How Did America Move Towards Asia

America’s Push Towards Asia

As America fell under the spell of industrialism, our leaders had begun to set their eyes on a new goal of conquering western land, specifically Asia. Western countries were the perfect place to establish trade, they were able to produce silks, pottery, and unique spices which America was unable to access.
Up until the 1840’s China was completely self-reliant relying solely on the countries natural resources and self made goods. During 1840 Great Britain found a product which China was unable to resist, opium. Opium is a plant that when mixed with tobacco can be made in to many forms of drugs but is mostly used to make heroin. China’s government soon began to recognize how addictive the drug could become, China then
This was very crucial for the United States expansion to the west because of the threat of Russia. Russia also had a goal to expand throughout Asia, this created a race throughout Asia between the U.S. and Russia . President Teddy Roosevelt knew that the Russia was the only thing holding them back from obtaining China. Since China was beginning to slightly adapt to Russian, American, and Japanese heritages and cultures. While Russia was still regrouping from the war with Japan, America’s strategic focus was now to fully empose the Open Door Policy into Asia and create more economic markets and furthermore make the United States an even greater power. While the United States had finally reached their goal of establishing an open economic market in the western countries, Japan had begun to establish their imperialist government throughout Asia after the battle of Japan and China in World War 1. After the United States military and cultures begin to back out of Asia, China shadowed Japans heritages, cultures, and economy as China became a dictatorship under Chiang