RS Launches 250th-Anniversary Series on U.S. Anti-Imperialism and Foreign Policy
Updated
Updated · Responsible Statecraft · Jun 29
RS Launches 250th-Anniversary Series on U.S. Anti-Imperialism and Foreign Policy
3 articles · Updated · Responsible Statecraft · Jun 29
Summary
The first RS article for the 250th anniversary of American independence argues the United States still bears the “burdens of empire” through overseas entanglements and long-running military commitments.
Drawing on the anti-imperialist movement that emerged after Hawaii annexation and the 1898 war with Spain, it says critics once framed expansion as a threat to republican government, civil liberties and economic health.
Andrew Carnegie, William Jennings Bryan and former President Grover Cleveland are cited as leading voices in a tradition that crossed party lines, though the article also notes some opposition was shaped by racism and labor protectionism.
The piece argues World War-era interventionism and the Cold War pushed anti-imperialist ideas to the political margins, leaving limited debate today over the fiscal and moral costs of U.S. militarism.
Framed as the opening installment in a broader series, it calls on Americans at the nation’s 250th anniversary to recover an older critique of empire when reassessing modern foreign policy.
As war costs reach trillions, must America choose between being a global empire and a domestic republic?
With trillions spent on overseas conflicts, what is the ultimate price for the American homeland?
When presidents can wage war alone, who truly decides the nation's fate on the world stage?
250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy: Revisiting Anti-Imperialist Roots and Debating America’s Global Role
Overview
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, Responsible Statecraft has launched a special series to encourage national reflection on U.S. foreign policy. The initiative revisits the country’s founding principles, which were shaped by republicanism and skepticism toward overseas entanglements due to its colonial past. The series argues that America has strayed from these ideals and is now burdened by empire. By examining the rise of anti-imperialist movements in the late 19th century and highlighting the ongoing debate, the series invites Americans to reconsider the nation’s global role and the costs of interventionism.