USA HISTORY

The government by its policy can favor the natural growth of a people’s industries and its tendencies to seek adventure and gain by way of the sea . . . The influence of the government will be felt in its most legitimate manner in maintaining an armed navy, of a size commensurate with the growth of its shipping and the importance of the interests connected with it.Alfred Thayer Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1805 According to this passage, Alfred T. Mahan argued

(A) ** to become an empire, the US needed to acquire naval bases and strengthen its naval power

(B) the burden of the white man is to support and uplift non-whites

(C) imperialism was not democratic and engaging in it would be hypocritical

(D) the nation’s economic needs could be satisfied from within as the US should avoid risking itself in foreign entanglements

Concept note-1: -In The Influence of Sea Power upon History, Alfred Thayer Mahan studied the rise and fall of naval powers. He concluded that supremacy at sea was essential for a nation’s political and commercial success.

Concept note-2: -Mahan argued that British control of the seas, combined with a corresponding decline in the naval strength of its major European rivals, paved the way for Great Britain’s emergence as the world’s dominant military, political, and economic power.

Concept note-3: -Alfred Thayer Mahan (September 27, 1840–December 1, 1914) was a US Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian. His most prominent work, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660–1783, had a widespread impact on navies around the world.

Concept note-4: -Scholars considered it the single most influential book in naval strategy. Its policies were quickly adopted by most major navies, ultimately leading to the World War I naval arms race. It is also cited as one of the contributing factors of the United States becoming a great power.