Methodological background for studying the phenomenon of expansion (based on U.S. nineteenthcentury expansion)

The article is devotedto the study of theoretical and methodological aspects of the phenomenon of expansion. The study is based on geopolitical concepts andhistorical analysis of U.S. nineteenth century expansion. A German author Friedrich Ratzel who was not a stranger to the issues of USterritorial development laid the basis for theoretical study of expansion. American admiral and historian Alfred Mahan paid much attentionto the issues of expansion as well. Ratzel influenced American historian Frederick Jackson Turner, who authored the frontier thesis.Turners focus was territorial evolution of a nation. Two Russian nineteenth century historians Sergey Solovyev and VasilyKlyuchevsky noted the key role of expansion in the development of the Russian state. In the early twentieth century Russian geographerVeniamin Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky studied theoretical aspects of expansion. Among contemporary authors American geographer DonaldMeinig provides the most profound vision of the geographic growth of the United States. The analysis of existing theoretical andmethodological concepts of expansion serves as a basis for developing original methodological toolkit for the study of expansion buildingon the U.S. nineteenth century history. Expansion is a complex process of subduing the environment, which implies both internationalpolitical environment (annexation and subjugation of new territories - external expansion) and geographic environment (economicdevelopment of available lands - internal expansion). External expansion can take one of two forms: (1) direct (or territorial expansion,which consists of continental and colonial expansion); and (2) indirect (expansion of influence, including military and political,economic, and ideological expansion). Depending on the preceding owner the acquired territories can be divided into three groups: (1)possessions of Great Powers; (2) possessions of lesser powers; (3) the so-called wilderness (usually with several claimants present).The modes of acquiring new territories can range from military confrontation (conquest) to diplomacy (peaceful cession). External territorialexpansion undergoes three stages: (1) preliminary (image building, propaganda, and beginning of physical penetration); (2) annexationor occupation; (3) institutionalisation of acquisitions. Internal expansion also includes three stages: (1) settlement; (2) administrativeorganization of territorial government; (3) infrastructure development (transportation, industry, banking). American expansionknew four phases: (1) continental; (2) colonial; (3) economic; (4) military-economic. Nineteenth century saw major success of continentalexpansion and the beginning of colonial expansion. The impulse of external territorial expansion was exhausted during the Civil War,while internal territorial expansion ended with the closing of the frontier (as a result of 1890 census) and admission to the Union ofNew Mexico and Arizona (1912).

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