The vast expanses of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans allowed our young Nation to survive and thrive safe from the predation of the great powers of the 19th Century. and the growth of our military power in the 20th Century reinforced the belief that no hostile power could strike us here at home. Only the British. nearly two centuries ago during the War of 1812 have mounted a sustained military campaign on American soil. Japan attacked both Hawaii and Alaska during World War II. but was unable to carry out a major ground offensive against the United States. Our relative physical isolation fostered a sense of the invulnerability of the American people. Our borders with Canada and Mexico were relatively open. and we traditionally welcomed foreigners to our shores both as visitors and immigrants. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s. American policymakers viewed terrorism as primarily a Middle Eastern and European problem.
Keywords matched
immigrants