In this episode, we take a close look at a small war that had a massive impact on American history – the Spanish American War that began in 1898. In fact, the US is still dealing with its effects at this very moment, since there are thousands of American military personal stationed all around the world, most notably in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Korea. At the heart of this story is the question: Why in the 1890s did the US abandon a century of isolationist foreign policy to become an imperialist (or interventionist, if you prefer) power?
This episode has two parts:
1) First, I’ll start with a brief overview of traditional US foreign policy before 1890 and what changed at the end of the 19th century.
2) Second, I’ll talk to historian Steven Kinzer about his latest book, titled: The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire. This book takes a close look at the Spanish-American War, the great debate it triggered over imperialism, and how its resolution marked a new and troubling chapter in US history.
About Stephen Kinzer – website
Further Reading
Steven Kinzer, The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire
Steven Kinzer, The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire (Henry Holt, 2016)
Brian McAllister Linn, The Philippine War, 1899-1902 (University Press of Kansas, 2000)
Stuart Creighton Miller, Benevolent Assimilation: American Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903 (Yale University Press, 1982)
Evan Thomas, The War Lovers: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, and the Rush to Empire, 1898 (Little, Brown and Company, 2010)
Music for This Episode
Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (JayGMusic.com)
Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive)
Philipp Weigl, “Even When We Fall” (Free Music Archive)
Hyson, “Signals” (Free Music Archive)
The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive)
Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lulu Spencer
Associate Producer: Devyn McHugh
Technical Advisors: Holly Hunt and Jesse Anderson
Podcasting Consultant: Darrell Darnell of Pro Podcast Solutions
Photographer: John Buckingham
Graphic Designer: Maggie Cellucci
Website by: ERI Design
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© Snoring Beagle International, 2017