A pyramid made by the Egyptian Civilization

Throughout history, the term “civilization” has been used to group together people that are part of a certain entity. For example, some notable civilizations include the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans.

However, civilization is a term that has been used in such a variety of ways that it is quite hard to define what exactly it means.   It has largely been a term that defines people as a whole that meet a certain set of standards in regards to intellectual, cultural, and material development.

Yet, these standards are entirely arbitrary, and thus can contribute to the categorizing of various people in positive or negative ways.  The term civilization can be quite helpful in interpreting American political history.  The use of such a term has dramatically dictated the American imagination of other peoples and, as a result, has dictated much of American policy in regards to expansion, trade, and diplomacy.  By exploring how the United States has used the idea of civilization in politics, a better understanding of both the motives behind political decisions as well as American political history itself can be established.