isolationism definition us history

isolationism definition us history

The Evolution of Isolationism in U.S. History

1. Introduction to Isolationism

At one time in U.S. history, the word was concreted, parcelled, and those who espoused it did so with a missionary’s dedication, and in no small part hostility to the outside world, apart from the main streams of Europe, “in some respects they had found themselves shut up in their own primary curiosity.” They found themselves, in order to use Mr. Handlin’s characteristically precise expression, “a nation of Americans.” The focus of the citizens of the United States before 1898 was almost exclusively inward, family or tribal; their “goal was to separate themselves from danger. To avoid trouble was the ideal of life.” The force behind early America’s invincible impulse toward separation was so much the result of inner dynamic, therefore, than the “status quo” of world balance of political and economic power that consequences flowed from the actions of others. It stands alone.

The word comes from the Latin solus, or “alone,” and thus means a policy of living alone, or perhaps a policy aimed at political or economic isolation. The word has several shades of meaning, as it sometimes is meant to imply a complete severing of bilateral or unilateral relations with a specific nation, or nations in general. As the nineteenth century wore on, words which had distinct meanings to the people of the time and which described concrete policies have been used interchangeably today denoting whims, desires, and aspirations. This is why today isolationism is used to connote not only a disengagement or the eschewing of international relations, but also to imply ordinary, everyday feelings of insularity, xenophobia, or indifference toward the world beyond our borders.

2. Origins and Early Development of Isolationism in the United States

This essay explores the interaction between U.S. foreign policy and isolationism. The goal is not just to chronologically recount the history of isolation throughout U.S. history, but to examine how the concept and practice of “isolationism” has evolved over time. More specifically, it begins by charting the evolution of U.S. foreign policy, starting with the impulses of the Founding Fathers and moving through the Open Door era, including the isolationist impulses of the 1920s and 1930s. The narrative then shifts to the roots of the Cold War (interregnum between isolationist periods). The closing section of the essay examines how the concept of isolationism itself has evolved, noting the degree to which it is outsider-defined and the powerful baggage it carries in the realm of U.S. foreign policy. The essay concludes with a discussion of contemporary manifestations of isolationism.

3. Isolationism in U.S. Foreign Policy: 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Categories of Isolationism The term “isolationism” became a pejorative for its critics during the post-World War II period. In general, it refers to alliances and mutual defense pacts with other states. However, Americans used isolationism in three ways before the First World War: strategic independence (non-involvement), economic trade, and regional exclusion (an American-Monroe Doctrine hemisphere). At different times, all three of these categories have worked together in the short run; in the aftermath of the War of 1812, for example, Americans sought to free themselves from the entanglements of European power politics, to engage in trade, and to expand the Western Hemisphere at the expense of indigenous peoples.

Isolationist ideas have deep roots in American history. In 1796, George Washington warned Americans to “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” Although issues of trade, culture, national security, political power, and values have long connected the United States with the many nations that make up the world community, the U.S. has, at different times, been wary of the encroachments that intimate relations with foreign powers have on individual liberties and the safety of the republic. It was not until the twentieth century that global issues and world power placed the United States in a position where it could not ignore its relationship with the world.

4. Challenges to Isolationism: World Wars and the Cold War Era

By the end of World War II in 1945, the U.S., in response to the containment policies of the Soviet Union and the growth and aspirations of the peoples of Eastern Europe, moved decisively to establish a strong presence at the international level. The U.S. government was influenced by domestic political pressures, especially after President Harry S. Truman’s pledge to participate in the economic recovery of Western Europe in 1947 and 1948 and the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. The containment policy was threatened by a lack of public information on the Cold War objectives of the Soviet Union and the spread of communism in the U.S. mass media, and by U.S. interventions in Greece, Turkey, and Iran. U.S. containment policy failed in China with the rise of communism in 1949 and the beginning of the Korean War in 1950. President Eisenhower’s New Look and its flexible response policy that relied on nuclear weapons was a failure because of the U.S. involvement with the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1956, the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic in 1965, and U.S. support to the military dictators of Latin America in the late 1970s, especially when pro-American regimes failed.

U.S. isolationism from world politics and world problems ended in 1917, when World War I presented the U.S. with an entirely alien political environment that transformed the content and meaning of U.S. foreign policy. This period was characterized by the emergence of global U.S. objectives, both territorial and trade, highlighted by the establishment of the first peacetime military draft, followed by congressional extensions of military terms of service and the establishment of the first conscription policy of U.S. history. Despite the U.S. failure to ratify the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the U.S. emerged as the dominant world power at the July 1921 Washington Conference on disarmament with significant interests in Europe, the Far East, and Latin America.

5. Modern Perspectives on Isolationism and its Relevance Today

In the 19th century, the U.S. had no foreign policy, but it was possible to discern a certain attitude towards foreign events. The U.S. sought to avoid foreign wars, discouraged very close involvement with the European great powers, and strongly favored non-colonization and neutrality in wars. This was an isolationist policy, but it had little to do with isolationism since the U.S. extended its influence throughout the Americas with the Monroe Doctrine (1823). It was not that the U.S. could not be involved abroad, it just did not want to be involved abroad, and especially not in any events involving Europe. However, this did not mean that America was without global aspirations, as the Monroe Doctrine shows. For the U.S. in the 19th century, isolated meant to be separated. However, this definition changes in the 20th century.

The Emergence of American Isolationism How did the U.S. become isolationist? The growth of the U.S. as a nation pushed westward, eventually bringing the U.S. to the Pacific Ocean. Europe had been left behind and seemed a long way away. Many Americans also felt a growing sense of righteousness about their nation. Unlike the nations of Europe with their corrupt kings and dependent poor, and their monarchs at war to expand their territories, America was a democracy and the American Revolution had not been aimed at conquering territory but at establishing the concept of the natural freedom and equality of men. America was a shining light in the world, unencumbered with monarchical entanglements.