America's Real Reasons for Imperialism

I think that America's "foray into imperialism" was caused mostly by its strong belief in Anglo-Saxon superiority. Our country, at the time, felt almost invincible, and strongly believed in a "survival of the fittest" kind of world, in which Americans were the fittest. Because of this overinflated ego, our citizens worked to Christianize and assimilate other cultures in order to make them less like aliens and more like what we thought decent people should be. In addition, the United States felt that it would be doomed and easily pushed around if it did not annex certain territories. Our acquisition of various territories, to put it simply, ensured that we were not far behind other countries and their achievements. Our presidents quickly gave in to this form of peer pressure, and in the meantime, guaranteed our spot as a world power. Various other endeavors clearly show our independent, carefree, and almost conceited view of our country. In the end, it all comes down to our country's belief that it is better and more powerful than anything or anyone it sets out to conquer.