America culture

When America was independent of England, it only had 13 states in 1783.

According to the peace treaty with Britain, the new nation had an area of about 2 200 000 square kilometers. The territory expanded from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. But of the total area, more than two-thirds was not occupied by Americans yet. As the United States developed gradually, the territory expanded more and more large.

In 1803, the United States purchased the city New Orleans as well as

Louisiana at the price of 15 million dollars from France under Napolean for the development of agriculture and trade. Jefferson, who was then the president of the United States, supported westward expansion for land and make a bargain with Napolean, who was badly in need of money. The bargain made a great contribution to America’s agricultural development. This purchase doubled America’s territory and pushed the American frontier west far beyond the

Midwest. It also put the Mississippi River system under the complete control of the United States. Moreover, it opened the gate of American territorial

expansion, though the U.S. Constitution did not say the federal government could purchase land from another country.

Because the Manifest Destiny theory admitted the legitimacy of American’s territorial expansion, the United States began to acquire new territories in large amount. In the aggressive Mexican War between 1846 and 1848, the Mexican Government was forced to give in and the large block of territory, over 500 000 square miles, including California and New Mexico, was ceded to America. Without doubt, the cause of this war, Texas, was admitted to the Union. The unequal treaty expanded the territory of United States to the Pacific Coast. This is the evidence of nacked invasion for land. To a degree, it implied America’s ambition and arrogant.

In 1867, America purchased Alaska from Russia at the price of 7.2 million dollars, which provided American with its rich reserves of gold and oil. This deal just like the purchase of Louisiana brought America a large amount of benefit. I can not say if it was an equal trade, but, it was absolutely beneficial to America and proved that America had developed so quickly that Americans needed more land to expand their trade and get more benefits.

For the reason that the United States help the independence of Cuba, which was controlled by Spain, the war broke out in 1898. Finally, Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty in Paris. The United States controlled

instead of annexing Cuba because of the Teller Amendment. Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were ceded by Spain to the United States. Traditionally, America pursues freedom and independence. It emphasizes human rights. But many of its territorial expansion were under the title of perfecting freedom or natural rights to get its real purpose. The expansionists gave people a

superficial and high-sounding excuse for their behavior. The war always had a proper reason to get people’s support.

Also, the United States managed to get almost all the privileges provided in the unequal Treaty of Nanjing when the Eight-power Alliance invaded China, but it didn't ask for cession of land for the Open Door doctrine.

All of these territorial expansions suggested America’s strong desire for benefit and the ambition of ruling more countries. Its freedom is for domestic citizens not for people all over the world. There are restless factors in its deep soul.