Australia and the World Past and Present

From 13 British colonies to a global superpower, the rise of the U.S. has been astounding.

So how are we to make sense of it?

What ingredients led to this ascent to power?

First, were the geographic advantages. Geography often has a profound influence on historical events and it is not always given the weight that it should.

Continental America is a vast landmass.

It was as resource-rich as any other part of the globe. Sure, it had bitterly freezing winters in the north and some serious deserts. But it also had massive tracts of prime farming land, well watered by major rivers like the Mississippi.

Mainland America was protected by 2 vast oceans. This made it harder for European powers to invade and determine events in their own favour.

There was also an absence of powerful neighbours. Once the U.S. became firmly established, it was in a position to take on all newcomers – and win.

Economic expansion in the U.S. took off like a rocket between the late 1700s and 1900 with the country taking huge strides. By 1900, the U.S. was churning out more industrial output than either Britain or Germany. In the space of little more than a century, the U.S. was outpacing the major European powers. The apprentice had become the master.

The U.S. had certain advantages over European states. Continental America and Europe are similar in size. But Europe was divided. No state held a majority of the continent. Other powers made sure of that. America had space, room to grow. Sure, there were already people living there. But they were not in a position to ensure the survival of their modes of living in the face of the oncoming technological and human waves. So the U.S. was able to expand in a way that no European power was able to.

The U.S. came to function as a large common market which stood in contrast to what was happening in Europe.

The U.S. had a single currency and a single system of law at the federal level.

Europe was divided by various currencies. Territorial borders were often also economic borders.

The U.S. was stitched together by a vast railway network.

It was also open to mass immigration which fueled economic growth. There was a huge demand for labour. Population growth fueled economic growth.

Technological innovation became one of the hallmarks of American culture. Britain had led the Industrial Revolution. It was transported to America where it found fertile ground and became turbocharged. Innovation rose to become a feature of national character. The use of patents became widespread. There was a constant desire to push forward. There was a certain restlessness of it all – of not wanting to rest on their laurels. Of not content with the status quo. Americans were always looking towards the latest trend or fad – the latest method. Everything had to be bigger and better. Ceaseless striving. And of course, this restlessness could easily tip over into greed and rapaciousness.

1898 was a landmark year. That was the year of the Spanish American War. This was the point that at which the U.S. became an imperial power in its own right. U.S. expansion would continue until it ran up against other colonial powers. When it did, there would be a struggle for power. The victor would continue expanding their influence and the vanquished would lose land or influence or both. In defeating Spain, the U.S. took possession of the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico. It also secured dominance over Cuba, the Caribbean and began to increase its influence further south.

Foreign wars tended to be good for the U.S. World War I fueled growth even further. Europeans were tearing themselves apart. It was tremendously costly for them – not only in terms of human lives but waging war is also very expensive in financial terms. Instead of farmers toiling away, growing and harvesting crops for export to bring foreign exchange, states sent their able-bodied men away, often to fight on foreign soil. They had to be clothed and fed and given guns and ammunition. It was all incredibly expensive. You wouldn’t be able to secure a line of credit from other European powers. Either they had become your sworn enemy, or they were busy ensuring their own defence. Allied forces could look across the Atlantic and try to secure U.S. finance. And the U.S. was happy to oblige, as long as it was on terms from which it could prosper. And so it was that America transformed itself from a debtor nation to the world’s leading creditor nation. Yes, wars often turned out to be pretty good for the U.S. They were almost always held outside the U.S. So the physical destruction often took place on the other side of the border. Internally, the wartime economy boomed.

The U.S. became the world’s superpower by being blessed by geography. It had room to grow. unlike Europe which was perpetually divided politically and economically, the U.S. was relatively unified. The U.S. focused heavily on industry and technological innovation. When European nations needed to finance their war efforts, the U.S. was there to lend them money. European misfortune could mean American profit. The U.S. ability to externalise war is key to its rise as a world superpower and it helps explain how it has maintained its position at the top.