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t could have possibly been used as a slave territory. Because Northerners were highly against slavery, the plan was dropped. After the Civil War, Secretary of State Seward had negotiated a treaty to purchase the virgin Islands from Denmark, but the senate rejected this treaty. They were not purchased until 1917. In 1859, the U.S annexed the Midway Islands in the South Pacific, and half the Samoan Islands; the other half belonging to Germany. Hawaii, another Pacific island, had always been important to the U.S. It served as an important base for trade with Japan and China. When the U.S annexed Hawaii in 1893 after a coup, to justify it, the U.S claimed it was an important strategic military foothold. They also claimed that the inferior Hawaiian natives were incapable of self government, and that it was in their best interests. After the annexation of Hawaii, and later the Philippines in 1899, it seemed clear the U.S was relentless in becoming the most powerful imperialistic nation. It is this idea of expansion thus gaining power and superiority over other nations that proves the "American Dream"/"Ciity upon a hill" being about superiority. The invasion of South Korea by North Korea was the opportunity the U.S needed to invade and de-communize North Korea thus causing China to intervene therefore justifying the possible invasion of China. When World War II ended, the U.S and U.S.S.R agreed to occupy Korea. The U.S occupied south of the 38th parallel, and the U.S.S.R North. Both sides wanted Korea to be united, the U.S.S.R wanted it under communism, and the U.S capitalism. They were split. North became communist, South became capitalist. South Korea was recognized by the U.S and the United Nations while North Korea was recognized by the Soviet Union and its allies. There were many tensions between the Koreas. On June 1950, the North Korean army with Soviet weapons invaded South Korea, in an attempt to take it over. The United States, taking great interest, appealed to the U.N to condemn the invasion and to send forces to liberate South Korea. The Soviet representative to the U.N was not present to veto due to the fact that the Soviet Union was protesting against the refusal to allow China to enter the U.N. When the U.N forces under U.S command liberated South Korea, U.S president Truman ordered that the forces go beyond the initial mission of liberation, and invade North Korea. As the U.N forces advanced deeper into North Korea, China warned them to withdraw. The forces refused and on November 1950 were attacked by 200,000 Chinese soldiers. The U.N forces faced with a fresh enemy, retreated south of the 38th parallel. In order to defeat the Chinese forces, Gen. MacArthur, commander of the forces, requested that China itself be attacked. Truman rejected the idea with the fear of getting the U.S.S.R directly involved thus setting the stage for World War III. The Korean War was fought to get into North Korea for these main reasons: To decrease the Soviet influence in the time of Cold war thus increasing U.S influence, and to get into China which has the largest market in the world. MacArthur and Truman both had these objectives in mind but wanted to approach them differently. MacArthur, after invading North Korea and setting off the Chinese, wanted to directly attack China. Truman who wanted no risk of direct intervention by the Soviets, wanted strictly just to take North Korea and perhaps delay the invasion of China, since providing Nort