In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States embarked on several imperialist campaigns in Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. American expansionists had come to believe that it was their nation's "manifest destiny" not only to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but also to expand the United States' influence around the world and find new markets abroad. In order to carry out these goals as well as to ensure the continued success of America's growing economy, the United St