Building the Continental Empire
American Expansion from the Revolution to the Civil War
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- USD 18.99
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- USD 18.99
Descripción editorial
In this fresh survey of foreign relations in the early years of the American republic, William Earl Weeks argues that the construction of the new nation went hand in hand with the building of the American empire. Mr. Weeks traces the origins of this initiative to the 1750s, when the Founding Fathers began to perceive the advantages of colonial union and the possibility of creating an empire within the British Empire that would provide security and the potential for commercial and territorial expansion. After the adoption of the Constitution—and a far stronger central government than had been popularly imagined—the need to expand combined with a messianic American nationalism. The result was aggressive diplomacy by successive presidential administrations. From the acquisition of Louisiana and Florida to the Mexican War, from the Monroe Doctrine to the annexation of Texas, Mr. Weeks describes the ideology and scope of American expansion in what has become known as the age of Manifest Destiny. Relations with Great Britain, France, and Spain; the role of missionaries, technology, and the federal government; and the issue of slavery are key elements in this succinct and thoughtful view of the making of the continental nation.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This concise history argues that American expansionist policies from the Revolution until the 1850s unified the new nation in a consensus that broke down only with Northern opposition to the South's dream of creating slave states that would expand into Latin America. The erosion of this consensus led to the Civil War, according to Weeks, who teaches American history at San Diego State University. The author advances his case in six chapters--administration by administration, from Jefferson to Lincoln--describing how the policies inspired by the assumption of Manifest Destiny strengthened nationalistic fervor through a series of wars he calls imperialistic, which built the nation with "unprecedented speed and ease." A master of no-frills history, Weeks makes his arguments in as few words as possible, rushing on to very tidy conclusions. While clearly and interestingly written, the book is history as overview, lacking local color or opposing opinions.
