Aires to protect American interests during a revolution. 1852-53-Argentina. Marines were landed and maintained in Buenos 153- Nicaragua- 10 protect American lves and interests during political disturbances. 1853-54—Japan-The "Opening of Japan" and the Perry Expedition. (The State Department does not give more details, but this involved the use of warships to force Japan to open its ports to the United States.] 1853-54—Ryukyu and Bonin Islands-Commodore Perry on three visits before going to Japan and while waiting for a reply from Japan made a naval demonstration, landing marines twice, and secured a coaling concession from the ruler of Naha on Okinawa. He also demonstrated in the Bonin Islands. All to secure facilities for commerce. 1854—Nicaragua-San Juan del Norte Greytown was destroyed to avenge an insult to the American Minister to Nicaragua.] 1855-Uruguay—U.S. and European naval forces landed to protect American interests during an attempted revolution in Montevideo. 1859-China-For the protection of American interests in Shanghai. 1860Angola, Portuguese West Africa-To protect American lives and property at Kissembo when the natives became troublesome. 1893—Hawaii—Ostensibly to protect American lives and property; actually to promote a provisional government under Sanford B. Dole. This action was disavowed by the United States. 1894 Nicaragua-To protect American interests at Bluefields following a revolution.

A page from The People's History of the United States, Chapter 12, The Empire and the People Theodore Roosevelt wrote to a friend in the year 1897: "In strict confidence, I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one." The year of the massacre at Wounded Knee, 1890, it was officially declared by the Bureau of the Census that the internal frontier was closed. The profit system, with its natural tendency for expansion, had already begun to look overseas. The severe depression that began in 1893 strengthened an idea developing within the political and financial elite of the country: that overseas markets for American goods might relieve the problem of underconsumption at home and prevent the economic crises that in the 1890s brought class war. And would not a foreign adventure deflect some of the rebellious energy that went into strikes and protest movements toward an external enemy? Would it not unite people with government, with the armed forces, instead of against them? This was probably not a conscious plan among most of the elite-but a natural development from the twin drives of capitalism and nationalism. Expansion overseas was not a new idea. Even before the war agans. Mexico carried the United States to the Pacific, the Monroe Doctrne looked southward into and beyond the Caribbean. Issued in 1823 when the countries of Latin America were winning independence from Spanish control, it made plain to European nations that the United States considered...