January 28

Blog #127 – Debate Over Expansion

Before, during, and after the Spanish-American War in 1898, Americans were debating whether or not America should go beyond its borders and become an imperial empire, much like the European countries had done during the 19th Century w/ Asia and Africa.  Below are the arguments for and against imperialism and some of its proponents and opponents.

Image result for cartoons imperialism 1898

For Imperialism

People for it: Assistant Secretary of the Navy Teddy Roosevelt, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred T. Mahan, President William McKinley, Judge William Howard Taft, Admiral George Dewey, Reverend Josiah Strong, former Secretary of State William Seward, and Senator Albert Beveridge.

Arguments for imperialism:

  1. To give back the Philippines to Spain would be cowardly and dishonorable.
  2. To let other imperial powers have the Philippines was bad business and discreditable.
  3. Granting the Filipinos their independence was irresponsible because they are unfit to rule themselves.  They need America to civilize, uplift, and Christianize them.
  4. Imperialism is good for America.  It invigorates a nation and keeps it healthy.  A slothful nation will victim to those countries that maintain soldierly virtues.
  5. Annexation of the Philippines would put America into a position to dominate trade with China and the rest of Asia.
  6. We need the markets and raw materials now.  It doesn’t matter that the Philippines are non-contiguous.  We didn’t need the purchases and additional areas in the continental U.S., but look at us now!  We produce more than we can consume.
  7. Annexation would be so easy because we already control the islands.
  8. Filipinos don’t  have to become citizens of the U.S., we will treat them as dependents (like we do with the Native Americans).  The 14th Amendment won’t apply to them.
  9. Republicans favored annexation because it made the party look good after winning the war.

Image result for cartoons imperialism 1898

Against Imperialism

People against it: Author Mark Twain, former president Grover Cleveland, Speaker of the House Thomas “Czar” Reed, journalist Lincoln Steffens, Jane Addams, former Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, AFL chief Samuel Gompers, industrialist Andrew Carnegie, Harvard professor William James.

Arguments against imperialism

  1. Imperialism is immoral.  It repudiates our commitment to human freedom and liberty.  We instead think we know what is best for the Filipinos, and that is wrong.
  2. Nativists fear the pollution of the white American population with inferior Asian races, especially when they are allowed to move to the U.S.  Acquisition of the Philippines may require that they become citizens.
  3. Industrial workers feared the flood of additional cheap labor which would further undercut job opportunities.
  4. Imperialism puts us in the international stage of world politics and is a constant menace for war.  War carries off the physically and mentally fit and leaves behind the lesser fit.  It threatens our security, internally and externally.
  5. The “civilizing” mission some claim is really a cover for a desire to loot the colonies and their natural resources.  This misson is self-righteous and pretentious.
  6. We will inherit Spain’s task of suppressing the native peoples when they rebel.  They will NOT want our cultural ways.  We will end up like Spain – a shriveling power.
  7. Can’t we just trade without having to annex other territories?
  8. Imperialism would involve the need for a large standing army which would become a heavy tax burden.

The country chose imperialism, and the Senate voted for the Treaty of Paris, 1898, 57 to 27, one more vote needed for the 2/3 approval.

Your job:

Pretend you are a senator back in 1898 (yes, you have to do this even if you’re female – we’re time traveling, so you can pretend to be a different gender).  Pick a region of the country and a party (both parties were for expansion, especially Southern Democrats).  Which arguments hold more sway with you and why?  Explain.

Here is some info on the 1898 U.S. Senate elections.  Maybe choose your senator from someone who ran and look up his views on the war.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1898_and_1899_United_States_Senate_elections

350 words total for your answer.  Due by Monday, February 3 by the beginning of class.  

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Posted January 28, 2020 by geoffwickersham in category Blogs

65 thoughts on “Blog #127 – Debate Over Expansion

  1. Charles Hudson

    I, Henry Cabot Lodge, support imperialism and the annexation of the Philippines and Puerto Rico. I grew up in Massachusetts to a wealthy and influential family, and I quickly became a Republican, although I support the conservative faction. With our victory in the Spanish-American war, we have a unique opportunity to expand our influence and become more active in foreign affairs, and we should not pass this up. The annexation of the Philippines would also have numerous military advantages, such as having a new massive naval base near China, which would allow us to trade on even more favorable terms with them. We would also receive the large market of the Filipino people, and during these trying economic times, the annexation would be a great boost to the economy. If we let the Philippines become independent, they will no doubt be taken over again by an Imperial power. This would weaken our reputation and make our navy in the Pacific weaker. Annexation is simply the next natural step in our occupation of the islands, and as we already have control of the them, it would be more similar to a “retention” rather than an annexation. The current situation with our control of the Philippines is very beneficial to the country, and it would be foolish to weaken ourselves intentionally. To rely on the “good faith” of the European warmongers for security is akin to relying on a thief to guard a bank. Some opponents to our annexation of the Philippines say that if we take over the islands, we will end up inheriting the task of managing the local population, which would be impossible to maintain, turning us into a shriveling world power, like Spain. However, this argument makes one faulty assumption, that the local population would resist us as they did Spain, leading to our inevitable decline as we waste resources managing them. However, as a country our people and our values are different from those of the cruel and incompetent Spanish. We will make an effort to develop the land and bring civilization to the people, making most if not all of them wholeheartedly support us. With all of these arguments considered, it is safe to say that keeping control of, and integrating further the Philippines is the best strategic decision, and it is best for the American people that we maintain and strengthen our power on the world stage.

  2. Drew Weider

    I am a senator from Massachussettes and I am a republican. I sway with pro-imperialist arguments for the most part. I look at the Philippines as a strategic point for the United States in Asia, and that having land there would give us power in Asian Markets. If we did control the Philippines, we could use their natural resources to make products to increase our economy while also using it as a port to ship U.S. goods to Asia. I would think that annexation would help civilize the Filipinos as they are incapable of ruling themselves. We could bring over christianity and our education, and if the Filippinos refuse, then we could just rule with martial law. But, if we did add the Philippines to the U.S., I wouldn’t be too enthusiastic about the possibility of mixing the Filipinos with white Americans. To combat this, we could make the Filipinos status as not being U.S. citizens so we don’t have to interact with them and they can’t vote. At this point, European imperialism is at its peak and I would think it to be smart if the U.S. joined in. Right now, Great Britain has colonies across the entire world and they are thriving. So, it would be in America’s best interest to do the same. Since I am a republican and I am loyal to my party and president, I will fully support Mckinley’s choice of war and cap it off with a full annexation of the Philippines. However, in the back of my head, I do think it’s somewhat immoral to annex the Philippines because we would be treating the natives poorly. Also, American which was a former colony, would become a colonizer, which I see as wrong. I don’t think the founding fathers would have supported this annexation but I still support it. Due to America’s need for expansion to increase our economy, the best way to do that is by annexing the Philippines. We would thrive with new markets becoming a reality and we could help civilize the natives at the same time. But, I am somewhat hesitant to our ethics.

  3. Anwen Jones

    If I were a northern Republican senator in the 1890’s, I would most likely push for imperialism with hopes of change and advancements for the future. I would most likely have the Manifest Destiny mindset and would agree to claim land from the Philippines as a way to advance American trade power and be able to trade with more Asian countries. It would be useful to have extra trading ports and find materials there that may not be found easily in Mainland America. Incorporating the Philippines as American land would also make us look good after we won the Spanish-American war, never a dull moment or letting our guard down. America also controlled so many islands, it would be stupid not to annex the Philippines. However, I disagree that Filipinos should not be accepted under the 14th amendment. As the Philippines join the United States of America, their citizens should become our citizens too.
    It would be ok to delay it for a few years, but they should become citizens of the US eventually, and to deny them of that right would be cruel. To not grant them citizenship would be giving them the hope of being able to make an impact, not only towards the mainland but to the other place conquested by America (such as Hawai’i), only to destroy that hope by denying them a basic right that has been granted to every other person who lives on American soil. Also, in a way, I agree with some arguments against imperialism. Cheap labor that would be established in the Philippines wouldn’t be beneficial to many workers in mainland America, and many would most likely lose their jobs to the Filipinos who are performing the same jobs but for more hours and less pay. Claiming more territory could also put us on edge for more wars, seeing as the more powerful we get, the more threatening we can seem, and other countries/empires may want to bring us down before American can get too powerful. Despite these issues, the reasons for imperialism outweigh the reasons against imperialism, and if we want America to continue growing, action must be taken, and hopefully, morals will not be destroyed in the process.

  4. Owen Peake

    I am Julius C. Burrows, a republican senator from the state of Michigan from 1895-1911. I was preceded by John Patton Jr, and succeeded by Charles E. Townsend. Before that I was a U.S representative from 1885 to 1893. I also served on the National Monetary commission, and the Lodge Committee. I am an imperialist and I am a part of the imperialist faction led by Henry Cabot Lodge, which supported the Spanish-American war, and the Phillipine-American war.
    The argument for imperialism holds more sway for me, because I believe that we need to expand our markets and help out these countries that our going through a revolution, and need our help. Once they do that, we can further help them and guide them, and in turn we can profit off of them. Also, imperialism will keep our nation healthy and vigorous. We already have control of many of these islands so we might as well take full control. We need natural resources, in our country we are using up tons of natural resources and need to make sure we don’t run out. By taking these other territories, we can utilize their natural resources for our gain, and their gain. This would boost our economy, and potentially theirs. The opportunity to take control of the asian markets is also gigantic that we cant turn it down. If we can control asia we can make extreme amounts of money. I have given multiple speeches showing my support for imperialism and believe that it is the correct thing, that is why I support it and I am a part of the imperialist faction.

    I also believe that through imperialism we need to do it humanely. That is why I am on the Lodge Committee. The Lodge Committee was a standing committee of the senate that investigated war crimes that happened in the Phillipine-American war. This lead to a few cases that lead to a court marshalling and a conviction. I think that if we don’t use imperialism correctly then it could go badly and have the opposite effect of what imperialism should have on our country.

  5. Nicolas Coignet

    I am a northern senator and I am a republican. The argument that sways more with me would have to be the argument for imperialism. We cannot represent our country as cowardly if we give the Philippines back to Spain. The Philippines is also valuable because we can now dominate trade with China and other Asian countries. We have to make sure we trade with China just like the powerful European countries. If we do trade with China like the Europeans, they will think that we are a powerful nation and we should be treated like one too.
    Another reason why we should follow imperialism is because we just won a war with a superpower which is Spain. They have dominated the America’s for quite some time and freeing Cuba from their rule shows we are a powerful nation. We should use that to take more territories as they would respect us. If we take over more countries, we could have more trading partners and apply tariffs. The tariffs could then help out many of the states for their income. If we take over the Philippines, we won’t have to make them citizens of the United States if that is what some of you are afraid of. We will treat that dependents just like we do the Native Americans. None of the filipino people would come over and steal our jobs like many American workers are worried about. They aren’t civilized as us and it would force us to Americanize them. Doing that would take more work than annexing the country, so American workers have nothing to worry about.
    If you think about it, 40 years ago we were fighting a war against ourselves. We weren’t a very strong nation compared to the big superpowers such as England, France, Spain and more. Now look how far we’ve come with us helping out Cuba, beating the spanish quite easily. We are a strong nation that has come so far. So why stop now? We can now almost compete with the major superpowers such as England. If we can trade with China and take over the Philippines, they will view us as a strong nation which is what we wanted from the start.

  6. Jonathan Sheyngauz

    If I was a Southern Democrat Senator (from the South), I would support imperialism for several reasons.

    Back in time: “My primary argument towards imperialism would be how it would be a ‘foolish’ idea to leave a population to govern themselves when they are not capable and are at high risk of being taken over by another country. This, in idea seems to be a logical idea especially after a European superpower was beaten in order for the respective colony to be freed from their rule. Spain or other European countries could, with rather ease, come back to the islands and fight again, likely dominating the island and restoring European rule. However if the United States were to take control, it would be unlikely since the islands would be militarily backed up by us. America at this time, seems to be the only way to secure the protection of these people who need it desperately. Additionally, as these islands are already in control by the United States, annexation is not a difficult task to do. There would likely be no wars caused and no blood shed if the U.S. were to simply formally annex the islands. Since our military is currently in the islands, annexation would ensure our military can stay without much worry and continue to have its strategic position in Asia. Similarly to the military issue, annexation would allow for U.S. business to have a permanent stake in the islands without worrying of its separation from our country. This would allow the islands to prosper with greater American investments in many sectors and would allow trade with America to flourish. Our shipping industry would have too much demand than they can handle, a rather good problem to have. More industries would be in a position to see their business increase from the annexation of these lands such as ones needing natural resources. Finally, through spreading our influence farther than it’s gone before, America can show Europe that we are as powerful as they are, if not more powerful. Overall, America has already invested our military resources and our political ideals into the islands and it would make the most sense for us to stay there to not only protect the people who inhabit the area, but also our own economic interests.”

  7. Alex Warren

    I am a Republican senator from the Midwest, and support imperialism wholeheartedly. Unlike some of my colleagues, who find imperialism a burden, I believe that imperialism’s benefits outweigh its disadvantages. By gaining the Philippines, we opened trade opportunities with China and the rest of the Pacific. Oriental markets, especially China, are beneficial to us since they are closer in distance than those of European powers. Wars of the future will be fueled by commerce, so it is important to gain valuable land.

    Acquiring tropical areas allows us to grow important crops and gain valuable minerals which will benefit the American economy. Some of my colleagues argue that should instead push to have a trade agreement with these countries. But, I believe that we receive more benefits from directly controlling them instead. Raw materials will be able to be exported cheap through Filipino labor, which allows for American companies to keep costs low for the public. A problem that can arise from this is American job loss due to foreign competition, but I believe we can combat this by setting quotas/limits for the number of alien workers.

    In addition to economic interests, imperialism also has a moral incentive. The white race has been chosen by God to rule over the land by blessing it with proper civilization. The Filipinos, in contrast, have lived under a government of fraud and corruption. Instead of standing by and letting these places continue to be taken over by cruelty, Americans can acquire these territories, in turn boosting our reputation as a beacon of liberty.

    However, by gaining foreign countries we risk a mass increase of non-whites coming becoming U.S citizens. The majority of these new Americans would not agree with our political values, if they could even understand them, which weakens my party’s political power. To combat this, I believe that we should delay or even deny citizenship to these aliens. That way, they have little voice in American political affairs.(These views are modeled after Albert J. Beveridge. I know that he didn’t take office until ‘99, but he held views that were common among other Republican senators of the same period.)

  8. james hailer

    I am a northern republican senator from Michigan and i am pro imperialism. I am pro imperialism for a few reasons. Something that I think would make the United States look very cowardly and dishonorable would be giving the philippines back to spain. I believe that this would portray our country in a negative light and make us seem as though we are weak. A reason I believe that imperialism is great for the united states and that it is our best option moving forward is that controlling more land outside of the continental United States will help us in war and keeping our country safe. With the us owning these islands that are outside of the united states, it gives us a place to put more bases to be able to regulate what is going on outside of the country. Another reason owning territories outside of the continental United States would help our country is that it would allow us to have more power in not only war, but trade as well. Owning an island so close to asia and china like the philippines would allow us to trade with those bordering countries much more easily. This could help us grow our economy and better our country as a whole. Another reason i am pro imperialism is that we could very easily annex the philippines. Since we already control the island, it would be very easy to annex the philippines and make them a united states territory. A good thing that would come from annexing the philippines is that the residents would not have to become united states citizens and could be dependents. This would be similar to native americans. In all I believe that imperialism is the best decision the united states could make. Not only will it help us in trade but it will also help us in war. Imperialism will strengthen our country all together and make us vastly more powerful than if we only owned our continental land. Imperialism is something that must be done if we want to retain our role as one of the most powerful nations in the world

  9. Brennen Vechazone

    I am a northern republican and am also a republican. The ideas of imperialism sound great for the expansion of our great nation and the arguments that were presented were very persuasive ideals. First off, we can’t be a nation that is known to be cowardly after all of the great feats we have accomplished and the many wars that we have won. Giving the Philippines back to Spain would make everyone else think were aren’t assertive enough to take more land and expand. Another crucial fact for expansion is of we take more islands and especially the Philippines, America can use their resources and have a direct and power trade with China and more asian countries. Trading with these countries would strengthen our economy and theirs and also create stronger bonds between everyone. To think of it as becoming one of the superpowers of the world, we have to expand and make more agreements. Only a hundred years or so ago, we were fighting against ourselves and were divided as a nation. The country of America wasn’t strong at all along with the economy, government, laws and strength as a whole.

    Now since we have had the industrial revolution and the industry is booming, we will need more natural resources to continue or pace of all the materials we are letting out. With expanding to the Philippines, Cuba and other islands we can take over, natural resources will be plentiful and bountiful for our use, but we of course will have to make some agreements and negotiations for the use of them.

    All in all, I think imperialism is a great starting point in advancing the future of our country and the argument that was provided swayed me a lot. Using natural resources, gaining allies through trades and boosting the economy and finally gaining more land for personal use and overall power. After being dominated by the bigger superpower countries, America will finally have a chance at being one of the more powerful countries and that’s a big step forward. Imperialism is a good thing for creating allies and gaining power and that’s why America should progress with this idea.

  10. Lexy Rosenwasser

    I am a southern democrat and I am pro-imperialism. At this time America is becoming one of the biggest economic powers in the world, and to stop expanding would go against the ideals of our country. It would be foolish for us to not take over the Philippines, especially considering we already possess the islands. By annexing the philippines we as a country would have the opportunity to dominate trade with Asia, helping us to expand even more economically. If we didn’t take it over other countries such as Germany and Japan would have easily done so, allowing them to expand their empires. By trading with Asia it would help America’s overproduction problem likely resulting in higher wages for American workers. The anti-imperialists argue that taking over would pollute the white american race with inferior asian races, but we argue that we could just treat them as dependents and not give them the 14th amendment. From a military standpoint the philippines was a great place for naval bases, which would help protect not only our country but the philippines as well, considering they didn’t have a strong central government. The Philippines would also be a good refueling base for the U.S. navy, in a strategic location. Politically, the annexation of an Asian territory would give us a say in not just north american affairs but also Asian affairs. Additionally annexing the philippines was not only manifest destiny, but also the job of america to help civilize the philippines. The Filipinos were not capable of self governing, they also followed the catholic religion and it was our duty to convert them to christianity, we could also bring over our ideals of education. Although I sometimes feel that taking over the philippines is immoral, I combat that with the fact that America is superior and that this is important for the future of our nation. I sometimes fear that imperialism will make us a target for war, we don’t want to upset the wrong people, but we also must remember that the more land we have the more powerful we are, which makes us a “force to be reckoned with.”

  11. Evan Meinel

    I would choose Northern republican with some democrat views. I side the democrat view of the republicans think they know what is best for places like the Philippines. Which I think is wrong, but taking over the Philippines would lead to a new Asian market and new trade routes, that would lead to economic success. Bear in mind that I am a senator in the year 1898. Since I am a senator in 1898, my republican side would be having the countries success in mind. That is why I said it might not be that bad to annex the Philippines. To take over places like the Philippines you would need an army. As stated in the pre-reading for the blog, it would be a tax burden to have a large standing army. The people wouldn’t want to have a heavy tax. I would side more with the republican side because there are more positive things that would come out of annexing places like the Philippines. Plus, as stated in the pre-reading, we need new markets and raw materials. That is another benefit of annexing the Philippines. We could also start producing more products in the Philippines. This leads to more money being made for the United States. If we would annex the Philippines I would want the people of the Philippines to become citizens, which doesn’t agree with the Republican views. In the grand scheme of things, I do agree with the decision to vote for the Treaty of Paris of 1898. I think the argument for Imperialism was better than the one argument against imperialism. Keeping in mind in the year is 1898. During that time, I would tend to side with the Imperialism side. I would side with imperialism because of the positives that would come along with annexing new territories far out ways the negatives that come with it. The most negative thing is that we wouldn’t allow the people of the annexed territories to become citizens. At this point in time, the United States wants to keep expanding the power of our nation, which I totally agree with. The only things that come out of annexing new territories are positives with one slight negative. And at this time, that negative didn’t matter to the people in the senate.

  12. Emma Schardt

    I am a northern Republican senator in the 1890’s. I support the arguments which support imperialism. I view our imperialistic ideas as useful and beneficial. Given the fact that we already control the islands, the annexation of the Philippines would be very easy but also open up countless opportunities for our country. Therefore, giving the Philippines back to Spain isn’t an option since we would be representing our country as cowardly and weak and this is the opposite of what would be best for us. It wouldn’t only harm our reputation and representation but also many other factors. In addition to this, giving up the Philippines would be bad business and foolish given all the power and freedom our country will have. The Philippines serve as tactical point for us since it allows us to dominate the trade but also control their land. This offers the U.S. the opportunity to control the Asian markets and ports. This would benefit our economy greatly since the production of goods will increase significantly. By controlling their land we have also acquired a great military base which also grants our country great military opportunities and also brings us closer to China allowing us to create a friendly relationship. This is another reason as to why it would be detrimental to allow the Philippines to become independent since we then not only give another imperial country the chance to dominate the islands but it would also weaken our navy in the Pacific. I believe that the annexation of the country is also a positive for them since America would help civilize them with education and religion since the Filipinos don’t deem fit to be able to rule themselves. By uplifting them we are showing them the right way of life and improving how they live their life as well. I think we do have to be careful when we “americanize” and civilize the Filipinos because I don’t believe that it is a good idea to mix an alien race with our people. We would need to treat them as “dependents” being that our country offers them so many advantages. They are granted the title of being apart of America but they don’t have the right to vote or become a citizen. I am of strong belief that imperialism is good and healthy for America and by annexing the Philippines we are simply showing our country’s strength.

  13. MItchell Greenberger

    I am a northern republican senator, and I sway mostly with the pro imperialism argument. Firstly this a huge opportunity to expand our influence to that region of the world. This would give us access to all of the Philippines natural resources, which we could use in trade with the other countries in Asia. The annexation would totally increase our trading power, and would boost our economy, as well as increase our power in Asian markets. if we returned the land of the Philippines back to Spain it would make us as a nation look weak to other foreign powers. I know this is a gray area for the country because we preach Freedom and liberty, and thinking we know what’s best for the Philippines is immoral, but we cannot look weak in this situation because the ramifications could be much worse than just looking weak in a situation, we could be setting a precedent for backing off in tumultuous situations, which other foreign powers would look at the situation, and try to take advantage of us in future situations because they have a recent example of us backing off in a situation like this. I however disagree with some arguments that the Filipinos would not become U.S citizens, and become dependents under the new annexed territory, the 14th amendment should apply to all American territories, and all citizens of these territories should be granted full American citizenship. We would make them citizens but we would bring over our traditions and Christianity over to the Filipinos to help Americanize them. Not until they pass a 100 question test on Christianity, and the history of American democracy they will be granted U.S citizenship. Also the Annexation of the Philippines would give as a big military advantage, and presence in Asia. This would allow us to closely monitor the other Asian powers, along with giving us the ability to establish bases and defenses close to the other Asian powers, it also would give us a huge population of people that could serve in the countries military, this would be a huge force of people fighting for us that we could not have access too unless we annex the Philippines.

  14. Maya-Rose Trajano

    Arguments For or Against Imperialism

    I am Joseph Simons, and I am an immigrant from Germany. I moved to Portland, Oregon when I was one year old. I was elected to the Oregon State Senate, and I am one of the first to be Jewish and run as a Republican senator. On the topic of Imperialism, I am a strong proponent of it, the idea of expansion. I am in favor of keeping all the territory that we have conquered, like the Philippines. In my words exactly, they are the “legitimate fruits of war”. With that being said, one argument that would definitely sway me to the side for Imperialism would be #5: Annexation of the Philippines would put America into a position to dominate trade with China and the rest of Asia. During this time, people who are proponents of expansion believe that not only does this allow stronger defense against foreign invasion of power in our country, it will also allow new markets for goods to open in our country. Therefore, this argument shows one way that annexation of this territory is and will be the “fruit of war”; it is the good result of hard work.
    More arguments that would persuade me, though I have long been persuaded, is argument #7 along with argument #8. Argument #7 states that annexation would be easy because we already control the islands, and following with argument #8, we will treat these territories as dependants. This would sway my opinion towards expansion because, as I said earlier, these territories are “legitimate fruits,” so they will conform to our country’s laws. I mean, it is true, that the Filipinos, as stated in argument #3, are unfit to be responsible for themselves. They need our governing and our way of society to put them in place, so that they can prosper in the near future. Those people against expansion think they know what’s best for these territories and that what we’re trying to do is immoral, but I beg to differ. How is helping a small nation in need of guidance and cleaning, so that they can benefit in the future immoral? By indoctrinating, giving our ways to these territories, we are helping them tremendously; this is truly what they need and truly what is best for them. Other people against expansion, the nativist specifically, are teeming with the fear that these inferior races of Asia will come polluting into the precious white society of our great America. It’s ridiculous. Weren’t these dense opponents of such a marvelous idea, the idea of expansionism, just arguing about the nation’s precious freedoms and liberty? I thought people who value such freedoms are welcoming to new and different species of man. If anything, those Asians should come over here so that they can learn a thing or two. However, I’m getting off course of the arguments that I have chosen to stick by in this response. Going back to argument #8, it states that the Filipinos would not have become U.S. citizens. The Fourteenth Amendment won’t have to apply to those territories, so you people against us must not worry; they may remain non-contiguous.
    On a closing note, the 9th argument: Republicans favored annexation because it made the party look good after winning the war, is also something that holds my sway. I am a Republican. I favor annexation. Annexation makes me look good. It makes us, the Republican Party, look good. This is just another example of the “fruit of war”.

  15. Maya Gratch

    I am Nelson W. Aldrich, a Republican senator from Rhode Island who played a big part in the acquisition of land from the Spanish-American War to the Congo. I played a significant role in overseas imperialism and writing the Treaty of Paris. I am for expansionism and imperialism because we need the resources that countries like the Philippines and Cuba have. While I was hesitant at first to encourage annexing overseas land, once McKinley began the Spanish-American War, I’ve decided that it is necessary. We need the land of other countries for their resources and to boost both of our economies. My biggest motivation for imperialism is money, as all of my previous jobs have had something to do with our country’s economy and monetary policy. By annexing land from other countries, we have an opportunity to boost trade between us without tariffs, which is good for both of our economies. The market for our goods would be greatly increased if we begin to incorporate an entire country into our trading market. One act that I passed, the Payne-Aldrich Act, directly reflects this idea. It promoted trade between the U.S. and the Philippines by removing tariffs from American goods going into the Philippines. I am for imperialism because I would be able to pass similar acts that would be beneficial for our country. While I am for increasing trade related connections with our conquests, I do think we should limit our involvement otherwise. Countries can be left to govern themselves, as long as financially we can have some control. My views are different from other senators in the Republican party because I am not all for completely reconstructing the countries we take over to fit the American standard.

  16. Kevyn Roessler

    As a Democratic senator representing New York, I would most likely be against American imperialism. America is supposed to be a bastion of freedom and a beacon of hope for the oppressed. How can we live up to that representation if we don’t grant the Philippines their independence? If Imperialists really want to stick it to Europe, there are other ways to do it. The British have been governing India with an iron fist for 40 years now after their rebellion. That sounds awfully similar to our current situation with the Philippines. If we relinquish our hold, we can say that we’re better than the British in the moral respect.
    In addition, my constituents would be seriously hurt in the job market by the influx of immigrants imperialism would cause. We’ve had a lot of trouble with the Southern and Eastern Europeans, and adding more would just cause lots of trouble. Americanization is completely unavoidable, even with annexation, and would do much more harm than good. I’m sure my opponents will remember the brutal Indian Wars of the 1880s, including the execution of Crazy Horse. To have that happen again would be disastrous, both for our public image and our military.
    While we’re on the topic of annexation, there’s almost no reason not to trade with other countries instead of annexing them. We’d have more profits, and being considered an economic power can be just as important as being a major player on the world stage. In addition, this whole business is absolutely immoral. Take even just one look at anything we’ve done to the Philippines, and whatever action we took that you’re thinking of is unjustifiable. One of the main reasons we got into a war with Spain in the first place was their treatment of Cuban civilians by re-concentrating them into camps with absolutely terrible conditions. Now here we are, in the Philippines, doing the exact same thing.
    Overall, I believe that we should focus our attention on internal problems like how to handle immigration, or how Reconstruction era policy effects us now. Imperialism is a plague upon Europe, with the downsides far outweighing the benefits, and we’ve managed to escape it for now, but we must clean our cities and get rid of the rats that spread it before all of America starts to sprout buboes.

  17. Grace Alkatib

    I choose to be Julius C. Burrows, whom is a republican senator. Burrows represented the state of Michigan during 1895-1911. Some background about me may include: representative for the U.S during 1885-1893, and that I served at the National Monetary and Lodge committees. I, along with Henry Lodge supported the Spanish-American War and the Phillipine-American war. I strongly believed that we as a country needed to expand our markets and use our powers to help the other countries going through the revolution. By helping other countries we will be able to form friendships and in the future use them to our advantage when we need help ourselves. When the U.S takes over more and more territories we will be able to obtain much more and have the able to boost our wealth and economy. By taking over more territories we are able to strive ourselves as a country and help other territories that we take over profit as well. Imperialism will not only be of good use in the future but in the present it can help make sure that are country stays thriving and healthy. We will be able to take full control of various islands which will help us out in the long run. Another reason imperialism is so important is that we are always in need of natural resources. If we use imperialism in the right way then it will have nothing but a positive effect on our country but if we use it negatively it will do the opposite. Our country needs natural resources and the only way to make sure we don’t run out it by taking over more and more territories who we can help and thus in return they can help us. We are a very strong nation and we have come so far, and if we take over the Philippines and start to trade with China we can be very powerful. Being powerful is ultimately what we wanted from the start why not prove that we are one of the most powerful nations. If we want our country to keep improving, we must take action and begin to develop ourselves.

  18. Ben Glick

    My name is George Hoar, and I am and will always be a strong opponent to American imperialism. I am a republican and was a Massachusetts senator from 1877 to 1904. I was on the front line of opposition to expansion on a few occasions. On one of these occasions, I aided Hawaii in their attempt to retain their independence through presenting a Hawaiian petition to congress. Even though Hawaii eventual ended up under US rule, the petition was able to delay annexation. I was also against the annexation of the Philippines. I helped to investigate allegations of American war crimes in the Philippine-American war. My last stand against imperialism was against the American intervention in panama. I believe we should have never gotten involved. Our country demonized Spain as part of our reason to go to war but all of our imperialist efforts have made us just as bad as the evil we criticized. Not only is our country becoming what it was trying to prevent, but these imperialist actions make a honorable generals and soldiers complicit with the atrocities encouraged by our government. If you don’t believe that the idea of complicity in this evil is bad, then look at numbers. Our imperialistic actions have caused the early death of many young Americans, not only sacrificing lives but the future of our country. If that hasn’t convinced you that imperialism is bad, think of the foreign policy hole we have dug ourselves. We once set out to protect this side of the world from the evil imperialists of Europe. Now we are instilling in our neighbors a hatred of the American flag, that we may never be able to come back from. Lastly it goes against all the values our nation was born with. Our attempts of expansion lead to restricting the freedoms of innocent people. It justifies treating people as lesser even though all men were supposedly created equal. We claim that we are putting them under our reign of control for their benefit, but we slaughter thousands of those people when they attempt to protect themselves.

  19. Sydney Jones

    I’m Senator Jones from the west, and I am part of the Republican party. Both sides of the debate to be an imperialist or a non-imperialist country has been explored thoroughly with reasonings and contrasting desires. Although, in the imperialist argument, I see hypocrisy and I simply disagree with most of them and the majority of my values correlate with the non-imperialist side of the debate. The idea that since the people of Americas separation from the empire of Great Britain we embody the values of human freedom and liberty swayed me the most. I want to bring to light how imperialism has really affected America. We have gone through what the Philippines have gone through; we have fought against a power like Britain just like how the Philippines have fought against the power that is Spain. To completely disregard their effort to become dependent by becoming a variation the enemy, America itself, once fought against is beyond unacceptable. We should not subject other people to the same suffering we had just freed them from. Leading to one reason to not ornament imperialism: creating a trade business with those territories we helped instead of annexing them. With their gratitude for our courage and effectiveness, America shall be known as someone to owe. We would have advantages to their resources as well as allies; if we take their independence, if we work them to only improve America’s way of life and create problems for them, we will become the people’s new enemy. Another idea that swayed me was the fact that taking control of lands beyond America’s border can cause financial problems, such as increasing of taxes. To regulate these lands, we have to establish soldiers in those areas, which means to be able to feed those soldiers, pay, as well as supply their weapons to keep that control stable. Those payments will fall on the poor and then they won’t have enough to pay the big companies, leading to bankruptcy of our most powerful trusts. Our country will be debt because of the territories we thought would enhance our wealth, but has simultaneously drained it. All these reasons to not participate in imperialism stand clear and wise to me.

  20. Clarice Kim

    My name is George Frisbie Hoar and I am a senator from Masachusettes. I must say, I am vehemently opposed to the idea of expansion. I do agree with the fact that we should not give back the Phillipines and the other Spanish colonies to Spain, but is that the only way we can avoid imperialism? Even though it is understandable that one might want to protect the Philipines from other imperial powers, it is also in their interest as well United States’ to leave them as their own independent nation. While it might seem easy to annex the islands, think about how much more we have to sacrifice to do so. We have already lost the war, and then by annexing territories, we have to take even more money from our people. I am sure that if we grant the territories their independence, it will create a market for our goods, as the people will already be grateful for freeing them from our oppressors. Additionally, China as a market is already taken up by other European nations, and the cost of fighting for the small chance of economic success there is not worth it.
    Imperialism is not healthy. It takes the lives of our citizens who could be used to fight for much more important causes. In the name of imperialism already, we have tortured countless Filipinos in concentration camps, making us no better than other European nation. This is not spreading democracy and American ideals; in fact it is just the opposite. Whether we make Filipinos citizens or not, judging from our previous and current actions towards them, they will not experience any of the things that makes America so great.
    Furthermore, as a Republican, I do not believe that we will look better as a party when there is a draft to send our young boys to faraway islands and we people fall deeper into poverty due to taxes going to people that will have the same status as immigrants. We already have enough immigrants living in poverty who cause chaos in this country, we don’t need more people to increase our burden. Why don’t we worry about all the disenfranchised groups in America first before worrying about others?

  21. Rachel Akaba

    If I was a Democratic Senator from Maryland, like Arthur Pue Gorman, the anti-imperialist argument would hold more ‘sway’ with me. I agree the Spanish-American war but I am not enthusiastic about the Treaty of Paris that resulted from it. I believe that if the United States acquired the Philippines, a war would most likely come out of it. I think imperialism violates a principle from republican government that we must have “consent of the governed” to take over their entire land, thus making imperialism immoral and disregards America’s commitment to human freedom and liberty. Also imperialism neglects the self government and non intervention ideals that were put in the Declaration of independence. This is because many pro imperialists argue that imperialism will help civilize the other nation, however this would be done by force and could cause rebellion because other nations may not want to adopt to American ideals. Imperialism is mostly done for goods and raw materials, so taking over another country or region will intervene in their economy. Imperialism also intervenes with the lives of others as pro imperialists claim Americans know what’s best for other countries like the Philippines and Guam. Many local democrats of the 1890s are known to be more conservative and farm based, this means that if American becomes an imperialist nation, which could also lead to assimilation and and introduction of other cultures, the poorer people who may work on farms or even in factories will have lower wages and a higher risk of job loss due to potential strikes. Imperialism may also result in higher taxes to support a larger army, this may cause problems as many of the people in the democratic party because of economic status, may not be able to survive under increased amount of taxes. If America decides to trade in cooperation with other countries instead of annex them, we would have less problems would occur, we wouldn’t be seen as a threat to weaker countries, and there would be less political tension as well as less risk for wars, which would mean less innocent lives lost.

  22. Elsie Meilinger

    I choose Stephen M. White as my senator in 1898. He was a democrat from California. White mostly agrees with the first and fourth arguments against imperialism: imperialism is immoral (against freedom and liberty) and puts us deep into politics, possibly war. He believed that the United States really had no right to “save” the Philippines etc. He thought that we weren’t even saving them from anything significant. White’s ideals related to the American ideals of peace, which he believed these notions of imperialism would harm and contradict. White thought that putting the nation’s honor, stability, ranking, and citizens at risk because of a war merely to conquer a nation we should have no control over was stupid. White goes along with many of the common anti-imperialism ideals of his time period along with most of the democrats in this time, directly contradicting with most republicans with their pro-imperialistic views.
    One of the arguments that sways me the most is the idea of being able to trade with these countries or territories instead of annexing them. It would be pretty much equally beneficial to annexing them, maybe even more beneficial. You wouldn’t have to control or maintain the conditions of the territories, while having the benefit of having consistent trade with that area, benefiting both parties. Another argument that gets my attention is our intent to “civilize,” but instead rob that territory of their natural resources. It is immoral for us to claim one thing, but execute another. If we need their natural resources, it should be in our best interest to keep a constant trade with them.
    With the issue of foreign people taking jobs in the United States, shouldn’t those people fighting for jobs against immigrants be against imperialism? Once the United States annex a territory, they will eventually be given the opportunity to move the mainland in North America, looking for jobs. These people will be the ones competing against the Nativists for jobs, probably getting less pay, and more desirable to hire. It would not be beneficial for the people of this time period to have to keep competing with more and more foreign workers who are looking to take their jobs.

  23. sydney taylor

    My name is sydney taylor. I am a southern senator,republican. I feel incredibly strongly for imperialism. The argument for imperialism has a deeper meaning to me than the argument against it . It is like it does fix most of the problems we have. And we would be helping the lesser countries also. Also with them not having to be citizens of the us they could still also be like the natives here. Plus we need the expansion of more land so we can place navy out far. Because personally I do feel it could be better for both of us so a win win. In a situation like this we need the land and don’t want the spanish to be incontrol. But I can see how some of the arguments against imperialism. Saying it will make the us too much of a power house and wage war. I disagree with the ideas.
    One of the arguments I really think work well is this one” Imperialism is good for America. It invigorates a nation and keeps it healthy. A slothful nation will victim to those countries that maintain soldierly virtues.”
    I interpret this as meaning that having imperialism makes nation healthy rather than the nation being a slow wake county to overcome to stronger ones. Life of the fittest in a sense so we don’t fail. The winners live while others crumble. Ido want the US to be a strong stable country, with power. Also I do believe this too, Republicans favored annexation because it made the party look good after winning the war. The annexation would be a piece of cake, considering that we already have the islands. So it would make sense to free others and expand the us further. In ties with that then comes having the better trade also we would have better economy from that so more money. “To let other imperial powers have the Philippines was bad business and discreditable.” this is completely true it would be horrible if we let another country get incontrol of the philippines. So we must act first rather than last.

  24. Rhyan Hurns

    I am Albert J. Beveridge a Republican senator from Indiana (and also closely affiliated with the Progressive Party). I am a strong believer in imperialism and have followed closely with the views of Republican leader Henry Cabot Lodge with his support of the annexation of the Philippine Islands. Allowing the Filipinos independence is irresponsible because they are unfit and uncivilized people who are not capable to govern themselves without the help of the American government. I firmly maintain the stance that the Anglo-Saxon Americans need to expand and Christianize the uncivilized nations of the world. Through civilizing them we will gain more trade opportunities not just in the Philippines but also in Asian countries. If we obtain control of the Philippines it would give us access to an abundance of raw materials that would rapidly expand our trade options and increase economic opportunities with the Asian markets. We have already fallen behind on the Chinese trade ventures so if we back out of control of the Philippines would allow for some other imperial power to swoop in and create bad business. The annexation of the Philippines would allow for us to gain economic power and eventually maintain a more powerful economic and political standing world wide. With the growing imperialist views from many European countries it would be smart for the United States to follow in line to acquire more power. Annexation of the islands would be a simple endeavor which would help us tremendously due to already controlling the islands. We have just won the Spanish-American War, why would we cowardly give up control? With the momentum from winning the war we could attain political respect and create European allies which could lead to more trade options. We must show that we are a powerful nation of growth and expansion politically, economically, and through military power. Permitting the Filipinos full independence would be a waste after fighting to keep them safe and not getting anything in return.

  25. blair chernow

    I am a Northern Republican senator from the state of Michigan. Throughout my political career very rarely have I been faced with the task of picking a side: imperialism or no imperialism. Although both sides have much evidence and reasoning supporting them, I have to sway with the Pro-imperialism side. I sway in this direction, primarily, in accordance with the annexation of the Philippines. It was a hard realization to digest, but it’s evident that the Filipinos are incapable of organizing and maintaining a steady democratic nation. What has happened to their nation is entirely out of their hands. The effects of this continuous war have made it increasingly more and more difficult for Filipinos to live. Rebellion has figuratively become the first language of the nation. Aside from this, the Philipines is a resource and mineral-rich deposit that America must utilize. Our nation continues to expand and morph into an economic goldmine. With the help of the resources and mineral extracted from Asia, our nation will be able to continue to thrive with little to no repercussions whatsoever. With this being said, my second reasoning for imperialism shifts from Asia to Great Britain. American needs to implicate expansion to become a powerhouse empire much like Great Britain. Although America has been expanding greatly Great Britain has continued to be one of the biggest empires in the world. The British empire has progressed greatly by capitalizing on opportunities to conquer new land. The empire has colonies scattered all across the world and maintains tight control over them. Through imperialism, our nation can rise to and surpass the status of the British empire becoming a powerhouse dominion. The last idea that forces me to become a politician for imperialism is the pride and reputation America must radiate. If we were to bring our imperialization efforts to a halt, our nation would portray a sense of cowardness. Why go through all of our efforts to annex other nations and continue to grow just to give up and watch as other nations capitalize on the progress we left. Although imperialization might seem like a brutal way to develop as a nation, America must continue our imperialistic efforts in order to survive in this cruel world.

  26. ava kirchinger

    As a Republican member of the senate, living in the north, I support imperialism and definitely support the annexation of the Philippines. The United States already has control over the Philippines so why would we just simply give it back. Men risked their lives fighting for that territory, and many died, so we must honor them by keeping what we won and using the territory to both our benefits. If honoring the lost lives of our soldiers isn’t even enough persuasion to annex the Philippines then think about how America would appear to other countries if we gave independence to the Philippines. The United States has proven many times in the past to be a strong and powerful country and giving away a territory that we won would look weak and cowardly. Also, the Philippines has been ruled by Spain for many years now and it wouldn’t be right to give the Filipinos their independence as they are not fit to rule themselves yet. We would be doing the people of the Philippines a favor by ruling over them and showing them what a strong, free, and independent government should look like. Imperialism is as good for America as it is for other countries. Annexation of the Philippines and other territories puts the United States in a very strong and dominant position to trade with large countries such as China. And don’t forget about all of the natural resources, markets, and raw materials we can acquire from the territories we rule. This would benefit both the American economy and the economy of the territory as we now are in charge of everything being produced and the territory will save money by not having to pay the expensive tariffs and taxes. Finally, if you are still somehow concerned with the thought of imperialism or the annexation of the Philippines you can take comfort in knowing that if the United States does choose to annex the Philippines their people do not have to become citizens. Similar to how we treat the Native Americans, the Filipinos will still be part of America but they will not be citizens, have full rights, and the 14th Amendment would not apply to them.

  27. Elodie

    I am a republican senator from the northeast and I have pro-imperialist views. My beliefs are that expansion will be favorable for our country and that annexing land in the Philippines will help promote American trade. Claiming land in the Philippines will help our country in trading with a greater number of Asian countries because we will be able to effectively use their waterways for ports. Another reason the Philippine lands are valuable to the United States is that there are many natural resources that our country can use. Since we are currently utilizing a large portion of natural resources in our country, using the resources in other countries can economically benefit the country. Expanding our markets is very advantageous. It is also beneficial to annex the land as part of the United States because after winning the Spanish-American war, it could be viewed by some as dishonorable to give the Philippines back. If we control the Philippines, we can use our Chrsitian beliefs and education to influence Filipinos. We can assist them by helping to civilize and uplift them. Also, we already have gained control of many of these islands so it makes sense to decide to take full control. However, by adding the Philippines to our country, there could potentially be issues surrounding the decision to allow Filipinos full citizenship. I believe that we should forbid Filipinos from being granted U.S. citizenship and that the Fourteenth Amendment will not apply to native Filipinos. This would cause no complications regarding the idea that many American workers have whereby most of them see Filipinos as a threat to their jobs.
    My republican views are very strong and because of this I will always remain loyal to my party. I will support the full annexation of the Philippines. Although I support the annexation of this country, I am experiencing slight unrest with this decision because I deem treating natives poorly as unethical. Imperialism would have to be reached in a humane manner. Annexation receives my support is because it is necessary for our country to expand economically but I remain somewhat undecided because of the harm that we could cause for native Filipinos.

  28. Noah Drake

    I represent a 1890s republican senator, who would classify as leaning for imperialism. for several reasons I support imperialism, such as the representation of our country. Giving up the Philippines will be a tarnish on America being designated as cowardly. Maintaining control over the Philippines is essential for Americas major investment in Asia. In this time period there were several major European powers that were heavily invested in China and other parts of Asia, such as Great Britain, Russia, and France, and America would be at a major global disadvantage if we lose the Philippines and the direct trading available to us now. Acquiring these other sovereign states, benefits the main country in other ways as well. the shipping of raw ingredients and resources from these islands, is an economic booster, and possibly giving up some of those would do nothing but hurt our economy. Although I disagree with not giving these people citizenship. I personally think that if the island is governed by Americans that anyone born or living there should be considered a citizen. There are situations where this can be delayed,and then given the citizenship later, but I argue against the non-giving of citizenship to the new people inherited to the country through the sovereign states. In addition to this topic hurting our economy directly, it would tremendously hurt our standings on the world stage. As most of the other countries were heavily invested in other sovereign states, and Asia especially, annexing these new territories would be super beneficial. I think that there needs to be a clean transition of joining the rest of America during the annexation process, because our country stands for all, and so everyone joining our country should be treated as fellow citizens. I also think that denying the promise of citizenship to the people of these places would be distasteful to our American values, meaning acting in the way of disconnecting these people from our nation when they are directly under our control is wrong. Overall I agree and support the Imperialist movement because of the economic factors the addition of new territory brings, and the gaining of American influence and trade power across the globe and Asia.

  29. Jack Nagy

    The argument for expansion/ imperialism sways in my favor. At this point, America is an empire, and all empires, at one point or another, go through many points of expansion, as well as retraction, though retraction will not catch up until the empire collapses. Lots of senators agree with the rapid expansion of the United States, but the Southern Democrats are very radical about their expansion, and almost make it sound like we’re not doing our job if we do not expand faster. The Northern Democrats ideas about expansion were similar to the Southern Democrats, but the Southern Democrats were much more extreme and radical than the Northern ideas. Not expanding our territories could lead to our downfall, because we are not the only country vying for new land, other empires want the same land we desire, and our land, too. They would attack us and take any land they could by inching up on our country. Also, we can’t just give the land away for free, or back to the countries. It makes our nation look incredibly weak and cowardly, giving the land back to the owners. Also, the more citizens or nationals that enter the United States means more troops for the armed forces and more money collected through taxes. These advantages could help us greatly and make us a much greater influence on the world. If we let these territories go, other nations could reap the benefits we missed out on, and take advantage of other nations or our nation. Also, the Philippines shouldn’t have been granted independence, because the nation was not receiving much support from the Spaniards while they controlled the islands, so it will be very difficult for them to develop into a prosperous nation. Also, with island territories such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hawaii, and The Philippines, we could trade with many nations we don’t trade with often, such as India, Australia and China. This could allow our economy to expand to different international markets and spread our products throughout Asia and Oceania. Expansion is necessary for our country to succeed, and we can’t slow it down or try to stop it.

  30. Ella Plumstead

    My name is Henry Cabot Lodge and I, Republican Senator, support imperialism and the annexation of the Philippines. I grew up in Massachusetts and received my PhD from Harvard. I am best friends with Theodore Roosevelt who also shares my pro imperialism view. I strongly believe in the idea that with the annexation of the Philippines, we, the United States, can continue to build a strong navy and develop further our foreign affairs interests. With the Spanish-American War, our nation should have recognized the power and effects we have on foreign nations, so we should continue to use this asset. This also connects with the annexation of the Philippines in the sense that if we get involved, there are numerous benefits. These benefits include a new naval base in China, access to the Philippino economy and market, and the fact that if the United States decides not to manage the Philippines and let them stay independent, they will most likely get taken over by some other power. If we do not dominate them and invest, the third party that controls them will make us as a country look weak, especially our military and navy. Do we really want to look weak to other countries and become a nation that can be dominated, or do we want to be a strong force who dominates others and doesn’t get dominated? As we already control the islands, it is so simple to take a hold on all of the Philippines. As we take them over, we don’t need to grant each person citizenship, as well as the 14th Amendment doesn’t need to apply. If we officially emerge ourselves within the Philippines, we additionally grant access to natural resources and the trade market with countries as powerful as China, which many desire. As I believe Americans are the superior race to all other immigrants, the United States should have no problem taming and sculpting Philippinos into proper people, people in which we would be proud of if they were our citizens. Overall, imperialism is the way to go for a strong, plentiful, and influential nation. Taking over the Philippines achieves the Republican dream of controlling all international affairs.

  31. sophia chung

    I am a senator from New York and I am a Republican who believes in imperialism and expansion. For the most part, I believe in pro-imperialist ideals because of the hopes for better advancements in the future. The factors for imperialism will help America grow in power and make the country better for the people.
    Giving the Philippines back to Spain is seen as “cowardly and dishonorable”, and giving it to another country is just as bad. If we were to do any of those, that reflects poorly on our country and represents us as weak. That is why we need to keep the imperialistic ideals and keep a powerful American image. Because the Filipinos are so unfit to rule themselves, we would be helping them if we were to take them over and civilize them with education and religion. Because of these things we will he helping America stay on top, and we won’t crumble in power by other countries if we don’t do what we need to. By helping the Filipinos we would be helping our trade relations with other countries allowing us to get greater products to and from countries such as Asia. This would not only help us increase our trading imports and exports but it would also make America dominant in the world trading system, helping give us more power and respect from other countries. By becoming dominant in all the trading it will expand our markets, making America an economic powerhouse, creating many products for everything. This will also help us take over all the markets there are around the countries. We already have power and control over the other islands, why not take over the Philippines as well, it won’t be hard and it will help us grow geographically. If and when we do take over the Philippines we don’t need to take all their power away and make them follow our government, we can keep them independent. They don’t have to be considered citizens of the United States of America. This will help the Republican party thrive after the winning of the war.
    For all these reasons I think that the United States should expand and have imperialist ideals. They will not only help us expand literally but it will also create more advancement for America in the future.

  32. Margaret Anderson

    The year is 1898, and I am a Northern Democrat senator. When I was younger I looked up to the leaders of the Revolution and have always been inspired by their ideas. This has lead me to be most swayed by the anti-imperialists in the debate on imperialism. If we were to incorporate these territories into the United States of America we would also be incorporating the people that live in these lands. It seems wrong control these lands like Britain had controlled us. Additionally, my father was an industrial worker, so I sympathize with the workers today. The Philippians would drive down the wages and take numerous job opportunities for these hard working Americans. My vision for the United States is that we stay out of world conflicts and instead focus on making ourselves better. If we engage in imperialism then we are putting ourselves in the center of the world’s politics. This would mean that there is always a constant threat of war with other countries that want our land. Consequently, we would have to maintain a large and well trained standing army. That would go against the ideas that our country was founded with, it would also mean more taxes on American citizens. Instead of focusing our money on expanding, we should be working to better the lives of people who already live in our country.
    I fear that my fellow politicians have strayed too far from the ideas of our forefathers. They fought to free us from the imperialism of England, as they saw it as unfair and depriving Americans of their rights. If we continue to conquer the Philippines, aren’t we doing the exact same thing that the British did to us. Not only that we are doing the same thing as the Spanish did to Cuba, which we currently fighting a war to end. By doing this we are acting hypocritical and betraying the very ideas that formed our country. Those that are for imperialism argued that we must control the Philippines if we want to trade with them, but that isn’t true. It is possible to trade without annexing an entire country

  33. Alex Hamze

    I am a Republican senator from the North, and I am for Imperialism. I believe that if we use diplomacy with the idea of Imperialism, we can become a strong nation, and strengthen our bonds with other countries. There are many reasons to support the argument for Imperialism. First, we can possibly prevent future war and havoc upon other countries if we let them start governing their own country. Instead, we can use diplomacy and more humane approaches to help them civilize their country so they can govern it themselves later on. Secondly, we can increase trade with other countries. For example, the Philippines can be extremely useful towards us because we can control trade with other larger regions/countries in the world. We really need the valuable and raw materials that they have, which are extremely useful for us and for trade with other countries. It would also appear cowardly if we were to give the Philippines back to Spain and would make us appear weak. The natives that live in the Philippines would not become U.S. citizens and we will treat them like we have with the Native Americans, as dependents. This benefits both our country, and theirs. They will remain with what they have been doing for years and they will not create competition for jobs or wages in our country. If we let other Imperial countries/powers have the Philippines it will break bonds and ties and would worsen business with other countries. Annexation would be extremely easy at this point in time because we already have control of the islands. Britain was once the main world power and we were just 13 colonies and dream, now we are a major power and have the chance to expand our ideas through diplomatic and humane approaches in order to keep our country a healthy one and help other countries towards a more civilized, diplomatic, and well-governed one. I truly believe that if we use diplomacy and idealistic approaches to help other countries and make our count stand out as a strong one we can make a good change.

  34. Lara Ringey

    As a Massachusetts senator, I am a part of the Republican party. I stand on the side of the idea of imperialism, and my decision is based off of these following ideas.
    First off, as a republican senator, I believe that annexing these territories would prove both our party’s strength, as well as show how powerful and progressive the United States of America is. If we were to just sit back and do nothing, our country would be looked down upon and seen as lazy. This would be be seen as an invitation for other countries to take advantage of our indolence, and we would end up losing on the many benefits of owning these territories for ourselves. We would be able to reap many profits as by controlling places such as the Philippines we would have extensive access to a larger and better market. We would also be able to knock China out with our superior trade industry. We’d have extensive access to the markets as well as the raw materials that exist. With this access, we would eventually be able to begin producing more products than what we are consuming, which would cause our profits to heighten. Thus, for economic and political purposes, continuing to expand our empire would be in our best interests.
    Besides the economic and political bonuses, we would also be doing these people a favor by freeing them from the tyrannous forces such as Spain. In America, we would be able to civilize these people through showing the way of Christianity and American culture. Currently, people such as the Filipinos are incapable of ruling themselves, so we must guide and take care of them. Because of this, they wouldn’t have protection of the 14th amendment. Instead, they would be treated as dependents, similar to how we took care of the Native Americans. So by annexing these territories, we would be able to improve the livelihoods of these people.
    In conclusion, I am in favor of imperialism as it would both improve the lives of our country’s citizens, as well as those living in the other territories.

  35. estelle vedie

    If I were the assistant secretary of the navy teddy roosevelt in the 1890’s, I would support imperialism strongly, and I would be all for making advancements for the future of the country. I believe that imperialism is good for this country as it would make us more united and a stronger nation overall. I would want to take land from the Philippines due to my strong support of the mindset of manifest destiny of my time period. I believe that allowing spain to regain the philippines would be cowardly, and getting the philippines and potentially other territories in asia would be beneficial for the united states, as well as perfect for advancing my country’s economy by promoting more and more trade in the eastern countries of the world. I believe that the more land america is in control of, the better it would be not only for us but for other countries. it would definitely make us look better to other countries, especially having won the spanish american war and would show a sign of power if we got the philippines under our control. this country needs the raw materials that are easily accessible in the philipenes, and we have a chance to obtain it now, so it would be stupid not to push for the annexation of these islands. this would only be beneficial for the people of this great country. also, I believe that we would be doing the people of the philippines a great favor in not allowing them to keep their independence, because they are certainly unfit to govern themselves and need a strong christian rule to lead them and their government. the Filipinos need to be uplifted, christianized and civilized by a country such as the United states. although the philippines would be under the control of the united states, i don’t believe that the people there should receive american citizenship. I think that the fourteenth amendment shouldn’t apply to them because the people there are very different from the original americans. in my opinion, if we want America to continue prospering and doing well and being a strong independent nation, we need to take strong actions and be able to control our annexed territories, and show no weakness to other countries. also, annexing territories such as the philippines would make my republican party look good, especially after having won the spanish american war.

  36. Hope Sherwood

    I am Hazen S. Pingree, a four term mayor of the state Michigan, and currently the twenty fourth governor. I am a Republican and fifty seven years old, and I believe that imperialism is a great policy for the United States of America. It will benefit our country in many different ways including economically, politically, socially, immediately and gradually into our future. We need to obtain the philippines right now! If we dont we will look very weak and not like the leak the heros we are, because they are in a time of need and suffering greatly because of the Spanish unfair power over them. We can help the people of the Philippines become more civilized and learn the skills to survive as a good civilization. Also if we take the Philippines it will give us more economic opportunity, think of all the great new trade and raw materials we could have! And with all of the trade that we can have with the Philipinos it will cause us to dominate and expand trade with Asia and China and get even more money. And yes, some people are worried that expansion into new lands and territories will cause less job opportunities, because foriegn people are willing to work for cheap wages and have different skills us purebred Americans have, but there is no need for that fear. This is because we can civilize and help them grow, but the 14th amendment wont need to apply to them, so then there won’t need to be the worry that there will be a huge influx of Flipino immigrants come flooding into the U.S to steal our jobs. Yet this benefit does not apply to everyone but once we obtain the Philippines there will be more people to support the Republican party because people will have been happy with Mckinley’s success, which he will have because the United States has most control over the islands anyways. As a leader of a state, I see how easy it is for moral values to get lost when creating or obtaining new systems, so my only true hope for when we get the Phillipines is that we treat the civilians of that territory in the way that we promised because I wouldn’t want it ending in the way we are treating our Indians now.

  37. Charlie Cusimano

    As a Republican Senator from New York, Chauncey M. Depew, I support the ideas of imperialism and the Spanish American war. The development of foreign lands will increase our revenue in the economy. These new lands provide natural agricultural products that are needed for trade. The abundance of these resources help our country thrive out of the economic depression of the early 1890’s. Expanding our country will not only help the United States, but it will also help the people of these other lands. These people live in poverty and need our support. We are obviously superior to the people of these lands. Gaining the new land will help everyone and improve all nations that are involved. In order to get these lands we may have to go to war to win them. As a war veteran myself, I believe that going to war for this is acceptable and even can be considered necessary. Taking over these existing nations might require our military power. Our country should be willing to do everything we can possibly try in order to acquire more foriegn land. I have always believed that we need more land because our growing cities. In New York, I have dedicated areas of land just for the nature. If we add land to our country then it will give us more space to do more of the things we need to do, such as farming products native to the hot weather. It also gives us strategic places to put military bases. This will increase our power as the strongest nation in the world. If we do annex these countries, then I think that the people should be allowed normal citizenship in the United States of America. It is only fair to them to get the same rights and privileges because of the contributions they can make to our country. Many people in our country support imperialism for the same reasons stated above. The evidence proves the beliefs of imperialism. It is best not only for our country, but for the others who are unfit to rule themselves. We have the power to easily obtain the nations and should do so to prosper the resources they have.

  38. Ellie Deighan

    I am a northern, republican senator and I support imperialistic ideals and therefore the annexation of The Philippines. If we were to annex new territory, it would be a huge strategic advantage to the United States. We would have access to their natural resources and would also begin to dominate trade in China and other Asian countries. We would also be able to create a military base there which would be extremely helpful, especially to our Navy. I agree with the point that it would help to make America look good, because since we have just won the Spanish-American war, it only makes sense to continue our advancement of power, by spreading it to The Philippines. We already control so many different islands that it would be stupid to not annex The Phillippines. The citizens of The Philippines are uncivilized and it is our duty to help them learn our ways by Americanizing them and teaching them our ways of Christianity. Because of their loss of knowledge on how to govern themselves, we should help them but I do not believe that they could be included under the 14th amendment or be able to live in close quarters with white Americans. This is why it would just be easier to not give them citizenship or voting rights. If we were to not annex The Philippines, another imperial power is bound to do so. As we have control right now, there is no point in not annexing before somebody else can. If someone else were to do it, it would only reflect badly on us and make us seem weaker. We also would not be able to have our base so it would have a negative effect on the navy. On the other side of the Atlantic, European powers are taking over many African countries. We cannot let them get so far ahead of us and it would be wise to continue imperializing while we still can. William McKinley is a fantastic Republican candidate and it would make him look good if we were able to extend our power by annexing. Because of these reasons, imperialism could greatly help to empower our country and would be extremely beneficial for the Republican party.

  39. Eric Heifler

    I’m a Popualist senator from Colorado. I do NOT support imperialism. I feel that the new empire that America would create only benefits the large corporations. While they make profits off the backs of foreigners, the American people will suffer. Expansionism is just one of many ways the big businesses control Washington, and that if well allow them to do this, we are no longer a nation for the people, but a nation for greed. This will set a precedent that the robber barons control government not the elected officials. The American farmer would be crushed by new, cheaper competition from the colonies, and with that, the heart of America will suffer. The bourgeoisie will exploit the natural resources of the colonies for their own gain, and none would be redistributed to the common man, instead the wealth gap will become larger. It is not just immoral to create an empire, but also foolish. It will now be the job of America to protect these colonies from other powers. This would call for a larger army, which would mean that we’d be sending more of our young men to die for nothing but the greed of the capitalists. We also are put in the position that America has to take care of an inferior race (yes I’m that kind of populaist). To civilize our new populus, it will take resources that could be used to lift up white America farmer. Do we force ourselves them to even try to civilize them. In doing so we risk revolt, and the blood of Americans. Only those who control the means of production want an American empire. They want a way to use cheap labor from people who are incapable of fighting them through any other means but violence. That is where the might of the United States army comes in, who will lay down their lives for those who steal from their own countrymen. The American farmer will suffer, the industrial worker will suffer, anyone republic will suffer because of expansion. We must say ‘no’ to the seduction of empire, to save America from the greed of the bourgeoisie.

  40. grace kauffman

    I am a pro imperialism senator from the north and am a republican party member. Although some morals for imperialism are wrong and corrupt, I believe that the importance of expansion in the american empire has greater importance.
    In order for america to gain power, we need to expand and take control of places outside of our current land. Also, It is better for us to have places such as the philippines because other countries could handle their power poorly. In my opinion, it is okay to take control of other places as long as we give them a voice. In the future I want these people to be able to have a voice in how the country is and who controls it.
    Taking control of the philippines could be very beneficial for our nation and help our country economically, socially and politically, especially in regards to relations with china and asia. We produce so many goods in America and need to have someone to sell them too. American citizens are currently making more than they can consume which makes the asian consumers that much more valuable.
    This annexation would also be very easy for america as we control many islands around. This makes more sense because it won’t cost very much in order for us to take control. With that said if the annexation does happen, much needs to be done to in order to protect the people that like in those areas.
    The main problem that I have with imperialism is the fact that many of my coworkers believe that the new citizens won’t have full rights as american people. I think it would be wrong to restrict them from their rights when they are just as worthy to vote and be citizens as us.
    The main problem that i have personally with not imperialism is that if America wants to grow and compete with places like europe, we will need to gain more land in other areas of the world. This will allow, not only for the development of our economics but everything else. This step for our country is essential for developing our nation and growing to be the most powerful of them all

  41. Joelle Allen

    Henry Cabot Lodge:
    As a man who has been born and raised in Massachusets, a prominent state of this great country, I would like to state that I am in support of the annexation of the Philippines and any other country we see fit. I am a republican and a Harvard educated man, and I firmly believe that American Expansion plays a hand in economic success. It is as important as having a strong navy, power politics. Annexation would allow for easily accessible trade with China. With multiple locations to work from (after we acquire more territory) America would only grow more powerful. I would also like to mention how these lands give us access to more goods, further extending my argument in favor of annexation as such raw materials would help us produce more things. As American’s, we have seen a pattern in how our country develops. The Louisiana purchase sparked not only the connection of trade across lands far and wide with our acquiring control of the Mississippi River, but there were technological advancements as well. Our lands won in the west lead us to improve our railroads and communication systems. I have no doubt that the Philipines will do the same for us that those land purchases did for our fathers. In addition, our victory in the Spanish American War provides us the chance to spread the good news of democracy and American values. With every step we take on a new land we further promote civilization and Christianity. If we do not keep or steak in these new territories they’ll likely fall subject to the rule of another empire, or it would crash and burn at the hands of people unfit to rule. What would it say about America, or the republican and democratic parties if we do such good and let it go to waste. There are investments to be made, people to be saved and educated. This victory has granted us great opportunity to the same for our people today as Thomas Jefferson and James Polk. To conclude, I agree with the arguments made for imperialism. They’re backed by history and our compliance with god’s plan for the spread of the American ideals should continue with the Philippines and Puerto Rico.

  42. Keegan Reed

    I am Henry Cabot Lodge and I am a republican senator from Massachusetts. I was born into a wealthy and privileged family and supported the conservative faction even though I was republican After the Spanish-American war I came to represent the Imperialistic faction of the senate because we wanted to annex the Philippines. I believe that we should enforce Imperialism for many great reasons that would benefit our lovely country. I believe that the annexation of the Philippines would provide us great advantage in the trade market against the eastern countries like China and the rest of Asia. Our land close to those countries would surely benefit us. Another reason I believe we should follow through with the annexation of the Philippines is that the Philippine people are unfit to rule for themselves and need somebody to watch over them. They need us, America, to watch over them and help provide/guide them in the right direction in hopes that one day they can be just like us. Not annexing the Philippines would be cowardly and dishonorable if we gave them back to Spain. That would mean that the soldiers who died in this war, on both sides, died in vain and we cannot do that. We must honor these men. If we take over the Philippines we shall not mix them with us. What I mean by this is that we will not give them American citizenship. Granting them American citizenship would put those people in the same category/level of standing as white americans, which would be a disgrace to white americans. Also annexing the Philippines would be so easy to do so. We have already won the war so why not take the land with us? As I already said, taking the land for ourselves grant us grant advantages that could completely affect our future as a nation! After you have read my reasons I’m sure you’ll guess that I agree with President McKinnley’s choice of following through with annexation. And yes, you’d be correct, I do agree with him and I fully support his decision to do so.

  43. Ben Roman

    I am a northern republican senator. I believe that possessing colonies throughout the world offers limitless benefits to the American economy and military along with political power. To pass up control of a territory such as the Philippines would be foolish. We already possess the territory and fought a war in which Americans died in for it. Control of such a territory increases our influence in world trade and politics. This is necessary because as we speak, the powers of Europe and Russia are scrambling to get their hands on such territories. Giving in to the other powers would symbolize the United States stepping down from a position of power in the global economy and balance of power. I do not believe that backing down to Europe is the American thing to do, it is not in our blood. In addition to this, control over territories such as the Philippines by us provides mutual benefits to both parties. The addition of colonies to our economy will provide an extra market for our goods along with cheap labor and natural resources. It is also necessary to assume control of these colonies as the government and economy of these territories were they to be left alone would be non-functional. Many argue that imperialism is a product of a lack of morals, however if the US markets are made available to these colonies it will jumpstart their economies. US governmental control will show these colonies how to govern themselves and possibly self-government could be in the future of these territories. I am aware of the counterargument that the inhabitants of the colonies will rebel, and I ask you, why would they? We are helping them along their journey to civilization. We should pursue more humane methods of control than that of Spain as it is against American ethics to follow in their cruel footsteps. I am also aware of the concern of integrating the people of these colonies into the continental United States. However, the solution to this issue is right before our eyes. We can extend our policy towards the Native Americans to the populations of our new colonies. Therefore, we can annex the land and keep the benefits of the added territory and the people of the colonies will not become citizens of the United States. Not to mention, the strategic positioning of these islands such as Hawaii and the Phillipines can provide us with a gateway into trade with Asia and increase our markets even further. This strategic positioning also provides us with territory for naval bases which are significant if we wish to compete with the world’s powers.

  44. Emma DeMarco

    I am Henry Cabot Lodge, an American Rebuplican senator and a historian from Massachusetts. I sway with the argument of pro-imperialism, and I support the annexation of the Philippines and of the United States intervention in Cuba in 1898. I also was a great supporter of the Spanish-American War. If we returned the Philippines to Spain, it would make us look like cowards to the rest of the world, and would be a dishonorable move. I believe we should annex the Philippines, and it was a bad business decision to let other imperial powers take it. If we annexed the Philippines, we would have a great market to sell the flood of materials the United States is processing, which we need badly as we don’t consume enough of the masses of produce. To have another market would be a great contribution to business and economy in the United States As we already control the islands, it would be easier. Our imperialism can be beneficial to territories, as United States intervention in Cuba would save Cuba and grant them their freedom they have been fighting for. These regions, like the Philippines, need us to civilize them, as they are not fit to rule themselves, and we must Christianize and advance them. Imperialism is not immoral, as we are just helping these other countries. Also, the United States needs a strong navy, and being able to strategically place naval bases in these regions would be a great strength for our country and its military. I maintain the fact that the United States should also be more involved in foreign affairs. Imperialism, such as this, is greatly important for the United States, as we cannot fall weaker to other imperial powers. If we do not take advantage of these opportunities and let them fall to other powers, we are just weakening ourselves and our country. The Filipinos don’t have to United States citizens either, we can treat them as we treat the Native Americans. We need not apply the Fourteenth Amendment to them, as they will not be granted the right to vote in our elections.

  45. Ty Kennedy

    I am a Senator from Mississippi, and I am a Republican. I am leaning toward pro-imperialism ideals. I see America as a metaphorical empire, and expansionism is the ideal way to influence other countries. Imperialism is healthy for our country and will help us reach better trade markets. If we annex the Philippines, we have a major strategical point in increasing trade all throughout Asia, especially China. This means better items to trade, and most likely more money. Not only that, but the fact that we already have control throughout the Philippines means that it would be effortlessly easy to annex the islands. As for the Filipinos, they will simply not have to count as citizens, whereas the 14th Amendment entirely disregards the Filipino population, just as how we did with Native Americans. However, we will need to civilize and educate them. They must be Americanized to be civil, just as we did with the Indians. If we do not obtain the territory and give the Filipinos independence, the people living there will not be able to govern themselves, as they are not civil and are completely unfit for the job of a self-governing territory. Gaining this territory will also make our party look good, to say the least, as long as we win the war. The was is most probable to be won without too many cautionary mishaps. Sadly, the greed of the residents living in America could go haywire at any given point, so to conquer this fear, the annexation of the Philippines will let us produce more than we can consume, instead of the quite the opposite imminent outcome. We would those raw materials as we speak. Finally, if we give back the Philippines to Spain, that would ruin the depiction of our glorious America in their eyes. They would see us as weak, uncontrollable, and cowardly. To prevent this occasion, we can just annex the country we already have control over. I have heard these arguments throughout my town from the folk and other political members, and I feel like I reside with them. I feel like it is necessary to annex the Philippines for many reasons, and I believe nothing can convince me otherwise.

  46. Stavros Panos

    I am Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, a Massachusetts republican senator. I am a supporter for the argument of Imperialism to change the future. I believe being able to trade is a big factor to improve a certain region or country. Therefore, imperialism is a positive for the United States, since the annexation of the Philippines would put America into a situation to dominate trade with China and the remainder of Asia. Building off this, annexation will be very easy, knowing that we already have full control of the islands. Also, if we were to annex the Philippines, Filipinos don’t have to become citizens of the United States. We will just treat them similar to the Native Americans, because the 14th amendment won’t apply to them. Another side of me does feel like this is not morally right, because it the same outcome with the Native Americans will happen with the Filipinos. Wars will break out and revolts. Which we do not want to happen, as it will destroy the United States as a whole.I would be very concerned to have the addition of the Philippines to the United States because of the tensions it will cause with the whites and Filipinos. Due to my republican party, I am in full support of Mckinley’s decision of war. Especially cause of the victory from the war, the annexation of the Philippines made it look good. I also believe that Imperialism will be a plus to the Filipinos, as it will help civilize them and rule them. Although, we will rule them in a non dictatorship way because they are not suited to rule themselves. We will also provide them education and the spread of christianity, if they accept us into their territory. We will allow them to adapt to our American culture. If they decide to block us out of spreading into their territory, we will send in troops and wipe them out. Lastly, a major pro towards Imperialism would be a boost to our economy. If we took over the Philippines, we would use their natural resources to add to our natural resources and bring to ports to have a boom of trade with Asia.

  47. Mark Morris

    I am Eugene hale, I was born on June 9, 1836 in turner, Maine, and I’m 62 years old. I am a senator of Maine and also part of the republican party. I was a prosecuting attorney for nine years in Hancock County, Maine. I was part of the Maine legislature from 1867-1868 and was part of the house of
    representatives from 1869-1879. And was elected to the U.S senate in 1887 and is running for reelection in 1889. I agree most with the argument for anti-imperialism. I declined the post of the United States Secretary of the Navy, I believe that the Navy should not be a powerful force in America. So far I have been a leading voice for the opposition of Cuban intervention along with Senator George F. Hoar of Massachusetts and I believe that America should not be participating in foreign intervention. I believe in peaceful relations with other countries and territories and disagree with many people in my party and many others that we need to use force and threats to gain political power and land. Any intervention in Cuba is a waste of our military and tax dollars and creates a possibility for an unnecessary war that would only hold a negative effect on the American people. I strongly disagree with President McKinley’s stance on Cuba and I feel as he should return to his original stance on Cuba which was peaceful relations. The yellow press has multiplied the American people and turned America’s people toward war. I have participated in many verbal fights in the senate about my opposition to intervention in Cuba and many of my colleges have called me things such as a senator from Spain. I am a founding member of the Anti-Imperialism League in 1898. I am part of this group as well as major supporters like Mark Twain, Andrew Cariagee and Grover Cleaveland. We support Geroge Washington’s ideas in his farewell address about non-intervention with foreign policy. We should rely upon our own government and people to grow as one without the reliance upon foreign conquest and exploitation.

  48. macy west

    If I were a Northern Republican, I would most likely side with Imperialism as did Henry Cabot Lodge. The Northern Republicans believed most likely in the white man’s burden as they believed it was America’s duty to help bring freedom to the Cubans and that they were incapable themselves. I would want a strong Navy in order to be heavily involved in foreign affairs because as an American I would have a superiority complex. I would think that controlling Cuba and the Philippines would be an act of kindness, especially compared to the Spanish rule they were recently under. The control of various islands and previously Spanish led countries would not only be beneficial to the people incapable of self government, it would be beneficial to us for our naval force. With the other Anglo-Saxon countries imperialising it would be good for us to stay in the race and assert some dominant power. It would be embarrassing to not take advantage of this opportunity when so many other respectable countries are. Because the people of these islands are not very advanced enough to self-governed we wouldn’t need to fully incorporate them into American citizenship. The people will simply follow our laws without input in them because we know what is best for them. Great Britain’s colonization tactic worked with us until we had the ability to self govern, and these nations do not so we shall carry out the same tactic without it being harmful or at all dictoral to them. Lastly there is the trading aspect of colonization. The raw materials would not only help us, it would help the people of the islands because of their new american status. We would of course lift the tariff and this would help them get into the international trade more easily. The raw materials would of course benefit us as we would get raw materials with cheap labor most likely without big unionizing problems because they aren’t americanized yet. The cheap labor may hurt some industries in America, but as long as we put it towards things that are specific to their islands, the economy will be mutually beneficial.

  49. Erin Parker

    As a northern republican senator who has grown up living in a highly nationalistic environment, where devotion for my country is radiant and promising, I am in agreement that america should expand beyond its borders because it keeps our country healthy and reassures our status as a dominant force that won’t fall victim to other countries that hold strong militaristic virtues. The annexation of the Philippines would greatly expand our markets and essentially allow us to dominate trade in China and other areas in Asia advancing other exports and becoming a prominent economic power nation. The need for constant development, constant growth will keep us in line and eventually allow us to surpass our competitors. New natural resources exist all over this vast world, and our job as a nation is to acquire colonies that house these valuable resources to further the expansion of our markets. The downfall to not establishing imperialistic virtues is that we will……. Along with that, the natives of these lands, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, etc are not capable of managing the riches they possess. They are physically and mentally unfit to govern themselves, so that leaves it up to us. They need to be Christianized and civilized under our rule. We can offer them free education, the idea of religious freedom, and bring the English language to this region of people. If we fail to acquire the Philippines, Germany or Japan might assert their rights and our chance will have passed. It is better to assert dominance now, then to pass it up because it will be bad for business. Some Philippines might see my rhetoric as a leap for complete governing over them, but I assure that like native americans in America, the 14th amendment will not apply to them. They are not required to become citizens of our nation because neither are they from our nation nor will they be required to become citizens of our nation. We will ensure that they will not be subject to complete sovereignty rather they will remain independent, we will just handle the necessary economic roles within the colony. As a republican senator who sees the pride we as citizens have in our country, it is only absolutely necessary that we expand our borders to remain an economic power in the wake of other competitors.

  50. Gillian

    I am Mark Hanna, a Republican senator from the state of Ohio from 1897 to 1904. I fought in the Civil War and was also later a part of the Republican National Committee from the years 1896 to 1904. The same year I became a senator, I became William McKinley’s campaign manager and advisor after campaigning for him and supporting him for many years. The argument that sways me more, is the argument for imperialism. While I do support imperialism, I do not, however, support the Spanish American War. When the Senate voted on intervening in Cuba, I voted against it while most senators voted for it. I believe that it would have a better idea to continue to slightly pressure Spain into giving up Cuba instead of going to war. I believe in this because it was already starting to work, and would continue to do so if a war wasn’t started. When the war ended, I was happy that we won, but I was not happy that it was fought. I still believe that we would have been able to achieve the same outcome that is Cuban independence in the end without fighting. I later agreed with President McKinley’s decision to annex Puerto Rico and all the other Spanish colonies. I believe in this because as a strong industrialist and businessman, the annexation of these colonies could help my interests, and others, thrive. We also would be doing it without fighting any wars. Other colonies like the Philippines have a lot of raw materials that can and will be very useful here in America. The people that live there can also be hired as workers, and be paid very little money in return. Many businessmen like me, will find these materials very helpful and it would even help the colonies in return. While I do support the annexation of these colonies, I do believe that we should do it slowly and carefully as to not start any more unnecessary wars. Wars cost money that could be saved if we took things a little slower. This happened in Spain and could happen again. While there is still a chance of things going bad, the opportunities imperialism brings are too great to ignore.

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