Empire of Liberty
Encyclopedia
The Empire of Liberty is a theme developed first by Thomas Jefferson
to identify America's world responsibility to spread freedom across the globe. Jefferson saw America's mission in terms of setting an example, expansion into the west, and by intervention abroad. Major exponents of the theme have been Abraham Lincoln
(in the Gettysburg Address
), Theodore Roosevelt
, Woodrow Wilson
(and "Wilsonianism"), Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan
, Bill Clinton
, and George W. Bush
.
In the History of U.S. foreign policy
the Empire of Liberty has provided motivation to fight the Spanish American War (1898), World War I
(1917), World War II
(1941), the Cold War
(1947-1991) and the War on Terror
(2001-present).
Jefferson envisaged this "Empire" extending Westwards over the American continent, expansion into which he saw as crucial to the American future. During his Presidency, this was in part achieved by his 1803 purchase of the Louisiana Territory from the French
, almost doubling the area of the Republic and removing the main barrier to Westward expansion, stating that "I confess I look to this duplication of area for the extending of a government so free and economical as ours, as a great achievement to the mass of happiness which is to ensue".
However, this was not necessarily a territorially unified Empire. "Whether we remain in one confederacy, or form Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies, I believe not very important to the happiness of either part." Despite this, Jefferson on other occasions seemed to stress the territorial inviolability of the Union, such as in his 6th Message to Congress, where he stated that secessionist elements should be "promptly and efficaciously supressed."
In 1809 Jefferson wrote his successor James Madison
:
Even in his later years, Jefferson saw no limit to the expansion of this Empire, writing "where this progress will stop no-one can say. Barbarism has, in the meantime, been receding before the steady step of amelioration; and will in time, I trust, disappear from the earth".
, a US foreign policy introduced in 1823, states that efforts by European countries to colonize or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention. Its justification was to make the New World safe for liberty and American-style republicanism
, as well as prevent the further growth of European empires in the New World. The Monroe Doctrine was invoked against the takeover of Mexico by France (1860s) and Imperial Germany (see Zimmerman Telegram 1917). After 1960 the Monroe Doctrine was invoked to roll back Communism from its new base in Castro's Cuba
. Ronald Reagan
, emphasized the need to rollback Communism in Nicaragua
and Grenada
.
European nations (especially Britain, France and Germany) also had missionary programs. The Europeans focused mostly on their own empires. Americans went anywhere it was possible, and had no government funding. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women's Christian Association
(YWCA) were among the many groups involved in missionary work. Others included the student volunteer movement and the King's Daughters. Among Catholics, the three Maryknoll
organizations were especially active in China, Africa, and Latin America.
Secular reform organizations joined in attempts to spread reform and modernity, and worked to fight the corrupting effects of ignorance, disease, opium and alcohol. For example, the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU), a spinoff of the WCTU, had both strong religious convictions and a commitment to international efforts to shut down the liquor trade. By the 1930s the more evangelical Protestant groups redoubled their efforts, but the more liberal Protestants had second thoughts about their advocacy, especially after the failure of prohibition at home cast doubt on how easy it might be to reform the world.
, and the assembly line
), technology, and popular culture such as film.
and Chalmers Johnson
are prominent spokesmen for this position. Their argument is that an America empire represents an evil, and indeed the very thing that the "Empire of Liberty" was conceived to counter, imperialism. They recommend dismantling the empire.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
to identify America's world responsibility to spread freedom across the globe. Jefferson saw America's mission in terms of setting an example, expansion into the west, and by intervention abroad. Major exponents of the theme have been Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
(in the Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
), Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
(and "Wilsonianism"), Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
In the History of U.S. foreign policy
History of U.S. foreign policy
History of U.S. foreign policy is a brief overview of major trends regarding the foreign policy of the United States from the American Revolution to the present...
the Empire of Liberty has provided motivation to fight the Spanish American War (1898), World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(1917), World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1941), the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
(1947-1991) and the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
(2001-present).
Jefferson
Jefferson used this phrase "Empire of Liberty" in 1780, while the American revolution was still being fought. His goal was an empire dedicated to liberty that could stop the growth of the British Empire, which he hated and feared:- "We shall divert through our own Country a branch of commerce which the European States have thought worthy of the most important struggles and sacrifices, and in the event of peace [ending the American Revolution]...we shall form to the American union a barrier against the dangerous extension of the British Province of Canada and add to the Empire of liberty an extensive and fertile Country thereby converting dangerous Enemies into valuable friends." - Jefferson to George Rogers Clark, 25 December 1780
Jefferson envisaged this "Empire" extending Westwards over the American continent, expansion into which he saw as crucial to the American future. During his Presidency, this was in part achieved by his 1803 purchase of the Louisiana Territory from the French
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, almost doubling the area of the Republic and removing the main barrier to Westward expansion, stating that "I confess I look to this duplication of area for the extending of a government so free and economical as ours, as a great achievement to the mass of happiness which is to ensue".
However, this was not necessarily a territorially unified Empire. "Whether we remain in one confederacy, or form Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies, I believe not very important to the happiness of either part." Despite this, Jefferson on other occasions seemed to stress the territorial inviolability of the Union, such as in his 6th Message to Congress, where he stated that secessionist elements should be "promptly and efficaciously supressed."
In 1809 Jefferson wrote his successor James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
:
- "we should then have only to include the North [Canada] in our confederacy...and we should have such an empire for liberty as she has never surveyed since the creation: & I am persuaded no constitution was ever before so well calculated as ours for extensive empire & self government." - Jefferson to James Madison, 27 April 1809
Even in his later years, Jefferson saw no limit to the expansion of this Empire, writing "where this progress will stop no-one can say. Barbarism has, in the meantime, been receding before the steady step of amelioration; and will in time, I trust, disappear from the earth".
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe DoctrineMonroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention...
, a US foreign policy introduced in 1823, states that efforts by European countries to colonize or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention. Its justification was to make the New World safe for liberty and American-style republicanism
Republicanism in the United States
Republicanism is the political value system that has been a major part of American civic thought since the American Revolution. It stresses liberty and inalienable rights as central values, makes the people as a whole sovereign, supports activist government to promote the common good, rejects...
, as well as prevent the further growth of European empires in the New World. The Monroe Doctrine was invoked against the takeover of Mexico by France (1860s) and Imperial Germany (see Zimmerman Telegram 1917). After 1960 the Monroe Doctrine was invoked to roll back Communism from its new base in Castro's Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, emphasized the need to rollback Communism in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
.
Reforming the World
American Protestant and Catholic religious activists began missionary work in "pagan" areas from the 1820s, and expanded operations worldwide in the late 19th century.European nations (especially Britain, France and Germany) also had missionary programs. The Europeans focused mostly on their own empires. Americans went anywhere it was possible, and had no government funding. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women's Christian Association
Young Women's Christian Association
Young Women's Christian Association or YWCA or YWCA Building or Old YWCA Building or variations may refer to:*World YWCA, the organization formerly known as Young Women's Christian Associationor it may refer to:...
(YWCA) were among the many groups involved in missionary work. Others included the student volunteer movement and the King's Daughters. Among Catholics, the three Maryknoll
Maryknoll
Maryknoll is a name shared by three organizations that are part of the Roman Catholic Church and whose joint focus is on the overseas mission activity of the Catholic Church in the United States...
organizations were especially active in China, Africa, and Latin America.
Secular reform organizations joined in attempts to spread reform and modernity, and worked to fight the corrupting effects of ignorance, disease, opium and alcohol. For example, the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU), a spinoff of the WCTU, had both strong religious convictions and a commitment to international efforts to shut down the liquor trade. By the 1930s the more evangelical Protestant groups redoubled their efforts, but the more liberal Protestants had second thoughts about their advocacy, especially after the failure of prohibition at home cast doubt on how easy it might be to reform the world.
Other dimensions
Economic dimensions of the Empire of Liberty involved dissemination of American management methods (such as Taylorization, FordismFordism
Fordism, named after Henry Ford, is a modern economic and social system based on industrial mass production. The concept is used in various social theories about production and related socio-economic phenomena. It has varying but related meanings in different fields, as well as for Marxist and...
, and the assembly line
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
), technology, and popular culture such as film.
Opposition to American Empire
Writers on the Left often capitalized on anti-imperialism by using the label American Empire in a negative sense. Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
and Chalmers Johnson
Chalmers Johnson
Chalmers Ashby Johnson was an American author and professor emeritus of the University of California, San Diego. He served in the Korean War, was a consultant for the CIA from 1967–1973, and chaired the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley from 1967 to 1972...
are prominent spokesmen for this position. Their argument is that an America empire represents an evil, and indeed the very thing that the "Empire of Liberty" was conceived to counter, imperialism. They recommend dismantling the empire.
Further reading
- Bacevich, Andrew J. American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy (2004) by a political scientist excerpt and text search
- Ferguson, Niall. Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire (2005), by an eminent conservative historian excerpt and text search
- Gordon, John Steele . Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power (2005) by a conservative popular historian excerpt and text search
- Kagan, Robert. Dangerous Nation: America's Place in the World from Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century (2006), by a conservative
- Nau, Henry R. "Conservative Internationalism," Policy Review #150. 2008. pp 3+. by a conservative online at Questia
- Reynolds, David. America, Empire of Liberty: A New HistoryAmerica, Empire of Liberty: A New HistoryAmerica, Empire of Liberty: A New History is a book on the history of the United States by author David Reynolds published in the United Kingdom in January 2009 by Penguin and in the United States in October 2009....
(2009); also BBC Radio 4 series - Tucker, Robert W., and David C. Hendrickson. Empire of Liberty: The Statecraft of Thomas Jefferson (1990).
- Tyrrell, Ian. Womans World/Woman's Empire - The Woman's Christian Temperance Union in International Perspective, 1880-1930, University of Carolina Press, 1991 ISBN 0-8078-1950-6
- Tyrrell, Ian. Reforming the World: The Creation of America's Moral Empire (Princeton University Press, 2010) ISBN 978-0-691-14521-1
- Wood, Gordon. Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 (2009). excerpt and text search