The Research On William Henry Seward’s Expansionism-"The Pacific Commercialempire" And Its Influence

William Henry Seward, the State Secretary of the Lincoln Administration and the Johnson Administration from 1861 to 1869, was the advocate and designer of “the Pacific Commercial Empire”. Although his ideas were not always original, Seward was one of the central figures in American expansion during the nineteenth century. His conception of expansionism exerts far-reaching influence on the diplomatic philosophy of his and later time in the history of the United State of America. Despite the significance of Seward’s expansionism, only a few researches have been conducted on the essence of this diplomatic ideology and its influence.This thesis aims to explore Seward’s expansionism by probing into his blueprint of “the Pacific Commercial Empire” and analyzing the influence of his diplomatic philosophy and practice. The research questions are, therefore, centered on such aims. To better accomplish these research objectives, the author resorts to research methods like historical analysis and documentary analysis, trying to put the research into the framework of historical logic and to reveal as objectively as possible the origin and essence of Seward’s diplomatic ideology and its influence. The research begins with the background of Seward’s expansionism and then illustrates how Manifest Destiny keeps nourishing his diplomatic ideology which in turn gives birth to his blueprint “Pacific Commercial Empire”. It then elaborates on the blueprint from three dimensions: domestic development, Pacific expansion and the Far East policy. Lastly, the research moves to the influences of Seward’s diplomatic ideology and practice.The research concludes that the blueprint “the Pacific Commercial Empire” is the major content of Seward’s expansionism, and this diplomatic ideology plays a crucial role in guiding American westward expansion and its expansion toward the Pacific Ocean. American expansion across the Pacific totally transforms its global position and brings huge benefits to the quickly-rising empire. But Seward’s expansionism and its influence should be reviewed objectively, and its negative effects should not be ignored.