How did the United States justify its imperialist policies in the late 19th century?

The belief in Manifest Destiny played a crucial role in justifying the United States' imperialist policies in the late 19th century. This ideology, which originally described the 19th-century belief that the expansion of the U.S. across the American continents was both justified and inevitable, evolved to support the idea that the U.S. had a divine mandate to expand its influence beyond its borders. This notion was fueled by a prevailing sense of American exceptionalism and the belief that spreading democracy and civilization was a moral obligation.

During this era of imperialism, many Americans felt that it was their duty to civilize and uplift what they considered "less developed" nations. This mindset rationalized the takeover of territories, such as those in the Pacific and the Caribbean, under the premise that the U.S. was spreading progress and democracy. Essentially, Manifest Destiny provided not only a cultural justification for imperialism but also a framework within which Americans could reconcile their expansionist ambitions with their self-image as a nation of liberty and opportunity.

Other options do not effectively capture the primary motivations behind American imperialism at this time. For instance, promoting anarchism and socialism contradicts the capitalist ideals prevalent in the U.S. Additionally, while establishing trade agreements was a factor in