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5 - Crossing the Oceans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Walter LaFeber
Walter LaFeber
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

Americans used the oceans as a moat to protect themselves against the corruptions and armies of Europe, and a highway to reach the markets of Europe and Asia as well as the colonial settlements of West Africa. As trade developed between white Americans and the Congo, so, did links between Africans and African Americans. The Samoa as in West Africa, as a strategic base would help guard the routes to Asia to relieve the growing glut of U.S. goods. The Review of Reviews argued that Hawaii was essential because of its central position in the commerce of the Pacific Ocean and linked the islands directly to the importance of the China market. In the post-1865 era, U.S. foreign policy was consistently shaped by choosing opportunity, both secular and religious, over stability. Seward had placed U.S. policy in Asia on two principles: the use of force and cooperation with other powers.
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The New Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations , pp. 78 - 96
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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  • Crossing the Oceans
  • Walter LaFeber, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The New Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations
  • Online publication: 05 March 2013
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139015677.007
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  • Crossing the Oceans
  • Walter LaFeber, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The New Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations
  • Online publication: 05 March 2013
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139015677.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Crossing the Oceans
  • Walter LaFeber, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The New Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations
  • Online publication: 05 March 2013
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139015677.007
Available formats
×