as part of a diplomatic mission and a show of American power.
- The Banana Wars (1899 to 1934): The U.S. occupied many Central American countries to impose regimes friendly to American economic interests.
- World War One (1917 to 1918): The U.S. joined World War One on the side of Britain and France, helping to defeat Germany. After the war, the U.S. helped negotiate the creation of the League of Nations, a diplomatic organization. However, the U.S. ultimately decided not to join itself as it did not wish to be subjected to international rule or pulled into another war.
- World War Two (1941 to 1945): After Japan launched a preemptive attack on the U.S., the U.S. joined Britain, France, and the USSR against Germany, Japan, and Italy. Throughout the war, the U.S. invested a tremendous amount in its army, attained the right to use British airbases across the world, committed itself to be a bulwark for democracy and capitalism across the world, and used nuclear weapons against Japan.
The Cold War: 1945 to 1991
After World War Two, the United States was unquestionably a superpower. It crafted a network of bases across the planet to allow itself to project its power worldwide. However, the Soviet Union, which wished to spread communism, would quickly challenge American power.
The United States stationed large amounts of soldiers in Europe and Japan to challenge the spread of communism; under Domino Theory, the U.S. believed that if one country fell to communism, its neighbors would soon after. The U.S. and its allies opened the world to capitalist international trade through financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
- Korean War (1950 to 1953): The U.S. and its allies intervened on behalf of capitalist South Korea against communist North Korea and China. While the war ends in a stalemate, South Korea becomes a firm U.S. ally.
- Cuban Revolution (1959): Cuba fell to a communist revolution. The U.S. attempted to reimpose its rule over Cuba but failed.
- Vietnam War (1965 to 1973): Like in Korea, the U.S. intervened on behalf of capitalist South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam. After a protracted conflict, the U.S. was forced to withdraw, and Vietnam became wholly communist.
- U.S. Intervention in Lebanon (1982 to 1984): The U.S. and its allies intervened in Lebanon in an attempt to end that country's civil war but ultimately withdrew without accomplishing their goals.
- Gulf War (1990 to 1991): The U.S. and its allies invaded Iraq to kick the country out of Kuwait, securing the U.S.'s access to a large percentage of the world's oil.
The Sole Superpower: 1991 to Today?
In 1991, the beleaguered and indebted Soviet Union collapsed into several constituent entities after years of fruitless reform. The United States consistently ran up against the USSR and its allies during the Cold War. Frequently, the U.S. failed to impose its power on countries thanks to communists' tough resistance, as was the case in Vietnam and Cuba. Now without the USSR as a powerful rival, the U.S. could stretch its arms like never before, as was the case in the Gulf War.
- Yugoslav Wars (1992 to 1995): With communist Yugoslavia collapsing, the U.S. and its allies intervened to prevent genocide. As a result, borders are established between the post-Yugoslav countries.
- Kosovo War (1998 to 1999): The U.S. bombs Yugoslavia and secures the independence of Kosovo from that country
- The U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan (2001 to 2021): After the September 11 Attacks, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan and fought a protracted war against the Taliban in an attempt to create a secure and democratic country. But upon the U.S.'s evacuation in 2021, the Taliban immediately returned to power.
- The U.S. Invasion of Iraq (2003 to today): Citing the threat of Iraq producing weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. invaded Iraq, toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and began a several-decades-long occupation. During this period, the U.S. fought against the Islamic extremist organization ISIS and a partial democracy formed in Iraq. Today, the U.S. presence in Iraq is relatively small yet is ongoing.
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