Wednesday, February 18, 2015
U.S. Imperialism-8th Grade
After learning about how to United States became a world power, what are your thoughts on imperialism? Was the U.S. justified in taking control of lands oversees in order to gain military strength and wealth? Use specific examples from the text, film clips, and/or articles to support your opinion! (Post as anonymous using first name, last initial and period only!)
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When I think about Imperialism, I think its not bad. Back then, the United States took over Hawaii. In the reading, it said that it took eight months because Queen Liliuokalani, took 8 months to sign the contract. We kept forcing her to sign the contract but she kept saying no and finally months later, she signed it! In my opinion, I feel like Imperialism is not a bad thing for the United States.
ReplyDeleteNoelle G Period 1-2A
I don't think that imperialism was no that bad of a thing. But when America kept Liliuokalani was kept for 8 months in prison and forced her to to sign off Hawaii to America. So she signed the treaty and America took over Hawaii, the first president was Grover Cleveland. Now there are many island in Hawaii to see
ReplyDeleteJohn.L Period 1-2A
I believe that imperialism was the right thing to do concerning that the countries were relatively close to the United States. Back when Hawaii was taken over, it took 8 months for the queen to sign the document, it may have been bad for the other countries, but was good for Americans to capture these territories.
ReplyDeleteFrank C 1-2 A
After learning about The United States becoming a world power, my thoughts on imperialism are that the United States were determined to become a world power, and I do not believe that the United states was justified in taking control of lands overseas in order to gain military strength and wealth. I think that it is wrong that America took over Hawaii. America invaded Hawaii, keeping the queen hostage until she forcedly signed over the Hawaiian territory to the united states. It was portrayed to the American people that the queen gave the islands to The United States, but in reality she was forced to. I think that it was wrong to do this, and that The United States should have made made a deal with the islands instead of just taking it from the native, and taking their culture from them.
ReplyDeleteAlex Wallace 1-2A
After learning about how to United States became a world power, I think that imperialism was wrong. The United States was not justified in taking control of lands oversees in order to gain military strength and wealth. We ripped Hawaii from the hands of the Hawaiians, and over through their Queen. They were forced to give up their land, whether they liked it or not. This fact is proven in the 1898 Guided Reading where it says, "At first, Europeans and Americans worked peacefully with the islands' people. Hawaiian kings even adapted business and government ideas from the European and American immigrants and allowed them to become Hawaiian citizens. This harmony did not last. By 1893 Americans were planning to add Hawaii to the United States. American rebels and United States Marines removed Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani from power." Americans did this to the Native Americans as well. We pushed their from their homes, their land, which was useful and usable land, and shoved them onto land that was dry and useless where they had to start all over and and remake their homes and their lives. And then, we pushed them from that land too and took it all over! It seems that all that the Americans ever want and do is expand and push people off what rightfully belongs to them.
ReplyDeleteSharon S.
1/2 A
I don't think that imperialism was not that bad of a thing. But when America kept Liliuokalani was kept for 8 months in prison and forced her to to sign off Hawaii to America. So she signed the treaty and America took over Hawaii, the first president of Hawaii was Grover Cleveland. Grover thought that it was wrong for the United States to take over a country.
ReplyDeleteJohn.L Period 1-2A
Imperialism to me was good and bad to some it might mean good because it might make you bigger with more people and a bigger army and more money for some it might mean bad because you are setting a bad example to other places to just take what you want even thought people say no.If i am way off i have no idea what the question means.jonb
ReplyDeleteCharles L.
ReplyDeleteP: 1-2A
I think that Imperialism has an upside, and a downside to it. Its upside is that it made the United States a stronger country overall. The downside is that many countries had o be taken over, which meant that they would lose some of their culture. Imperialism benefited some people such as the Americans, why it was bad for some people such as the Native Hawaiians. Imperialism contributed to the United States becoming a world power. Overall, I think that Imperialism benefited the United States. Ultimately, Imperialism was a great factor of the United States becoming what they are today.
After learning about how the United States became a huge world power, I feel like the U.S. was a huge bully. There was no justified reason for America to take Hawaii and other lands. Especially using force. If there was money involved and the U.S. payed to get the land, it would be a different story. Just because you believe in imperialism, doesn't mean that everyone else does. Seriously, every country was content with being themselves. And the big bully America came and disrupted world peace! It seems that the U.S will never be satisfied with the land they have, they always want more and more. During that time, America expanded peacefully and forcefully to many other lands. Overall, America had no reason to push out the government of other countries and step in!
ReplyDeletePaige S. p.1/2A
After learning about how the United States became huge world power, I think imperialism was wrong. Manifest Destiny, which is what led to Imperialism, was the belief that it was our duty to take over and expand. I don't think it was our right to take over other countries. There wasn't really a justified reason because they didn't know they would be vital in World War II. Perhaps forming allies with these countries would have been better then taking over them. America already had a strong military and wealth but we were greedy and always wanted more. Teddy Roosevelt made sure we had a strong military, since he was a military man himself. s for wealth, we had just come from an industrial revolution and business was booming. We had also just made allies with Asian countries, furthering our trade. America was doing just fine and could have done without taking over the other countries.
ReplyDeleteSusie Ferrier
P. 1/2 B
After learning about the United States becoming a world power, I think that imperialism is wrong in many ways. And it's not just America to blame. Europe started the ways of taking land from countries- whether they liked it or not. According to a map I saw, Europe has owned about 75% of our world at one point. America just kept the culture alive. Imperialism was also powered by Manifest Destiny, the belief that the United States should own the land from east to west. Many wars had been started over Americans wanting land. There was never a time when taking land was good for everyone, and there never will be. America and lots of other large powerful countries are greedy and want as much land as possible. America is a lot like a bully. When we want to solve a problem, we do it by taking stuff from others. America took lots of islands during the Spanish-American War and we still own them today as territories. Some say we needed the land, but America didn't have to lie and cheat to get it; they could have figured out a smarter way but they took the easy way out, like many other times.
ReplyDeleteMary M. P 1/2 B
I believe that at some times in history, imperialism is very unfair. The U.S. could'v been just allies with the territories and we don't need to invade their homes. I believe that each country should have the right to be an independent country. When we made allies with China did we invade them? No. Therefore, I believe that imperialism is very wrong.
ReplyDeleteIt was for the benefit of America that Hawaii became a part of it. It was wrong to go to Hawaii and force them to dress the way we do, and make their queen leave her position, but America needed Hawaii as a place to go for war. There have been times that having Hawaii was crucial, like in World War II. America had good reasons for making Hawaii part of the United States.
ReplyDeleteWillie C.
Period 1-2B
After learning about the United States and imperialism, I think that although things are better now, we did the wrong thing in the past. Think about other imperialist countries like Nazi Germany, and the Roman empire. We definitely do not think of them as countries just looking to help everyone out. When we take over other countries, we take away their right to freedom, which is on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Yes, this land has been crucial to the way that America effectively runs today, but the way that we got it was unjust. We think of our country as the police of the world, but at that time we were crooked cops. We freed countries from dictatorship, just to put them under our own rule. This exact situation happened with the Philippines and Spain. In addition we overthrew Hawaii, a harmless, and perfectly happy country, and filled it with hotels and resorts. We may think we were doing the right thing, but that's not how other countries saw us.
ReplyDelete-Liam O'Brien
P. 1/2 B
i don't think imperialism is necessarily a bad thing, but back then America was just super greedy and wanted any piece of land they could get there hand on even if it wasn't up for grabs, just like how Hawaii wasn't but America took it anyways. I think its nice now though that Hawaii is a part of the 50 states because it is good for government issues, and it gives the US a variety of areas. Plus if you want to go visit Hawaii its a really cool place and you don’t even need your passport.
ReplyDeleteBut the only bad part that i feel about imperialism back them was there really weren't any laws so they were aloud to lock up the Queen.
Sidne H ½ B
After learning a little about the us gaining power I think that the U.S was taking other countries for trade and money. They also forced the queen to step down inn Hawaii so the U.S government could take over. The queen went to jail for 8 months. The U.S also took the land for military power.
ReplyDeleteBut in the future the territories that we took came to good use in world war 1 and world war 2.
Anthony D p/1/2B
After learning about how the United states became a wold power, i do not think that imperialism was right. The united states had a perfectly good military and was wealthy so there was no justified reason for taking over all these countries. Imperialism was founded on the principle of manifest destiny, the belief that it was gods will that the United states deserved all the land. They had no justified reason to take all that land away from the innocent people that lived there. so no i don't think that imperialism was
ReplyDeleteright.
mary claire p 1-2 b
While there were many benefits of imperialism when the United States became a world power, it was unjust for America to just take over land around the world. The US needed to gain military strength and wealth during the time they became a world power, although they could have acquired land in different ways, such as by buying it, like how they bought Alaska from Russia. However, many people were harmed when the American military took over different lands. For example, Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii before America took control of it, imprisoned and forced to resign from power. It is one thing for a country to spread its influence across the world. It is another thing to take over the world.
ReplyDelete- Brian H-d [Period 1/2 B]
My Thoughts on Imperialism was and good and bad situation. The U.S was really greedy and wanted everything to themselves which is bad. The U.S took control of Hawaii so it could get Military Strength and wealth. They made Hawaii the 50th state. The Queen of Hawaii was put in jail which was bad about Imperialism . However, I think it is nice that Hawaii is part of the U.S. now.
ReplyDelete-Marissa D Period 1-2 (B)
Imperialism was an unfortunate concept that took hold of America. The idea of taking over any people that were "uncivilized" because they were not just like us Americans was arrogant, narrow-minded, greedy, and therefore entirely unjustified. For example, in chapter 30 of the textbook, the author described how the Hawaiian government and way of life was torn apart by American greed. For example, Americans who traveled to Hawaii called the natives uncivilized and indecent, and slowly assimilated them into a place with American culture, values, and government: the beauty of the Hawaiian way of life was stolen. America's imperialistic mindset causes this country to attempt to destroy everything it touches: the Native Americans, Filipinos, and those in other little places America has taken over (those in Guam, for example) are all living proof, just as the Hawaiians are. Overall, my thoughts on imperialism are that can never do any good for anyone involved with it.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin G.
Period 1/2 A