The dominance and the authority of the US are undeniable. Even after the recent slump, the US is still one of the most powerful countries in the world. The top-notch technology available in country sets it apart from the rest of the countries. This paper will explore the metamorphosis of the US and how the country became a super power during 1890-1920.
Before 1890 the US officials and the other influential people were very content and satisfied with the position of their country but all of a sudden a wave just swept aside the nation and the people thought that they should start showing their dominance on the world arena. The US started venturing into the never ventured phenomena of conquering other nations. The Caribbean and the Central America were the first destinations that lured the US officials and also set them on a spree of world dominance. The Spanish-American war gave a major boost to the US and made them believe even more that they were good enough to conquer more countries. This period is also called as the progressive era by many people because the US made steady progress during this time. Several good changes took place during this time like the emancipation of women; women fought for their rights and got freedom to vote hence displaying democracy in the US. “In 1890, Susan B. Anthony joined with younger leaders in forming the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA). New leaders, particularly Carrie Chapman Cattand Alice Paul, came to the forefront of the movement after 1910, revitalizing it. They developed a six-year plan with a red-hot campaign in every state. By 1917, NAWSA had 2 million members” (America, 2009).
The participation of the US in the First World War gave ample opportunities to women to take up several jobs previously occupied by men; the men were all freed up from these jobs in order to enable them to participate in the war. The women played a pivotal role in the development of the US during war; they joined hands and effectively completed the tasks performed by men. “In 1919, Congress finally proposed an amendment granting women suffrage. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified by the thirty-sixth state necessary, Tennessee, in August of 1920. It was the last major reform of the Progressive era.
Theodor Roosevelt transformed the US into a more powerful and beautiful country. The citied in the country were given a complete makeover and the new cities could hardly be recognized. A group of writers by the name Muckrakers created an urge for progressiveness and the same motivated the people to get behind the influential people. The US got involved in the First World War and the country greatly profited from the same. The urge to dominate the other weaker countries motivated the US to attack and conquer the other smaller countries, a policy that US still deploys. Hence to conclude, it is very fair to say that all the factors that made the US a superpower have been discussed in this paper.
Works Cited
America. In E Notes.