Student Scholarship
Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
This essay examines the historical evolution of the Arab world and the subsequent development of United States foreign policy within the region. The narrative begins by establishing the ancient heritage of the Arab peoples, tracing their roots through the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and the Nile Valley. It details the pivotal role of the Prophet Muhammed in unifying the Arabs into a nation and follows the progression of Islamic history through the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, noting the significant cultural and scientific contributions made during these eras.
The study shifts toward the emergence of modern Arab nationalism, identifying the early nineteenth-century efforts of Muhammad Ali in Egypt as a foundational, albeit premature, start for Arab independence. Lee highlights how nineteenth-century intellectual and cultural societies, often fostered by American and French missionary educational institutions like the Syrian Protestant College, served as the true cradle for national consciousness. This movement gained momentum during the First World War through the Husayn-McMahon Correspondence, which led to the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.
Following the World Wars, the document analyzes the transition of Arab lands from mandates to sovereign states and the growing complexity of American interests, which transitioned from missionary work to strategic concerns regarding oil and regional defense. The author discusses the impact of the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia and the creation of the State of Israel, the latter of which became a primary source of tension and bitterness in Arab-American relations. The essay concludes by addressing the power vacuum in the Middle East and the Eisenhower Doctrine, emphasizing the need for the United States to balance support for sovereignty with the necessity of filling the regional void to prevent Soviet subversion.
Research Highlights
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The Problem: The student investigates the historical foundations of the Arab world, the emergence of Arab nationalism, and the development of United States foreign policy interests in the Middle East leading up to the power vacuum of the mid-20th century.
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The Method: This historical essay utilizes a chronological narrative framework, analyzing primary and secondary sources regarding Islamic history, the Ottoman Empire, the Husayn-McMahon Correspondence, and United Nations documents related to the 1947 partition of Palestine.
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Qualitative Finding: Arab nationalism was significantly fostered by intellectual societies and Western missionary educational institutions in the late 19th century; the post-WWI mandatory system and the 1948 creation of Israel generated deep-seated regional bitterness and a diplomatic power vacuum; United States interests shifted from early missionary and cultural work to strategic concerns involving oil resources and Cold War defense against Soviet influence.
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Quantitative Finding: The Arab world’s early historical flourishing occurred between 5000 and 2325 B.C.; the Prophet Muhammed was born in 570 A.D. and experienced his religious revelation in 610 A.D.; the White Paper of 1939 limited Jewish immigration to 75,000 over five years; by 1945, Aramco was producing 130,000 barrels of oil per day; the 1947 UN partition resolution was adopted by 33 votes.
Publication Date
1-1957
Recommended Citation
Lee, Barbara Eugenia, "The United States' Foreign Relations with the Arab States" (1957). Student Scholarship. 101.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/student-research-papers/101
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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