To what extent is this statement correct? The primary factor in the United States adopting a policy of imperialism was economic.

The U.S imperialism theory was to extend the rule or authority of their nation over foreign countries, or to acquire more land for the U.S. This would involve some form of economic factors such as expansion across the continent, industry, and immigration.
Which would be of great importance considering that the economic factors is what contributed to the Untied States wealth; it brought in the states money as well as the states commodities and raw materials. Even though the economic factors of imperialism were important there were also other important reasons for it such as the increasing of wages for workers, cultural objectives, and imperatives as well. Other countries for instance Germany, Japan, and Great Britain were extremely advanced at trade while they have not crushed or even stayed in the increase of the United States external trade, their competition made it more and more difficult to full the surplus of U.S manufactures at a profit. There was vast population that lived and was capable of growing economic needs which U.S manufactures and merchants could supply. Just as the U.S were seizing and annexing territories rivals were also doing so for similar purposes, and when they had annexed them they were closed to the U.S trade. Which was a demand for foreign markets and for manufactures and for investments which was responsible for the adoption of Imperialism as a political policy. The primary factor in the United States adopting a policy of imperialism was economic to a certain extent there were sociopolitical and cultural objectives and imperatives even Social Darwinism for expansion, and the desire to develop a hegemonic relationship with other countries.


There has been numerous of theories to why the U.S adopted imperialism and some have included the ideas of those such as John Hobson. Who felt it was adopted due to the under consumption or overproduction which convinced the government to adopt the policy. The colony would become a source of demand for trade that would go unsold in imperialist nations. Then there was V.I. Lenin who believed that from the cause of profits falling in the capitalist class new markets were sought out for and interimperialist rivals were the result. Luxemburg however claimed that once supply exceeded over demand new markets must be found. Schumpeter on the other hand held that under consumption led to imperialism.

With the many sociopolitical, cultural objectives and imperatives out just as Social Darwinism which the advocates of imperialism supported the idea that U.S was superior to any other country. These advocates maintained that the United States was simply biologically supreme to other cultures and people that they dominated. Which it is obvious that imperialism was a reflection of superiority.

Other ideas that existed then were the hegemonic relationship with the other countries. This hegemonic relationship with a country such as Latin American was were the U.S had political, economic, and military control over them. These Latin American’s were in complete subjection to the U.S, where the United States could intervene on any affair Latin America was having.


The United States desire to create a global empire was as strong as to put Spain at expense. Going as far as war with Spain which made the U.S a global empire in possession of overseas empire. From the U.S imperialism policy there were many causes and in turn had many effects which is why the U.S is one of the dominate world powers today.


The primary factor of the United States adopting a policy of imperialism was for numerous of reasons economic, the fall of capitalism, under consumption, overproduction, and also the influence of the many scholars around that time frame. Social Darwinism the justification for expansion, hegemonic relationships the dominance of other countries, and the United States desire to be or create a world/global empire were also reasons for adopting the policy of imperialism along with economic reasons.