Prof. David SiciliaUniversity of Marylanddsicilia@umd.edu

The U.S., Global Capitalism, and Foreign Policy

1. According to the authors, what is new about their approach in this book?

Globalization

the history of the world? or world history?

as a set of questions and problems

America and the World why? implications? (American Exceptionalism)

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0

5

10

15

20

1870-1913 1913-1950 1950-1973 1973-1998

Rat

e of

Gro

wth

Era

Merchandise Exports

U.S.

Germany

Brazil

China

Japan

World

capitalism

foreign policy/foreign relations/international relations

what does it include?

2. On balance, which side benefitted most from the “Columbian Exchange”?

Joseph de Acosta, religious man who had visited the New World early 1520s

“a thousand different kinds of birdes and beasts of the forrest, which have never been knowne, neither in shape nor name; and whereof there is no mention made, neither among the Latins nor Greeks, nor any other nations of the world.”

small pox

12 day incubation 3-4 fever and vomiting skin eruptions

Why the 25 year delay in parts of the New World?

from Antilles to Yucatan

“a pestulence siezed them, characterized by great pustules, which rotted their bodies with a great stench, so that the limbs fell to pieces in four or five days”

1552 – Rio de Janeiro – respiratory disease

1558 – Rio to Espirito Santo – pleurisy 1558-1560 – Rio de la Plata – small pox 1562-63 – Brazil – small pox

3. How did commerce in humans shape the Atlantic economy?

slavery in Europe

nearly extinguished by 1700 the only place in the world trying to end

it; certain kinds of individual freedoms were deeply entrenched

c. 1800 – revived and expanded Africa indigenous Americas Middle East

transatlantic migration

1492-1580 < 25 percent were slaves 1700-1780 >75 percent were slaves 1820s > 90 percent were slaves

4. How did Spanish and English government strategies differ in the New World when it came to economics? Diplomacy?

5. How and why was the new United States less global than its predecessor colonies?

6. How was internal migration shaped by international diplomacy?

7. To what extent was the American Civil War international?

1. What was the “second industrial revolution”? Was it international?

2. What were the key arguments for and against “new empire”?

3. According to the authors, in the early 20th century the U.S. commanded an “informal empire.” What do they mean? Do you agree?

types of imperialism:foreign control of decisions and assets

legal or non-legal informal: use of force to secure or

open foreign markets formal: colonial rule over indigenous

peoples economic or cultural coercive or invited

4. Was the New Deal an American creation?

5. After World War II, how did the U.S. try to shape the world economically and diplomatically? Where did it succeed? Fail?

6. Why did the U.S. lose much of its global predominance after 1973?

7. Has recent globalization advantaged or disadvantaged the U.S.?

How can we “globalize” American history?

What has been the American style of diplomacy?