英语论文 美国政治

My View on Changes of American Policies
America developed into the super power of 20th century and proceeds to play a leading role in many fields, from a young nation formed by immigrants. During that process their foreign policies changed, contributing to their prosperity as well as depression.
America stood as an independent country since 1783. In the early time, the US held neutrality for decades in the foreign policies since 1793. As the nation grew stronger, American started its expansion. The treaty with Spain gave Americans the right to use the Mississippi River freely. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 added a territory of 2144476 square kilometers. In the War of 1812 both sides agreed to the Treaty of Ghent, establishing a commission to settle boundary disputes. The next years are called “The Era of Good Feeling”when the economy prospered and the nation expanded westward. In 1818 a treaty with Britain gave America the Red River Basin, north of the Louisiana Territory, and Spain ceded Florida to the US in 1819. Many inventions or projects like the first steamboat and the first railroad promoted the westward movement and economy. In 1845 Congress annexed Texas. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave America a vast stretch of land from Texas west to the Pacific and north to Oregon by paying the Mexican government 15000000 dollars. In 1846, Britain gave up its claim to land south of 49 degrees latitude, establishing the western boundary between Canada and the US. In the peace treaty of 1846 California became part of the US. In 1853 America bought 77700 square kilometers of border lands from Mexico paying 10000000 dollars. In 1867, Alaska was purchased from Russia for 7200000 dollars. 1898, Hawaii was annexed by the US.
During the WWΙ, the US firstly stated its neutrality considering its trade relationship But, German acts of aggression made the US declare war on Germany on April 6, 1917. Finally, the German Army retreated to its homeland in1918. During 1920’s America employed policies effectively promoted its overseas trade. Meanwhile, immigrants flooded into America. Similarly at the beginning of the Second World War, America held neutrality. Realizing the promising threat to their land, America entered
the war. The “D-Day” invasion of Northern France by American and British forces surrendered Germany. And the two deadly atomic bombs made Japan surrendered. At the end of Second World War, the US joined the UN, funded the Marshall Plan, which provided money and technical assistance to reestablish the economies in devastated European countries.
As a world power after the Second World War, American foreign policy changed from isolation into intervention. It t ended to act as the world’s policeman. Then the US entered a cold war with the Soviet Union.Starting from the WWII, America changed itself to world hegemony from one-region hegemonism. During the nearly half century after WWII, America carried the Cold War, suppress and peace into combination in face of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of theSoviet Union, America continued its Cold War Mentality to attempt to replay the violent change of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe among the Third World, including China, to realize its unipolar world.
In large part, “Containment Policy” and the Marshall Plan were persuading other countries to side with the US by providing assistance. The US entered the Korean War yet ended up with an armistice confirming the 38t h parallel as Korea’s dividing line between North and South Korea. In terms of Cuba, Vietnam, the US proceeded to act as the world’s police. And Nixon’s “balance-of –power” diplomacy reduced the tension between America and the two major communist nations- China and Soviet Union. While Reagan’s foreign policy brought the nation into a new clod war, yet eventually, ended it by a major arms-control treaty. In terms of business, the US often invested in developing countries made the nation the largest producer and seller of goods in the world market. The agreement for elimination of the nuclear weapons and the economic prosperity won Clinton’s foreign cautious policy popularity. However, after Bush’s invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq as a response to the 9/11, th e US was hated and distrusted abroad.
Criticisms to American’s unilateralism were mainly focus on the Clinton administration and George W. Bush administration. The ambition to dominate the whole world showed incisively and vividly. Unilateralism brought America benefits,
at least, in a short time. However, such a pushy foreign policy is doomed to bring the world disaster as well as America. 9.11 was a best example to illustrate it. America has paid painfully to what he did.
Now the US is still one of the most developed countries and meanwhile was confronted with great challenges. They are a nation in economic turmoil, in an unpopular unjustifiable war; a nation that must change in many ways to be true to the American dream.。