During the Second Industrial Revolution which took place in the final third of the 19th century, new advancements in manufacturing and production were introduced in the American industries. By 1900 economic groups such as financial corporations started to increase their power as well as their wealth. As a result, two factions in businesses were created in the USA, the Robber Barons and the Captains of Industry. While the Robber Barons had a negative effect on the community due to immoral ideal of making money by submitting their workers to extremely working harsh conditions as well as using political benefits to achieve personal aims, the Captains of industry increased their productivity contributing positively to the country economy.
Taking into account the people’s dissatisfaction with government political issues, since financial corporations controlled government according to their interests, the Populist and Progressive movements appeared. Their goals focused on political reforms concerned with women’s suffrage, secret ballots, education, child labor, working conditions, discrimination and inequality, among others. Well-educated and middle class citizens became part of the Progressives, while workers and farmers shared Populism ideals. It is possible to state that the Progressives succeeded in achieve their goals by means of the introduction of laws which favored political, social and economic reforms.
Between 1865 and 1910, the United States became the world's leading industrial capitalist nation. US foreign policy was based on the idea of non-interventionism, by which political rulers had to minimize international relations but maintain diplomacy and trade. However, the 20th century pushed the Americans to abandon their position of isolationism. Governments started to adopt an imperialist policy as well as considering other nations a source of demand for commodities. As a result, the liberal perspective that the demands of capitalism required economic expansion, allowed the US to seek new markets and invest its capital. It is possible to state that the most important factors that affected these changes were concerned with "expansion across the continent", "support of liberal internationalism", "the growth of strong world economy", "the promotion of democracy" and "liberty as well as equality".
