United States as a World Power | History & Significance

In 1783, the United States was a fragile country whose newly won independence was a war away from being lost. However, the American's conviction in Manifest Destiny would drive American leaders to expand the country. Manifest Destiny was the belief that God ordained the U.S. to control the whole continent and maximize its power.

Fledgling Power: 1783 and 1898

From its independence to 1898, the United States was a fledgling power. It was mainly concerned with expanding its border westward across the American continent. A fundamental aspect of this expansion was settler-colonialism, wherein Americans displaced or killed Native Americans, settled on their lands, and controlled them as part of America.

Throughout the second half of the 1800s, the U.S. went through the Industrial Revolution. The American economy switched from an economy primarily oriented to agriculture to one based on produced and manufactured goods and tools. This switch allowed the U.S. to make the equipment necessary to become a superpower.

• The Northwest Indian War (1786 to 1795): The U.S. waged war against the indigenous Northwest Confederacy, displacing Native Americans for white settlers in the modern-day Midwest.
• First Barbary War (1801 to 1805): First Barbary War (1801 to 1805): The U.S. and its allies launched an expedition to North Africa, destroying pirates who harassed American trade vessels.
• The Louisiana Purchase (1803): The U.S. purchased the vast and profitable Louisiana territory from France, increasing its size tremendously
• Tecumseh's War (1810 to 1813): The U.S. defeated Tecumseh, the leader of a Native American confederacy in modern-day Indiana; this opened the land to American settlers.
• Mexican-American War (1846 to 1848): After annexing Texas, the U.S. beat Mexico in war and annexed a vast swathe of land stretching to the Pacific Ocean; the status of slavery in these new lands would escalate domestic political conflicts.
• Perry Expedition (1853): A U.S. expedition to Japan forced the isolated country to open up to American trade.
• Sioux Wars (1854 to 1891): In a series of conflicts, the U.S. forced the Sioux tribes into reservations and opened up the west to American settlement.
• American Civil War (1861 to 1865): The U.S. fought a civil war over the status of slavery, resulting in the victory of northern states and the abolition of slavery.
• Spanish-American War (1898): The U.S. fought a victorious war against the crumbling Spanish Empire and made Puerto Rico and the distant islands of Guam and the Philippines colonies; Cuba was made a colony of the U.S. in all but name.

World Power: 1898 to 1945

After the United States seized the Spanish Empire, it now had a colonial empire through which it could project its power abroad. In the first half of the 1900s, the United States would focus on Asia and the Caribbean as new avenues to expand its political power. The World Wars, in which the U.S. cemented its alliance with Britain and France, also occurred during this period. Like Britain, the United States viewed itself in this period as a force for good in the world. Through armed interventions, the U.S. believed it could spread democracy and capitalism. At this point, the U.S. had the largest economy in the world and was the largest industrial producer.

The status of the United States as a world power and the world's superpower is the central fact of international relations. The United States and its allies built the international institutions through which the world operates. Not only that, but the U.S. can express its particular will through its powerful military or economic pressure. Because the U.S. dollar is the currency through which international trade is carried, the U.S. significantly influences the entire world's economy. Furthermore, American cultural influence has meant that American movies, films, television shows, and books have a worldwide audience. Because English is the lingua franca, Americans have an advantage regarding trade or business across the planet.

However, American power is far from limitless. Despite occupying Afghanistan for twenty years, the country today has returned to the Taliban. Countries like Russia, China, India, and Brazil are growing in strength and may soon balance the United States's power across the planet. China, for example, is forecasted to surpass the U.S. economically in the coming decades. Meanwhile, the Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrates that other powerful countries can conduct wars to impose their wills. Many international relations scholars contend that the world is returning to a period where there is not just one superpower.

The United States is currently a world power, as it is a country that holds significant influence over a large part of the planet. In the case of the United States, its influence is so great that some people have called the country a superpower: a country with a dominant position over most other countries. The U.S. struggled for many decades to achieve this status. In the Mexican American War (1846-1848), the U.S. conquered the northern half of Mexico. In the Spanish-American War of 1898, the U.S. seized control of the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. After these acts of imperialism, when one country extends its authority over another, the U.S. became a world power. Then the Great White Fleet sailed around the world, demonstrating the power of the United States Navy during 1907-1909. After winning World War Two, the U.S. became a world power, although the USSR challenged its status until 1991.

Because the United States became and remained a world power in the 20th century, it is known as the American Century. Today, the U.S. is the strongest country in the world. Its military is the strongest, its economy is the strongest, and American culture is known to most. However, American power is not limitless and faces increasing competition from resurgent countries such as Russia and China.