Debating American Exceptionalism Empire and Democracy in the Wake of the Spanish-American War

by Hilfrich, Fabian

• ISBN13: 9780230392892
• ISBN10: 023039289X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-08-07
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

This in-depth analysis of the American imperialism debate after the Spanish-American War of 1898 elucidates how Americans understood their international role and national identity during a crucial period of their foreign relations. Transcending the immediate historical context, this book also explores why such debates remain similar and why they end up affirming a belief in American exceptionalism. Obituaries for the idea have frequently been written in response to controversial foreign policies, but exceptionalism remains vibrant and at the heart of the arguments of those who support and those who oppose these policies whether in the Philippines, Vietnam, or Iraq.

Author Biography

Fabian Hilfrich is a lecturer in American History at the University of Edinburgh. He received his PhD from the Freie Universitt Berlin and has previously worked as a researcher at the Foreign Office branch of the Institute for Contemporary History in Berlin.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Abbreviations	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Democracy and Freedom Abroad	p. 13
Democracy and Exclusion: The Issue of Race	p. 39
Roads to Utopia: Exceptionalism, Mission, and Principles	p. 77
Democracy at Home: Democratic Sanction for Foreign Policy	p. 95
What Is America?	p. 119
Doomsday Scenarios	p. 151
The Right to Dissent and the Meaning of Patriotism	p. 177
Conclusion	p. 193
Notes	p. 207
Bibliography	p. 255
Index	p. 271
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