One important theme in AP US History is America in the World. Questions on the exam will ask you to discuss how the United States influenced events around the world. They will also ask you how other countries have influenced US History.
I'm a licensed teacher and professional tutor with over ten years of experience in education. I've helped dozens of students improve their grades in their AP US History class. This article will cover interactions between the United States and the rest of the world. We'll also discuss relevant examples from the APUSH curriculum. Read on for tips you can use to improve your grades today!
Note: This post is part of a series on historical themes covered in AP US History. You can learn more about the all of the themes in AP US History at this link.
Table of Contents
Definition
John Donne famously wrote, "No man is an island, entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." His point was that people are connection to each other. Our actions, beliefs, and relationships inevitably impact everyone around us.
Countries are the same way. Countries are the same way. Events, groups, and ideas in one country can spread to a new country. Those same thing scan influence how one country interacts with another country. They may become allies or enemies.
The relationship between "America" and the rest of the world has two main phases. During the first phase, the United States was not a country. People lived in North America, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean for thousands of years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. Indigenous people interacted with each other, European colonists, and Black people before this country was founded. British, Spanish, and French government set up colonies and ruled over the lands they claimed. In this era, interactions between the Americas and the world typically involved these groups of people.
After the United States became independent, it became more influential around the world. In addition, Americans interacted with a wider variety of nations and countries. This is a major change in this theme during this period. In addition, an independent country is free to set it's own foreign policy. Foreign policy includes all of the official decisions government leaders make when interacting with other countries. These policies influence, and are influenced by, world events and a country's internal state.
Example
The Monroe Doctrine is an example of interaction between the United States and the rest of the world. This policy is covered in Unit 4. In the early 1800s, several countries in Latin America rebelled against Spain. These countries wanted to be independent and self-governing. Britain, France, and Spain were all conspiring to take control of this territory. President James Monroe issued a statement that is now known as the Monroe Doctrine. He said that America would not get involved in existing fights for independence. He also said that Europeans should leave independent Latin American countries alone. As a result, Europe backed off and many countries in Latin America became independent. This event shows how outside events forced the US to respond. It also shows how the US response influenced decisions made by other countries.
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