59 thoughts on “Blog #151 – Final Exam – Debate Over Expansion”

1. Juno Saulson March 7, 2023 at 9:56 am

   I will choose Michigan as my region (to stay relevant), and be aligned with some of the conservative democrats (for arguments’ sake; I’m going to use some of the faults surrounding imperialism as part of my response). It’s likely that I would be swayed by a few of the following arguments: not wanting more “undesirables” (eugenics + nativism), new trade markets (specifically with china), and finally, the dishonor that comes with giving up a conquered territory. First off, I would like to note the clear offense that comes with expansion into “new” territories, specifically regarding the treatment of the indigenous people residing in these territories. If we make these territories a part of the US, wouldn’t we have to grant them citizenship? The right to vote? Life within the states? All of these would be compromising towards our true American values. The very same values our predecessors fought the British over. America is a land of Americans not those from the orient. If immigration had gotten this out of control, wouldn’t we merely be contributing to the mass migration crisis? Especially Asian immigrants. Not to say that gaining new territories wouldn’t be incredibly helpful for the economic status and stability of the continental US, but a mere con in addition to the numerous pros. Speaking of the aforementioned pros; gaining the new foreign markets and resources associated with these territories would be an incredible aid to the American economy. Due to the state of our current economy, the depression only ended a year or so ago and our economy is a representation of that. By having new colonies, we would be able to harness the labor of the people living there, the natural materials, and most importantly, we would actually have somewhere to sell our American-made goods. The Europeans aren’t big on importing our products like they were at the beginning of the century, but supply is most certainly outweighing demand, especially with the industry titans like Standard Oil co. The last point that truly resides with me, Juno, a totally real northern democrat, is the dishonor that comes with losing territories. Despite their hold on us, the British felt an incredible amount of shame over our independence. If we would think of giving them back to the Spanish or even let the uncivilized people be independent, we would be looked down upon by the annals of history. It is our duty as Americans to protect these territories. We are doing what our founding fathers would’ve done, and we are protecting their honor (and the honor of America) by keeping these colonies within arms length.

   Take all of this with a grain of salt, I didn’t know if I was supposed to write out what a democratic senator would say or just what arguments would fit with the political party of my choice.
2. Asher Leopold March 7, 2023 at 12:46 pm

   I am a Republican senator from the Western United States. One of the arguments that most resonates with me is that Imperialism and it contradicts the ideals and foundations that we have built our country on including the right to freedom and liberty. The founding principles that the United States were built on when we gained our independence from the British rule in 1783 were that everyone should be free to do, believe, and say whatever they need to have Liberty. Colonizing or conquering other nations such as the Philipenes is a direct attack of these values and should be treated as such by shutting these plans down. Moreover, the whole reason we fought and won the revolution against the British was because they were colonizing and taking advantage of us which is precisely what we are trying to do to these other countries. Another argument that I feel is very sound is that Imperialism puts us on the world political scale and makes us more vulnerable/succeptible to war which is never a good thing even if we win the war. Imperialism often angers other countries especially the ones closest to the conquered or their allies so it could give others more cause to declare war against us which inhibits our population, strains our resources, and is just a hinderance to our overall nation. And lastly, an argument that I think is very logical is that Imperialism would involve a large army which would mean that taxes need to be increased which would put a burden on the American people. Fighting wars which need big armies costs alot of money which would have to come out of American taxpayers’ pockets, subsequently lowering the wealth of the American people from the heavy tax burden. This is basically unavoidable if we decide to conquer countries and go to war more which is precisely the reason why Imperialism will cause more damage than good. So a contradiction to the United States’ beliefs and constitution, the heavy tax burden lowering American wealth, and the likelihood of going to war, are the reasons why Imperialism is wrong.
3. AJ March 7, 2023 at 1:37 pm

   I, Julius C. Borrows, believes that imperialism as a whole, but specifically in the Philippines, is a terrible tyranny that disrupts the way of life of another country. We started our invasion with good goals, as the Spanish are our enemy. We kicked them out of the Philippines, freeing them from the evil Spanish. However, as we thought we could help them, we instead started to control them. We did what we thought was the best for them, instead of helping, we colonized the islands. We forced our way there, without any thought or remorse, without any thought towards the people there. That ladies and gentlemen, is the problem with imperialism. We freed the Philippines but replaced the previous tyrants. Our ideals as Americans, Freedom and Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we wanted to spread that. However, we’ve only become the thing we wanted to destroy. Is forcing change against the people truly freedom and liberty? It’s not ladies and gentlemen. We can not push our cultural way either on the people of the Philippines. They must develop their own culture, they must return to their culture before Spain, and before us. Ladies and Gentlemen, were not truly trying to help, were trying to convert this group of people to white americans. Were not truly trying to help, we were using their resources for our own benefit. To us, they are a colony of the United States. Now doesn’t that sound familiar, In fact, that’s how we started this great country. Our grand military defeated the Spanish, but instead of leaving, we stayed. We claimed it was for safety, in case the Spanish came back. So I ask all of you today, why did we create an American military base with armed soldiers monitoring the island? That’s a military occupation. And what happens when they don’t like our cultural ways? They will rebel, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll use violence. They’ll use violence to protect their cultural ways from us, the “keepers of freedom”. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask one more question. Why do we have to put our wants over the needs of others? Thank you for your time today.
4. Ashton March 7, 2023 at 2:11 pm

   If I were a senator at the time, I’d imagine I’d be a republican senator from Ohio or something like that and would be deeply conflicted on the issue of expansion (like everyone else at the time). For starters, America had just won its first international war since the Mexican American war 50 years prior. The national pride and patriotism rushing through the country would cloud anyones judgment. Using this point, and starting with arguments for possession, the argument made by McKinley for keeping the territories because giving them back to Spain would be cowardly, well sounding a little but stupid today, would make complete sense to someone from the time period. We had just fought a war with Spain in which 280,000 of our own soldiers were killed (whether by Spain or disease). It’d feel almost traitor-esque to suggest giving anything back to the enemy. This also goes hand in hand with Teddy Roosevelt’s fear of missing out argument that this was America’s chance to become a “first rate” global power. The next most convincing would probably be the many economic arguments made. Albert Beveridge’s argument for the need of new markets to sell our products to is not only a convincing argument to republicans on its own, but after the panic of 1893, the argument would also seem hard to ignore. Another very persuasive economic argument is the position annexation would put us in for the race for Chinese markets. With all of the great powers of Europe racing to accumulate spheres of influence in China, the feeling of needing to prove ourselves as a nation as well as the economic benefits of securing a sphere in China would be a powerful argument for sure. As for arguments against, morality would be a big one. Well everyone likes to believe they would carry over their modern day perspectives into a past age, it’s hard to say. Being a republican senator though, I could see the argument that we are suppressing the freedoms and liberty of the Filipinos being a hard one to dismiss. Even more so with the heated speeches and papers being published by people like Mark Twain pointing out the hypocrisy of the United states wanting to become an imperial power. Another solid anti-imperialist argument would be the cost of all of these new colonies, both in money and time. These territories would now be the focus of politicians for the coming year/years. Plus the cost of money being taken from the mainland states and being poured into these faraway lands, the costs could add up quickly. In the end though, I feel that at least in the near months after the end of the war, the feelings of patriotism and optimism for the future of the country would outweigh the concerns of the anti-imperialists. I feel that to the 19th century me, anti-imperialists would feel like they were afraid of leading America into a status of world powerhood and I would probably end up being pro-imperialism.
5. Enzo Morucci March 8, 2023 at 1:25 pm

   I’m Henry Cabot Lodge, a Republican from Massachusetts. To adopt an imperialist stance is necessary if we as a country wish to become a great world power. All other European countries are doing it, Great Britain, France, Spain, and they are all huge empires because of imperialism, and we could do it better! We must get ahead of them and we can use imperialism to do so. Spain is treating their territories disgustingly and are about to fall to chaos. The dishonorable Spain is exploiting these countries, and our noble and heroic American men must come to the aid of the Cubans and Filipinos in their rebelling! It is the duty of America to save these uncivilized countries not just from Spain but also their self-governing demise, as they are too savage to be able to govern themselves. They need our help. So after helping free them from the cruel clutches of Spain, we must hold on to them to make sure they keep their freedom and their country doesn’t dissolve from the lack of capability to self-govern. By keeping them close we can provide them with our education and with civilization, which they are desperately in need of. Not only will this help them become great, this will improve the US itself. We are so efficient in making products that we have more than we can sell. With the Philippines under our sphere of influence, we can trade with China so much easier, and we can finally pull ourselves out of this string of recessions! Don’t let those cowardly traitors calling themselves anti-imperialists try to convince you to stop America from becoming great, and a country worthy of being called a world power. They are trying to hold us all back from fulfilling honorable deeds for these uncivilized nations. They are all fools for trying to stop America. America is a force that will die down if we do not re-invigorate it every now and then. Let us do that and fill America with energy and youth again! Consider my words carefully, and heed my advice, and America may still be great. Thank you all for attending this speech of mine, and together, we may yet prosper!! (imperialist crowd erupts into cheers)
6. antonia p March 8, 2023 at 2:59 pm

   I would be a Republican from probably New York City. Imperialism is just flat-out immoral. Who are we to take over other countries? We were founded on freedom from Britain and now we are just going and taking over other countries. We “thought” we knew what was best Phillipenes but in reality, we don’t. Our idea of “helping” is colonizing them. As Americans, we do not want this image of taking over lands when they are in a weak state. Nativists “Fearing the pollutants of other races”, once again backtracks America as a whole. We are what we are because of forced and chosen immigration. The fear of cheap labor I can see coming from an economic standpoint, but if you really want to keep the job then you should work hard for it knowing there are others who are willing to work twice as hard for less pay. Many men want to go to war to live up to the stories of their fathers and such but, do not understand that many lives are lost and harmed. This goes into the masculinity struggle many men face thinking they have gone soft. Of course, there are hidden reasons for wanting to take over countries. When we go to “civilize”, it’s just taking their valuable resources and making them reliant on the U.S. These mentioned all lead me to be anti-imperialist as so many of these things we dealt with while we were a British colony. Why would we want to do the same to another country? This leads to a cycle of annexing. A reason for imperialists to annex the Philippines was that it would be too “cowardly”, well why even take them in the first place? It is important to help save them but they may not see much of a difference from the U.S. treatment. The fact they see Filipinos as “unfit” to rule themselves is outrageous. They know better than us about what would need to be done to help the Philippines prosper. They do not need to “civilize” or become Christians to rule themselves.
7. Christina Jones March 8, 2023 at 5:14 pm

   I am a Senator from the Southern United States. My position holds true, and I am unabashedly for imperialism. We as a country have become soft- and with the embarrassingly low number of wars we lack the courage to fight, we are becoming slothful and losing connection with one another. We as a people need to be united, and conquest wars will no doubt unite us as a people, which is exactly what we need in fear of this generation growing weak. We do not want to be cowardly or dishonorable- we need to finish what we started with Spain. We cannot simply give back the Philippines, so why not press on and take the rest of it. Annexation would be strenuous- we already have control of the Philippines! Afterall, the Philippines are nothing but a stepping stone to China. If we annex the Philippines, we will be ever closer to dominating trade with Asia- something we need to gain the resources that we lack and better our failing economy. We need their raw materials and markets. Besides, the people on the Islands are not fit to run their own country. They are nothing but savages, and need our help to better themselves as a people. They lack electricity, civilization, books, learning, steel, everything that we thrive off of. They cannot survive on their own, and it is our God-given duty to help them, just as we helped the Africans and the Indians. Assimilating them into our culture would save them before their own savage culture drags them down. But of course, we don’t want them living with us or next to us- and they wouldn’t have to. They do not have to become citizens of the U.S because they are so far away- so we can keep ourselves away from each other in separate spaces that allow for both people to flourish- just like how both cultures blossomed after Jackson’s Indian Removal Act. The more we annex, the more naval bases we acquire and the more land we get underneath our name. The United States will rapidly become the most powerful nation on our planet Earth. Moreover, imperialism would simply be beneficial to our nation as a whole.
8. Lindsay March 8, 2023 at 7:43 pm

   As a Democratic Senator of Michigan, I feel that imperialism directly clashes with this nation’s founding principles. Imperialism would be infringing on the freedom of those who reside in the lands we wish to take, giving us a strong resemblance to Great Britain. In order to uphold the values our founding fathers wove into this Nation we must reject the idea of imperialism. Firstly, Impearsim would also put us in a valuable state. Conquering and acquiring would put America in a position of war. We must ask ourselves, are we prepared to shed blood when so unnecessary. Although the Spanish don’t possess the level of strength we do, casualties cannot be avoided. Funding our troops would put a heavy burden on the backs of the American people through taxation.Secondly the inhabitants of the land we wish to conquer will not simply surrender to our ways. They will continue to keep the flame alive that is their culture and if we attempt to smother this flame they will retaliate. We have not handled an influx of immigrants well before, what makes this time different. The difficult question of citizenship would rise up again. All this immoral, devillike greed is blinding us and clouding our judgment. Our leaders such as Mckinley and Roosevelt are like mad dogs running around. Mckinley claims that allowing the Spanish to have the four territories would be cowardly and dishonorable.This argument lacks a solid logical foundation. Mckinley, as well as yellow journalists, are feeding off American Patriotism to propel this war by claiming that if we don’t send our troops off to fight we will be viewed as cowards. Roasvelt is using his influence to fuel his own desires. Roosevelt has an itching urge to go to war before he passes, he simply wants blood spilled so he can sleep soundly at night knowing he fulfilled his life. This war is being driven by children who cannot get their hands out the cookie jar. We, America, are biting off more than we can chew.For the sake of the American people, the American foundations, we must reject Imperialism.
9. Jacob G March 8, 2023 at 9:07 pm

   William Jennings Bryan was a three time Democratic party presidential nominee. As well as Woodrow Wilson’s Secretary of State. He hailed from Illinois, however served two terms in the house as a Nebraska politician. He was a fervent supporter of Free Silver, and a staunch skeptic in the quality of the gold standard. First, William Jennings Bryan thought that imperialism would harm the heritage of the United states. He thought highly of America’s history. He thought that since America was a nation founded by rebels; that we should support rebels of other countries such as the rebels in the Philippines. If we, as a country of rebels, were to suppress these rebels then it would make us hypocrites on the world stage. So he thought that we should only use imperialism to aid these rebels, like we originally “intended.” As Bryan believed, our long history of support for rebellion will have and had been tarnished with our oppression of the Filipino specifically; however also other smaller rebellions. Furthermore, Bryan thought that trade under imperialist rule would not be sustainable, nor truly profitable. since it would cost the American taxpayer and government so much money to support governance, war, and cost the businesses so much to ship so far that the trade would not be sustainable, nor profitable. This trade was also thought the trade was illegitimate, Bryan thought that since the trade was forced upon them and at any price wanted. He also disliked the idea of a large military policy and a militaristic America. If we were to disturb our countries’ somewhat peace, it could harm us, especially if we were to cultivate and grow a sense of militarism and a standing army. Moreover, forcing the Filipinos under the rule of the United States government would increasingly prove us to be hypocritical, as we are a country of freedom loving democrats who had forcefully taken other peoples as our own. Ending his speeches regarding that of imperialism, he states that since we gave Cuba their freedom and did not do the same with the Philippines that we are disrespecting the previous precedent set with the acquisition of Cuba. Lastly he stated that the words of our forefathers like Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson were being overturned and overruled with each conquest and imperialist action.
10. Augusten Lagrou March 9, 2023 at 10:32 am

    The Massachusetts senator in 1898 was Henry Cabot Lodge. If I was Henry C. Lodge, I would be a Republican and extremely supportive of imperialism and the annexation of the Philippines. I want the United States to have a wide range of power across the globe, and assume that expanding the US is one of the ways that this level of power can be achieved. One of the reasons that I would support the possession of the Philippines is that I would be a Republican, and it would achieve a positive look for the Republican party. As the current president in 1898 was McKinley, a Republican, winning the war already got a positive reputation for them, and having the Republicans also successfully gain the new territory of the Philippines, would lead to an even better appearance. Being a Republican, this argument would easily sway me in support, as it is an action that would help my party seem to be the best for the United States. Seeing as Henry Lodge had heavily supported the United States going to overthrow the Spanish in Cuba in the Spanish American War, I would believe that the US should spread our democratic government overseas. From a humanitarian perspective, I would think that America should be a role model for other places, and therefore want to spread what I would believe was the best option for places like Cuba and the Philippines. I think that these territories truly need the US to help them, as the US is my idea of the best country. As Henry C. Lodge, I would have a glamorized idea of the United States’ principles and believe that the US is superior to other countries, therefore worthy of having power across the globe over other countries. I would want the US to have more foreign policy, and gaining more territories would allow for this to happen. As a supporter of the Spanish-American War, I would likely think that if we had just recently won multiple territories for the US, and given back the Philippines, it would be a waste of our efforts to win. Also, as I was against Spanish rule in the Spanish-American War, I wouldn’t want them to regain power in the Philippines. Another main reason why I would support taking the Philippines is the positive impact it could have on the United States Navy. I want the US to have a powerful military because I believe it is the finest country, and having bases overseas would allow more opportunities for the navy. Possessing bases that are more spread out would allow our navy to travel longer distances easier by having places to rest, and generally have more influence around the world. Overall, I want whatever would gain the United States the most global power and influence, as well as a high reputation.
11. Jackson Mush March 9, 2023 at 12:57 pm

    I, Redfield Proctor, Republican senator from Vermont choose to be in favor of Imperialism. As our nation grows to become one of the world’s superpowers, we need to fulfill our god given right as a country to expand our borders. Annexing the Philippines is the first step to accomplishing this. The Filipinos have just been freed from the reign of the Spanish and are unfit to rule themselves. A situation of annexation would be a win-win for us and them. We can come in and educate them about Western ideals and civilize them, and we don’t even have to consider them American citizens under the 14th. In return we use their land as a trading ground and a naval base. Our U.S. industries are pumping out more goods than ever and we need new markets to sell our products to. Controlling the Philippines would put us on all of Asia’s front doorstep for trading. Other rivaling countries like Great Britain, Spain and Germany have been imperializing other countries also, if we ever want to compete, we need to start expanding. Besides economic and military purposes, the most important reason is to keep our nation in check. A good friend of mine, Teddy Roosevelt, pioneered this idea. The idea that Imperialism is good for a country and invigorates it, keeps it healthy. If America ever wants to continue to become a world superpower even more, expansion outwards is key. If we keep the nation the same size that it is now, we will become weak and slothful, just like Spain. If we became weak, invasion would be inevitable. If we have some healthy competition, our nation’s military will grow and benefit the whole country. I see annexation as our only option too. Think about what we would miss out on if we left the Philippines alone. Leaving the Philippines alone after we just fought the Spanish would be seen as disrespectful and cowardly to the Spanish. It’s almost like we kicked them out for no reason. Leaving the Philippines alone anyway would lead to some other superpower coming in and annexing. With so many power hungry nations looking for land, someone is going to scoop the Philippines up in a second. Overall not annexing the Philippines would be like missing out on an opportunity of a lifetime that would benefit every American.
12. Ireland K. March 9, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    Around the time period of the Spanish-American War, Americans debated whether or not America should become an imperial empire. Here is my argument on why imperialism is bad, from the perspective of Senator Robert A. Taft, who became known as “Mr. Republican” for helping to rebuild his party after the Great Depression and the Democratic dominance of the New Deal years.

    My name is Robert A. Taft. I am a Republican senator from Ohio. Personally I happen to be somewhat against what imperialism stands for. Imperialism is the economic and political domination of a strong nation over weaker ones. I believe that for the U.S. to succeed with imperialism, that we should build up a large, powerful navy. This nation needs large fleets of ships to trade with the world and a large navy is needed to defend the rights to trade with other countries. Without this, the U.S. might be shut out of foreign markets. I think that for imperialism to succeed this should happen, but it doesn’t mean it is the morally right thing to do. But if we are talking morally (against imperialism) I believe that my idea of Dollar Diplomacy would be a better option. I used Dollar Diplomacy because I am a Progressive in foreign policy and I do not believe in wielding the ‘Big Stick’, in order, for the US to extend its influence abroad. I believe that the ‘Big Stick’ is to be ‘thinly veiled imperialism’, which is against America’s founding principles. I, also, used it as a way for America to be less involved in World affairs. My Dollar Diplomacy guaranteed loans to countries using economic power. It was different from Roosevelt’s, because mine placed less emphasis on military force and more on economic development.
13. Addison Wolfe March 9, 2023 at 2:26 pm

    I am Senator Albert Beveridge and I am for imperialism. I am from the north, Ohio specifically, and have practiced law for many years. I believe that if we continue to expand the United States of America by annexing other countries and territories that we will become the best nation out there. I think if we build up our navy to be the best that it can be then we will dominate over the rest of the continents. This can also all start with annexation of the Philippines. They are our stepping stone to success and with control over them, the US will be limitless. In addition to this, Imperialism is obviously important for America. If we are too slow to begin this process, other imperial powers like Spain will try to fight for the Philippines, and by us doing this now we can prevent further destruction. We also need the raw materials right now because it will help us further grow our economy and agricultural farmland. We can be nice to the Filipinos too, we don’t have to be harsh. As long as we allow them to stay where they are and live in the Philippines, they’ll be happy and we won’t even have to call them citizens. They won’t care at all! If they’ve been there for hundreds of years not being US citizens, I’m sure they will be just fine. And there are so many opportunities for naval base spaces there, so it’s just a win-win situation! One may worry and say “Oh, well this is immoral and we are hurting the people there”. This is completely wrong because we are saving them from other imperial powers and protecting them from being in harms way. Yes, our naval ships may take up some space on their island but they are free to do whatever they want whenever they want, so there is no reason to worry about us trying to “Americanize” them. Another argument against this idea is that we could just trade without annexing other territories. To address this idea, why would we want to? We are a strong country and have the capabilities to take in other countries under our wing so why would we leave the Philippines behind? This is all for good reasons.
14. Jack brunt March 9, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    I am going to be a republican from wyoming. For this I am anti imperialism. I formally oppose imperialism for multiple accounts. America was founded after revolting from the British, which was an imperialist country. Our founding fathers fought against an imperialistic nation for our freedom and for America to become that imperialistic nation. It is a hypocrisy. Just as how Great Britain oppressed us, that is a possibility and a plan to oppress these nations that we are invading. If we take over these nations past homeland america they will have the ability to become citizens and as a result of that they have the ability to take our jobs from actual americans. Aswell after invading a nation it’s usually frowned upon by other nations aswell as the invaded nation, the United States will become hated by the international community for oppressing people and being a hypocrite, this could lead to a war like what happened with Cuba and spain. Going off of that if we take over nations that are outside of mainland United states our navy will need to expand dramatically aswell as our army to protect these foreign interests, this will severely raise the taxes that citizens pay to protect foreigners which many americans will feel a disconnect and start to despise this whole imperialism agenda. Many people including myself believe that having a presence in the globe is possible without having to take over territories outside of the mainland. It is possible to have trade without having excess territory, it is possible to have diplomacy without having excess territory and it is possible to protect our homeland without having excess territory. If we take over Cuba we have the task that Spain had and that will be alot for any land we take over. Many natives will not be happy with our presence just like how the native americans didn’t like the colonists taking their land the people who were originally here won’t like our presence just how they did not like spanish. Our military will undergo the next to impossible task of fighting off guerilla warfare from the natives who will have a much larger fighting force aswell as much better morale and reason to fight. In conclusion, I believe that in order to take land that is not ours it would be too much of a burden and would not be beneficial to the United States people’s interests.
15. Jacob Becker March 10, 2023 at 6:19 pm

    I, proud Republican senator Albert J. Beveridge am in utmost support of the further expansion of the pride and glory of the holy sacred savior himself, Jesus Christ, into other uncivilized countries. I want you all to know that I promise, guaranteed, that converting these uncivilized territories will benefit you all just as much as railroads back in the day. We went to war with the Spanish to ensure our safety as citizens of America. We all came to the United States of America for a new life. The pesky democrats will tell you we became what we are through change and political prowess. I say we became what we are through the triumphs of war. Our founding fathers did now win America by letting the British take over. Our founding fathers would have never backed down from fighting a war if it was in the interest of the American people. Therefore, it is our duty to fulfill what are founding founders would have wanted for our country; to spread Christianity far and wide. Our democratic competitors might say that committing such an act of war against an innocent race is an act of blasphemy or even genocide. Annexing the Philippines benefits our nation’s inherent destiny to spread Christianity. Without us, the Pilipheanes will never figure out how to be civilized. The Philpheanes are just as uncivilized as the barbaric Indians are.
    If we, as American citizens, do not want to become an extension of the British again, we better start acting soon to prevent other nations from seeing us as weak. By kicking out the Spanish, we proved that America was strong. The Spanish-American war was a success, so why try something different with the Philippines. Why try trading with a group lacking communication skills with us by doing them a favor instead and showing them a bit of American firepower. When we take over the Philippines, we will have a profitable trading network and access to the riches of Europe, unlike anything we have seen. After all, fighting is not selfish when it benefits everyone.
16. Emily Kruntovski March 10, 2023 at 9:04 pm

    I support American expansionism as a senator from the South and a Democrat. Particularly when it comes to the Philippines, the reasons in favor of imperialism are strong. First and foremost, it would be cowardly and disgraceful to surrender the Philippines to Spain. As doing so would damage our credibility as a country, we cannot just take back the land we worked so hard to acquire. Furthermore, permitting other colonial countries to take control of the Philippines would be unjust and dangerous to our own interests. I disagree with those who claim that giving the Filipinos their independence is the responsible thing to do. The Filipino people are not yet capable of ruling themselves. They require the direction and help of a developed country like the United States to elevate and Christianize them. Imperialism benefits the entire world, not just the US. It is our responsibility to bring civilization to those who lack it. Additionally, annexing the Philippines would give the US the advantage of controlling trade with China and the rest of Asia. We cannot afford to let other countries control the markets and raw materials of the area. Despite the fact that the Philippines are not directly adjacent to our country, we did not require the purchases or the expansion of the continental U.S. Take a look at how far we’ve come since then. We generate more than we can need. Opponents of imperialism argue that it is immoral and repudiates our commitment to human freedom and liberty. However, we are not forcing our will upon the people of the Philippines. We are offering them the benefits of American civilization and allowing them to choose their own path forward. This is not about self-righteousness, it is about doing what is best for all parties involved. Finally, some claim that imperialism will result in the need for a sizable standing army and a high tax burden. Even though there can be some expenses involved, the advantages of expansion far exceed the drawbacks. It is time for America to assume its proper position as a major global force. In conclusion, as a senator from the South and a member of the Democratic Party, I completely endorse American expansionism. The case for annexing the Philippines is strong and advantageous for both our country and the rest of the world. It is time for America to accept its role as a global superpower and help others who are less fortunate by spreading culture and prosperity.
17. Andrew March 11, 2023 at 11:27 pm

    I am writing from the perspective of Julius C. Burrows (A Republican Michigan Senator (From 1895 to 1911) who was listed under the list of people located on The Link that was on the Blog).

    As most of you may know, I am Julius C. Burrow, Michigan’s Senator, and we should unite, as a nation, in support of imperialism. We, as a nation, have suffered blood and tears, we have spent 400 million, and we have lost many brave American Soldiers. We, as Americans, should support the imperialist growth in the Philippines, for we have fought with our lives, we will grow as an industrial nation, we need to civilize the filipinos, and annexation would be incredibly easy. We deserve and have the right to annex the Philippines, for the murderers of our fellow countrymen, and the horrible war crimes they committed. We had just fought a war with Spain, which caused 280,000 of our own soldiers to be killed. We need revenge against the horrible guerilla war-tactics they used against us, and it would be cowardly and dishonorable to not act upon that. We, as a growing economy, need to expand our market to different markets and countries to increase our national income. We can have so many opportunities to increase our GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and dominate the global market, and it would be especially beneficial to gain an upper hand on China. With the annexation of the Philippines we would gain many raw materials and increase our market in the Asian countries. Another reason we should support annexation in the Philippines is because it would be incredibly easy to do, I mean, we already control the islands, why wouldn’t it be easy! They couldn’t possibly resist one of the greatest nations in the world! Finally, the Filipinos couldn’t possibly rule themselves, they’re completely unfit and totally irresponsible! They would crumble because their government is completely unprepared to govern the Filipinos, and they need our guidance and help in order to survive in today’s world and world economy. Assimilation would save them from their savage ways. If we annexed the Philippines, the entire United States would benefit, along with the Filipinos! With Imperialism, we will thrive as a country!
18. Parker March 12, 2023 at 11:23 am

    I Lenry Habot Codge of the East Coast and the republican party hereby proclaim my full and sure support of American expansion overseas. We have been destined from our beginnings to become the greatest power this world has ever known, so why stop at the land in which we currently reside? With us being destined for greatness, why let the barbaric folks of islands which surround us be our suppressant? They need our saving, they live in poverty under attack constantly from the nations of the world. So why not save them, and in return use the land as a trading post? The Philippines are the perfect connection to China and the rest of Asia, and this would allow for an absolute phenomenon in the American trade economy. In addition, we already have control over the islands! This would be a flawless operation, with only benefits awaiting us on the other end. Also, If citizenship is a concern to any, then it is an unnecessary one since we don’t have to make these folks citizens, we can put them under the same treatment as the Native Americans. To top it all off just think of the image we would be painting by handing the islands over to Spain we would look like anything but a great nation. It is too easy and too beneficial to turn back now. Lives can be saved, our economy can be boosted exponentially, and our image will persist as one of great power and force. These people are anything but fit to rule themselves, they need our guidance. So, for my party and my country all together I feel it is certainly necessary to embark on our imperialistic destiny. We cannot allow for the American spirit to dwindle, and for other nations to grow. This would be mere suicide allowing for this opportunity to slip. This is our destiny, as I have said many times before, we have more right than anyone to take hold of it. So not only do I think we should embark on the expansion in question, but we should do it now!
19. Lauren M March 12, 2023 at 1:19 pm

    *I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS*
    My Fellow Congressmen,
    As we end our righteous war with the Spaniards, we find ourselves with a most advandtagous oppertunity: Expanding our democracy and prosperity into new lands. I, personally, cannot think of anything more representative of our values as Americans than to constantly blaze new trails and welcome anyone we can under the umbrella of our constitution. Indeed it is the only thing we’ve consistently done. We are but a young country, but we have outgrown our youth so quickly. How? By constantly endevoring to march west no matter the weather. To find a new freedom for thee individual, and thus freedom for us all. We lose our progress, our pride, should we deign to settle, lest Spain reclaim what we have rightfully won.
    Laws shall bring order to these lands, and God, of whom they yet not know, shall bring them joy. These islands hold masses of men who are only withheld from taring themselves of their own savagery by the rule of unfair governments. Under God, we have every obligation to grow the influence of our great country.
    And if a selfish reason you need, our economy would all but prosper with new trade opportunities. Look at what we’ve done with sea to shining sea; now imagine beyond that. With Asia’s massive wealth within an arms reach, the pockets of every American could flow within the decade. If you all are content to sit in your stagnant wealth with no intent to expand our horizons, ready to trap the american dream in your indecision, then I say you haven’t enough manhood to hold your office.
    So I say, since it be no difficult task, we march towards the philippines with our heads held high, ready to share our prosperity and expand our own. The opportune moment has arrived, and we, in this chamber, should be prepared to seize it.
20. Zach S March 12, 2023 at 2:02 pm

    I, Senator Hernando De Soto Money, am a southern Democrat from Mississippi. I believe that it is only right that the United States gain control of as much territory as possible. Foreign lands would supply us with plentiful resources, which would benefit our domestic industries. Also, islands such as the Philippines would serve as fine naval bases and ports of trade. This would allow U.S. industry to access entirely new markets, further expanding our economy and our country’s global influence. A trade relationship with China and Japan would be extremely profitable for the United States. The Cuban and Filipino people are incapable of self-rule. Lands such as the Philippines and Cuba would inevitably fall into the hands of more civilized European countries. The people of the Philippines and Cuba are far better off under our control, as the Spanish are tyrannical, without any respect for the people they rule. By taking over the Philippines and Cuba, we would be doing a great service to their people. We could civilize them, and teach them our Christian ways. These people have been living without our modern advancements, like railroads and electricity. We could introduce these things to them. Annexing Cuba and the Philippines would also be exceptionally easy, for Spain is a shriveling power, which cannot resist our superior military. With the addition of Cuba and the Philippines, the United States would become a world superpower, which no other country could dare mess with. With the threat of countries like France and Britain, which are rapidly building standing armies and naval fleets, it is imperative that the United States also increases its power and influence. Imperialism would do just that. Many worry that the United States will be forced to accept Cubans and Filipinos as citizens, if we annex Cuba and the Philippines. However, this doesn’t need to happen. We could treat those people the same as we treat the Native Americans. We will leave the Cubans and Filipinos to their own affairs, so that it is as if we don’t even control them. Because of this, they’ll also be less likely to rebel, as they did to the Spanish. Overall, imperialism is the natural course of action for the United States. Through imperialism, we can prosper and uplift ourselves and others.
21. Vincent March 12, 2023 at 4:31 pm

    I am the Senator from Maryland, Louis E. McComas. I come before you today to talk about the annexation of the Philippines and the growth of an empire. To pass up on this glorious opportunity of conquest and glory is a choice that only fools would make. This country is not a country of fools, we are not Europe in any way shape or form. We may be taking their ideas to form the greatest empire of all time but it is still THE UNITED STATES not the United Kingdom or Germany or any other European country. We will forge our own path in this world and it will not be taken from us by any other country. The men of this nation are more powerful than any other puny nation combined. We can take on Spain and take their island empire from them. When we get access to the Asian market through the Philippines and Hawaii, we will be a force to be reckoned with. We will be rich beyond our wildest dreams and our markets will boom forevermore. To pass up on such wealth and fame and glory and conquest would be like saying no to a free 100 billion dollars. Would any sane man pass up on such wealth and fame? NO, every man worth his salt will jump at that opportunity and seize it with all his might. Our forefathers of this beautiful country may not have wanted an empire but what are they to say now? What can they say when we become the most powerful and influential country in the world? They can say nothing but bask in the glory of this marvelous nation. They will be proud when we bring our strong markets into Asia and the whole world. The war with Spain will be the easiest thing we as a nation have ever done. Even easier than voting for your next president. The Spanish military pales in comparison to our grand army. The weak fools who want us to pass up this marvelous chance to become an even greater world power should be ashamed to call themselves Americans. To be a true American is to help other people who need it and the people of the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Samoa all need our help to become free from the oppressive rule of the Spanish empire.
22. miller mann March 12, 2023 at 4:54 pm

    If at the time of American Imperialism, I was a United States senator, I would be a republican from Michigan with opposition to the idea of the annexation of foreign lands. At the very root of the situation, I find the idea of governing one without one’s consent, is terrible, and as the idea of democracy was that this country was built on, it is sad to see how far the government is from those ideals when annexing other lands to expand their empire. My main argument against the prospect of the annexation of lands such as the Philippines in 1898, is that it is immoral. While morality can be a tricky subject with many things, the idea of imposing rules upon someone who wishes against it is without a doubt, wrong and sickening. The wrongdoing of annexation does not stop at simply taking over the government in those areas, it also consists of removing the culture from certain groups which is simply dishonorable. Another one of the big arguments for the annexation of these territories and countries is that they need a larger area to trade, but trade can be accomplished without owning the territory, and that’s how international trade works. All successful trade needs two consenting parties to decide to trade with one another, so the ownership of the land the trade is made on, should not matter. Also, Imperialism has taken on the idea of “the white man’s burden” and basically proclaims that the colonization of foreign lands is a positive good, instead of a necessary evil and that the cultural diminishing that was done and is being done by imperialists, is for the best of the innocents in those territories. The idea that white expansionists are bettering the lives of the native people, is simply a coverup for the extra gain of land that they want to have in the process of their “humanitarian mission”. Overall I think that expansionists grossly overlook the effects that their actions have on the native populous, and only focus on what they stand to gain from the expansion instead of the inevitable harm that their actions have on those around them.
23. Tyler C March 12, 2023 at 5:06 pm

    As a senator representing West Virginia in the great United States, I call on the necessity to acquire the islands of the Philippines as an addition to our union. Most recently, Spain has controlled much of Southeast Asia, but they are on the decline. Spain is leaving a vacuum for someone to fill, and for us not to fill that would be a great disservice to our forefathers, who fought to spread American ideals and democracy throughout the Americas. We, as Americans, have a responsibility to help others in need. Those in the Philippines have no greater power to facilitate their growth, than us. We cannot let any other power jump in and grasp those islands before we do. With their capacity for economic and agricultural growth, strategic usage with proximity to China and other great powers, those islands of the Philippines are of immense value to us. To let others retain them, namely Spain, who has previously tried to contest our power, may not be allowed to get the Philippines, or our honor and strength would be tainted. As far as growth, those islands could be invaluable. The climate is prime for sugar production, which would well develop the islands into economic relevance. We could use the Philippines as a stepping stone to trade with China, for valuable products we cannot currently produce, such as silk. Annexation would also be a minor issue, as we already control the Philippines, and doing so would energize the country. Annexation will move people to believe more in American values, and power. Other former Spanish lands such as Cuba, and others such as Puerto Rico, serve as a good example for what we could achieve in the Philippines. We do not immediately have to grant the right of U.S. citizenship to the Philippine islands. We can leverage the needs of those in the new lands, to satisfy our needs as well as theirs. For those in the Philippines, our resources and presence will be of immense value. Finally, the annexation of the Philippines will send a clear message to other great powers. They will recognize that the United States is the next one up at the world’s throne, the next power to project it across many lands.
24. Ryan Cifolelli March 12, 2023 at 8:06 pm

    I guess that I would be a republican senator from the state of Michigan. During the time, many people were caught up in the lore of the Spanish American war and were convinced that it would be a good thing for America to become a beacon of hope to bring democratic principles to save lesser societies and expand markets to Asia. These two reasons were the main factors to influence many people to support imperialism as a whole. If I were a senator, two main factors that would sway me to be a pro imperialist at the time would be that there would be new markets with Asia and we could easily export a lot of new raw materials from Asia to America. The new market’s opinion would really sway me because after the Panic of 1893 many people learned that in order for America to continue to be successful it needed to expand markets past the country’s borders into other countries. The ability to expand markets to other countries would be one reason I would be a pro imperialist at the time because I could see the growth the country could endure from expanding the markets to outside nations. If America could extend its markets into new nations then the ability to trade and sell would become a prevalent part in our economy boosting us to an economic powerhouse. The second thing that would cause me to become a pro imperialist would be that we could export a lot of raw materials out of places like China. It would make it a lot cheaper and easier to export raw materials from other countries like China and it heavily influence industry in the country. If I were a senator, being able to export raw materials from places like China would influence me to be a pro imperialist because it would greatly add to the raw materials available for industries. Those are the two big reasons why I might have been pro imperialism at the time.
25. Claire P March 12, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    I, Julius C Burrows, should be the next Michigan senator. I am a northern Republican who strongly believes in the growth of our nation through overseas expansion, starting with the Philippines. Spain is no longer in control of the Philippines, so the country is in dire need of our support since they are unfit to rule themselves. We want to help countries less fortunate than our own and a perfect opportunity to do so is with the Philippines. We, Americans, would be able to help the incapable Fillipnios by teaching them our ways of Christanity and civilzation. In addition, it would be extremely cowardly and even shameful of our country to allow the Spanish to take back control of the Fillipinos. We don’t want to lose our chance with the Philippines to Spain or anyother imperialistic power. We have grown tremedisuouly as a country and there is no reason for our improvement to subside now. Imperialism is good, for not only the Filipinos but also us. Overall, growth is good for a nation and there is no reason America shouldn’t keep expanding. It is our right and duty to spread the knowledge we have with the people less fortunate than us. Helping the Philippines would also greatly benefit our economy and the working class, like yourself. We would have better access to trading with both China adn the Orients with the annexation of the Philippines, and our trading market would only grow from there. They would also provide us with a plethora of resources, in addition to an expanding market of consumers for all of the goods you all produce. All of these benefits would becomes easily obtainable due to how easy it will be to annex the Philippines. We already have control of the islands, so we just need to take the final step to both save the Filipnios from themselves and secure the things that we deserve. Also, just because we want to assist and lend a helping hand to these new people does not mean they will become a part of our country the same way that you and I are. They will simply be dependents while we are still in control. Lastly, we as a Republican party have already done the hard part of defeating the Spanish, therefore we just need to take the last simple step in obtaining what is rightfully ours. It would be a waste to not take this opportunity to improve out nation.
26. Samantha Jacobs March 12, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    I am a democratic senator from Michigan. Below is my speech.

    My fellow Michiganders,

    By now, I’m sure you are all aware of the debate racing through our nation. Some of you believe that expansion is a necessity, that it is honorable. I am here to tell you it is not.

    There are those that believe returning the Philipines to Spain would be dishonorable, and that allowing the Fillipinos to self-govern would be unwise. They believe that the Fillipinos are uncivilized, and too unfit to have independence. But let me remind you that there was a time when Britain said we were unfit to govern ourselves. Look at the wonderful democracy we’ve created. Oh, how we’ve proved them wrong. There is no reason that, with time and perserverance, the Fillipinos should not be able to create a nation as free and just as we did.

    I would like nothing more than to save the Fillipinos from their savage ways, if that were the case. But it is not. Annexing the Phillipines would not be easy, as many believe because the Fillipinos have their own culture. They will not simply lie down and allow us to force our ways upon them. It would only anger them, and lead to revolt. Not to mention that it would be unethical. What is right for us may not be right for them, and forcing them into our ways would take away the very freedom that we have just gifted them. They would go from liberation to oppression all over again. Only this time, we would be their oppressors.

    There are those that believe imperialism is good for America. They believe that industrialization has led our men to become lazy, and that expansion will strengthen our nation and protect us from more militaristic ones. However, we are strong. We beat Britain and won our independence, we survived a civil war in which our nation was nearly torn to pieces, and we have revolutionized our world of industry. Yes, there has been a shift from farms to factory, but the men in those factories work just as hard as they did on the fields. They are not lazy. Therefore, we do not need a war to rejuvinate our men. They do not need rejuvination.

    Additionally, this hope is not worth the price our hard-woking families would pay. If we were to expand, we would open the doors for all different ethnicities. Asians would once-again flock to America, and immigrants would steal jobs from the American men, who work, so heroicly, to provide for their families.

    There are those that want us to expand for economic reasons. They believe that Annexing the Phillipines will allow the US to dominate trade with Asia. They understand our nation’s need for natural resources. But, have they never considered that there might be another way to do so? A way that would not increase the likelihood of war by placing us in the middle of the world’s politics. Annexing the Phillipines and expanding further into the world mean more interaction with other nations. Disputes would be inevitable, to say the least. Think of the Mexican-American war, if you need further convinsing. I think it quite silly that our fellow men do not see that it is not only possible, but preferable for us to simply trade with other territories. We do not need to annex them to do so.

    To those that support imperialism, I urge you to reconsider. Listen to the words I have said, and take in their meaning. Understand that expanding our nation is not the great idea you believe it to be. It will only cause problems. We can defend ourselves, and solve our economic problems without taking away freedom, the foundation of this great nation.
27. Jenna March 12, 2023 at 9:18 pm

    I, William Jennings Bryan a Populist believe that imperialism and expansion go against the privilege of freedom on which our country was founded. For those who don’t know I’ve lived in Nebraska all my life. Being a part of the United States has been a privilege and something I hold near and dear to my heart. I’ve respected America and her choices. However expanding our “empire”; ruling independent people and not even recognizing them as Americans is something I will not, cannot follow. This is why I call for the rejection of imperialism on the basis that it also opposes basic human rights. Imperialism is or should be a moral issue for all Americans. We must all ask ourselves is what we are doing right? Is this what America stands for? No, I say. As Sumner once said, “It repudiates our commitment to human freedom and liberty.” Our so-called “leaders” are left unbothered by this notion. They will lead us no were but trouble, with their current foreign policies regarding the Spanish-American war. Not to mention how immoral McKinley’s ideas of annexing the Philippines is. McKinley’s reasoning for possession is based on the idea that the Filippinious are being saved as they are in his eyes unfit to rule themselves. Annexing the Philippines would not free the people that live there; rather, our leaders’ plan for these poor Filipinos is to make them subjects of the united states not citizens of their own state. And yet we stand here and call ourselves united. What is united about that? The acceptance and imperialism policy is equal to abandoning the history and heritage of American democracy. The very thing that made this country the great world power it is today. And yes, some argue however that it would be an opportunity for trade with other nations. I have to disagree. Trade done under the mantle of a colonialism would not be admissible by many standards nor would it be long-standing. We can easily continue to trade without having to annex other territories. So I say again, for the sake of our founders, and the people, we as Americans must reject imperialism.
28. Sebastian March 12, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    I am going to be a senator from the southern democratic state of South Carolina.
    I stand before you to advocate for expansion of our nation mainly into the. As you all know, America has recently defeated the Spanish in the war. Through this we have gained the choice of what to do with the Philippines. I believe we should expand into the Philippines for many reasons. The first reason for this is we can let other powers take the Philippines from us. Giving it back to Spain would be cowardly and dishonorable. Our country would be seen as weak by the rest of the world. Some say that we should give the Filipinos independence, but I do not agree. They are not fit to rule themselves. They need America to civilize them. We have a responsibility to bring our better culture to these people. To make them more like us and help them become better people. It would be wrong to not correct these poor Filipinos. Another reason for expansion is that imperialism is good for a country. It is normal and can only help. We can’t become a lazy country and not take over the Philippines. Annexing the Philippines would also allow us to dominate trade with China and the rest of Asia. We need the materials and the Philippines have everything we need. I know some of you say that the Philippines are non-contiguous but we did not need the purchases and additional areas in the continental U.S. either. Yet, look at us now! We also produce more than we can consume. Our nation has the power to make a difference and help these poor people. One way to do this is annexing the Philippines. The greatest part is that annexing the Philippines would be so easy because we already control the islands. Filipinos don’t even have to become citizens of the U.S. because we can treat them just like the Native Americans. In conclusion, I am for expansion into the Philippines because it would benefit our country and the Philippines. It is our duty to help these people and would be wrong to not do so. We can’t let this opportunity slip through our fingers. We have to take action today and show the world what we are capable of. Thank you for your time.
29. Spencer George March 12, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    If we are not allowed to expand the borders of our great nation, then my name isn’t Jaque Forrest, the democratic senator from South Carolina. Don’t let my french name fool you, I am about as American as an apple pie, and I believe that everyone on this globe should be able to share that same sentiment. The expansion of the United States is not only beneficial to the cause of the American people, but also to the native people of the lands that would fall under our jurisdiction. When weak nations like Spain have control of these countries, the motherlands tend to crumble and fall under the weight of maintaining peace and order in them. But when America is put in charge, there is virtually no chance that there can be any successful rebellion. If we depart with these nations now, what are they to do after we’re gone? God knows they have no ability to govern themselves whatsoever. What would they do without the U.S. teaching them Christianity and how to rule over themselves? The raw materials that these countries would be able to provide us are crucial currently. The fact is, we don’t have the type of materials we’re looking to these nations for. The Philippines gives America the upper hand in the world. With a home base in the Philippines, there is easy access to trade routes with China and the rest of Asia that we just don’t have. It’s confirmed that if we want all of these upsides to imperialism, barely a finger has to be raised. The annexation of countries such as the Philippines, mind you which were already in control of, would take nearly no effort and resources from the American military. When a country is in such a position of power, it would be almost like an insult in the face of god to not take up our natural god-given right of expansion. If we don’t expand the people, military, resources, and ideals of our nation, with countries that aren’t quite as intellectual as we are, we are really doing them a great disservice.
30. kaylin arthur March 12, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    I am a Republican Senator from the Northern United States. I imagine I would be anti-imperialist and anti expansionist. A main argument that influenced me is it goes against our founding beliefs: freedom and liberty. How could we go against what we have built our country on, and what we have fought for? Colonizing these nations,and thinking we know all about the culture and people living in the Philippines, and trying to change it once again goes against our core beliefs. Stripping the Native people of their culture to implement American ways, and trying to “civilize” and thinking we need to help them as they can’t help themselves. Additionally, we would be using the countries we get control of only for our own benefit with no regard to them. We would be using them only for their resources to better our economy. By doing this, we are using all of their resources for our gain, which doesn’t help them in any way. Another important reason is from an economic standpoint. It makes us more likely to be in a position to go to war with countries that are allied with what is now one of our territories. Fighting a war with any country, especially larger countries, requires us to have a large and strong army. In order to form this army to be effective, we need to have a way to pay for this army, and the only way to do that is to put a burden on our citizens by placing a higher tax on them. Having a large army helps to protect ourselves as well as helping us to have an advantage over other countries. My last important argument against imperialism is that it would require the people living in these countries would have to become citizens of America, and would need to work jobs in order to have a stable life here. Because they need to work, they are willing to work for cheaper rates than the average white citizen. White citizens are starting to fear that they will lose their jobs to people who are willing to work the same job, but at a lower wage.
31. Will Dabish March 12, 2023 at 10:24 pm

    I, William B. Bate, Tennessee Democrat, fully and outwardly support imperalism. It upsets me that some of my compatriots are not on the same wavelength. Look at the Filipino people: they are absolutely incapable of self-leadership. We can lead them in the right direction, and as a “fee”, we can use their ports to advance out trade with China. It is VITAL to expand our economy into every region of the world – why should we let our products go to waste, sitting on our prosperous lands? Let us trade with those who don’t have such wonderful goods, and obtain some of their common products. I’m sure the Chinese, whether they’re smart or not, have something to trade with us, or some need for our product! Plus, we already are on those islands. It would simply be too easy to keep them under our wing, and use their ports t our advantage. Those lands are oh so close to the Asian mainland.

    Some may argue that our efforts are immoral, or that our control of their country is fueled by racism. That is simply untrue, my countrymen! We are saving their land, their country, their democracy! We are allowing them to take in our ideals and become a greater country! Our usage of their ports will not impact their lifestyle, not one bit. It’s to the advantage of both parties to have the Phillipines under our wing, under our control.

    After the Phillipines, we can simply expand further! Look at the gamut of islands right in the middle of the expansive Pacific. Those countries are sad, run ineptly and lacking true American values! Why not introduce them to the true way of leadership, economy, and society that is democratic capitalism? It will help them out immensely, and will help our presence over the Pacific expand. We’ve been oh so stagnant as a country for multiple decades! People of the world need to know the true power that is the United States of America!!

    So, my people. Will you submit to the treasonous values of some of my ill-witted compatriots, or will you find the true value of imperialism? Our trade will expand, our presence will expand, and both our countries and the countries under our control will be a better place to be! It’s simply the obvious decision to support imperialism!
32. Zackary Norwood March 12, 2023 at 10:43 pm

    As republican senator from the west, the central argument that resonates with me as the most important thing to consider is that imperialism as a whole goes against the foundations and principles of what makes us a free country. The United States was founded on the rebellion of a imperialistic nation gone power hungry, and the unfair treatment that came with such. To rebel against being “servants” to an empire, gain our freedom, then go and do the same to other countries is morally wrong in every aspect. And speaking of Britain, look what happened to them during the attempted seize of America, the economy fell, a rebellion started, and a war broke out, and we do not want that happening to us. And if we look at yet another fallen empire, Spain, we will see that the resources required to annex other lands and put down the rebels far exceeds what we can safely manage. Moreover, the idea of being put on the larger scale is a risk in and of itself, we make the wrong move and we could be putting a target on our backs, the whole basis of warfare is a grand risk to say the least, with the wars in 1812 being barely manageable and that was just a one on one war. And from a moral view, we claim we are seizing these lands to “civilize” or “save” the people within them, but we know that this is just a cover to the real motive which is to rob these lesser lands of their valuables, which is pitiful and pretentious to say the least. If we really wanted to save these people, then why don’t we trade? Why go through the effort of taking what’s not ours by force? Lastly, with this new operation in motion, the economy would see a probable fall for a time, the very cost of an army alone would drain taxpayer dollars and halt funding towards more important matters within our own borders, but this also means more immigrants taking up jobs of our working class as cheap labor. So not only would the tax possibly rise, but our working class would be out of jobs.
33. Arianna Shuboni-Ullmann March 12, 2023 at 11:04 pm

    I would like to base my, “representative’s” idea on imperialism being morally wrong, and introducing current day ideals to a Senate with former ideals.
    My dear senators, we are the United States of America. Though it may seem enticing to take other land masses, we have been given a choice to be better than other European powers overseas, standing above them, being the bigger nation morally. Though we may not end up being the bigger nation literally, we will have a foreign population that is grateful for our help and happy to trade with us. When we help smaller nations overseas, as well as other nations to trade with, this will create a good trading environment. Just because we do not have control over the country does not mean we cannot have military bases on it either; annexing these nations may seem the easier route; but sticking to our morals will be better for us in the long run, morally and economically. We will not have to, “take care” of another nation thousands of miles away, saving much more resources than it would take annexing them, with most of the same benefits. These people can take care of and govern themselves just fine. In fact, they are human just like us, and follow much of the same religious and cultural rituals as our own. This does not need to be a religious conquest either. We should try to learn from them instead of converting them. We may learn something from them along the way.
34. christian p March 12, 2023 at 11:05 pm

    As a senator from the Southern United States and a member of the Democratic Party, I stand in opposition to the imperialist policy of the current administration. While I agree that expanding our nation’s influence and trade opportunities could be beneficial, the cost of imperialism far outweighs any potential gains.
    One of the most pressing concerns for my constituents is the potential influx of cheap labor from territories acquired through imperialism. This would directly harm the working-class citizens of my region, who already struggle to make ends meet in the face of increasing competition from industrialization in the North. Additionally, we cannot ignore the racial tensions that exist in our country, particularly between white Americans and people of color. Allowing non-white individuals from territories we’ve conquered to become citizens would only exacerbate these tensions and lead to violence.
    Furthermore, the idea that we must “civilize” and “Christianize” the people of these territories is both arrogant and immoral. Our nation was founded on the principles of individual liberty and self-determination, and it is not our place to force our culture and values onto others. We must respect the sovereignty of other nations and their right to determine their own path forward.
    Moreover, the potential for imperialistic policy to lead to war cannot be ignored. The cost of war, both in terms of human lives and resources, is too high for us to engage in conflict unnecessarily. We must instead focus on diplomacy and peaceful means of resolving international conflicts.
    Finally, the cost of maintaining a large standing army to police these territories would be a tremendous burden on our economy and our citizens. We cannot ignore the lessons of history – empires that stretch themselves too thin often crumble under their own weight. It is not worth sacrificing the stability and prosperity of our own nation for the sake of expansion.
    In conclusion, while I understand the arguments in favor of imperialism put forward by some of my colleagues, I believe that the potential costs far outweigh any potential benefits. As a senator representing the interests of my constituents and the values of our nation, I cannot in good conscience support this policy. We must instead focus on maintaining strong relationships with our neighbors and trading partners while respecting their sovereignty and right to self-determination. Only through mutual respect and cooperation can we achieve lasting peace and prosperity for our nation and the world.
35. Noel Borgquist March 12, 2023 at 11:49 pm

    If I were to be a senator during the year 1898, I would likely find my self arguing against the expansion of the American Empire, and arguing for the condemnation of American Imperialism. I’ll also choose Michigan as my state. First and Foremost, Imperialism as an idea goes directly against the founding principles of our nation, and is the exact system that we Americans rose up against during the Revolutionary War. Who are we to call ourselves the keepers of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, when we seek to control the lives of others, simply for increased economic opportunities? Additionally, if we, the United States of America, were to take control of the Philippines and bring bring the territory under our wing as a portion of the United States, we run the risk of creating yet another constant stream of cheap labor, that would undermine the safety and security of our American workers, putting those who make up the core of our nation at risk. Moreover, if we were to take over the Philippines and designate it a US territory, we would be thrust into the International stage, and we would risk the likelihood of war in our surrounding territories. Similarly, we would only take up the current Spanish task of suppressing Filipino Native rebellions. Furthermore, who are we to determine what is right and wrong for a nation that is so far way from our own. In addition, for what reason must we annex and remove portions of other nations simply for small economic advantages. Why can’t we just maintain a positive relationship with those around us? It serves us no better to enter a country that is not ours, and endanger not only our troops, but also the Natives, both at the consequence of the taxpayer dollar. To enter the world of another would simply begin a long road towards becoming a shriveling Empire like that of Spain. America should work to maintain and create freedom, not force others under our own rule, like that of Britain and Spain. Were we to take action in taking over the Philippines, we would be no better than the likes of those who previously restricted our own freedoms. Instead of looking outwards to the islands like that of the Philippines, why not look inwards, and work for internal improvements of the lives of the average American? We, the those who have been elected to govern and improve the lives of our fellow man, and that is what we should strive to do. The act of imperialism seeks to expand outwards; while this may grant us resources temporarily, the long term consequences of a wide spread nation can be detrimental, as seen with our rebellion against Britain. If our Nation seeks to truly maintain democracy, as well as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then the only correct course in action is to prevent the rise of American Imperialism, and maintain true freedom of those around us, and in the world. The only thing worse than 2 empires, is 3 empires.
36. Sylvie Ball March 13, 2023 at 12:28 am

    For my senator I chose the old senator of michigan jusis c burrow i found that he was a fighter for the civil war but that was about the only piece of information i could find besides he was a republican. I chose to look at his point of view because I wanted to compare my own opinion about imperialism with someone that was also from my state at the time. If I was in the same shoes as our senator here, I would first and foremost stick to my party’s ideals which would most likely align with my own. I would consider the arguments of taking care of all internal problems in our country and disregard the idea of the more racist aspects deep rooted in both arguments. I would absolutely not agree with the “white savior” ideology that’s used as a foundation for the concept of annexation of the Philippines and any other territories. That is an incompetent idea based fully and when i say fully i mean fully in white supremacy. Again, one of the arguments for annexation is that it would be”easy” to take the islands for ourselves. Just because something is easy or obtainable doesn’t mean that it needs to be obtained. There is no proper justification in that sentence and the lack of logic would definitely not appeal to me if I was making decisions that could change our world relations. Me as a senator I would be fully against annexation especially for stupid reasons like because we can or because they need us to. I feel like we could just help them out with their economy through trading, there’s no need to just fully take them over and indoctrinate them into our country which they didn’t chose to be apart of. As someone with an immigrant prent from a smaller country, my mom has told me about all of Laos’s struggles economically and if thats what the case with the philippines was then we wouldnt be helping them at all by taking them over. We could just help them without controlling them.
37. natehidalgo March 13, 2023 at 1:48 am

    I had to get this off my chest as a Republican senator from the great state of Iowa. I’m here to explain why we should not go down the path of imperialism. Now, some could counter that there are advantages to imperialism. Isn’t it true that increasing American influence can lead to economic growth, after all? Can’t it help other countries become democratic? The interests of our nation must be seen in the long run. We must acknowledge that imperialism’s perils vastly outweigh its potential advantages. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that imperialism runs counter to the values that guide our country. Our predecessors battled for democracy and freedom. They did not contend for dominance over others. They imagined a nation without an oppressive ruler. The concepts of limited government and individual liberty are deeply cherished in our Constitution. These principles clash with the idea of imperialism. Imperialism calls for imposing one country’s will on another. Furthermore, imperialism is dangerous, as history has proved. We simply need to consider the Roman and British Empires as examples. They demonstrate how imperial expansion can result in failure. Empire maintenance can become unmanageably expensive. We cannot allow this to happen to our wonderful country. The damage that imperialism may do to our sense of national identity, however, is its greatest threat. What kind of people do we want to be? is a question we must ask ourselves. Do we want to be the kind of country that forces its will on others without regard for their needs or wants? Do we want to be the type of country that sets an example for others and encourages them to uphold their freedoms? I contend that we should try to be the latter kind of nation. The alluring appeal of imperialism must be rejected. America must adopt a foreign policy based on caution and restraint. Other countries’ sovereignty must be respected. The power of our ideas, not our capacity to rule over others, is what makes us strong as a country. Let us strive to be a nation that people go to for moral leadership rather than for military prowess. Instead of forcing our agenda on others, let’s be a nation that encourages others to do the same. Let us uphold the principles that we claim to represent as a nation.

    Thank you
38. Ray Glory-Ejoyokah March 13, 2023 at 1:52 am

    My name is Henry Cabot Lodge, I am a Republican, and I stand behind Imperialism. Imperialism Benefits our strong developing country in so many ways. Economically, what better time is it to start an Imperialism based economy, than right now in the rise of Industrialization? We get to spread our great strong, beautiful, white products with other nations. This opens our market to the opportunity for new buyers, and new places to trade industrial, agricultural, and manufactural goods. This spread gives us new access to cheap raw materials that could be hard to find in the US. This also gives us the opportunity to compete with other nations, a real grand opportunity to no longer be a second-rate nation. We get the chance to compete with not just European countries, but newly on the rise Asian countries; such as Japan and China. We no longer have to sit as just a sprouting seed of Great Britain’s widespread influence. This gives us Individualism and personality; Imperialism gives us what it takes to really be America. Many European countries are taking over countries in Africa and Asia, with Imperialism we get to also be a world power. Countries such as Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Italy did not waste a second to take control over Africa. How can we say we’re number 1 if we can’t accomplish such a simple thing? We can’t leave out the military advantages we gain from expansion either; The influence of sea power is mandatory to have a successful Navy. With the British’s Powerful Navy, they were able to Impress our ships for years. Even if that wasn’t enough of a reason, above all it is our great burden as the white man; It is our duty to barge into the affairs of foreign less developed countries and fix all of their problems with our Pure white influence. Anglo-Saxon Civilization is second to none, as protestant Americans, we need to spread our values of civilization to every last corner of the world. The Spanish Ruled Islands are unfortunately misled and unguided, those poor lost countries will not survive. They will simply be eaten alive by stronger nations, but with our influence, we get the chance to spread to them a new outlook on life, a new culture, and deliver them from the Spanish. We are their beautiful White saviors. Following these principles, we can liberate these poor nations, and as they prosper, we will prosper as well.
39. Bella Ruggirello March 13, 2023 at 12:14 pm

    I am a republican senator from Ohio, called Robert Taft. My opinion on imperialism was different than most would think. American imperialism refers to the expansion of Political, cultural, and military influence outside of the United States. And it was very much influenced by social Darwinism, which was the idea that people became better, just simply because they were better, and was also added from the ideas of Manifest destiny and the Cold War. We wanted to become an Imperial power, and though it isn’t ever considered good and can always have many negative impacts, kind of how it did, though, I do seem to like the ideas of imperialism expansion. For starters, I brought “dollar diplomacy” into the US to help boost investments in South and Central America, the Caribbean, and the Far East and it was also meant to up sales of American products overseas. My goal is to up the sale of military goods and industrial needs. I believe that the “U.S. military was a tool of economic diplomacy.” my reach for reaching a foreign policy failed, while china drew out of trade with America. I wanted to find commercial advantages in Central America that had pretty much been created by Theodore Roosevelt previously. But, the bad relationship between the U.S. and the other American countries caused a confrontation conference between the U.S. and Panama. The meeting was mostly based on finding ways to trim U.S. commercial sales and intervention. I thought that when I assigned two thousand troops to the Mexican border, after building a stronger navy, it would protect the United States’ investments. But then I backed off and became known as “Peaceful Bill”. After receiving my nickname, I left the situation to one of my other workers to deal with. I wanted the United States to have nothing to do with other countries and their problems. By my 3rd term of being the Senate, i was gifted the name of “Mr. Republican” due to my position and involvement in the republican party, including in the rebuilding of the Republican party. I also visited 334 industrial plants and gave a grand total of 837 speeches throughout my lifetime.
    (https://millercenter.org/president/taft/foreign-affairs)
40. Jayda Evans March 13, 2023 at 1:50 pm

    I am Henry M. Teller, Colorado senator, and as a proud Democrat I am firmly against expansion. What we want in this country is peace, not war and suffering. You might not suffer now, but if you take the Philippines and try to assimilate, they will rebel. They will revolt. The Filipinos will come here and take your jobs too. Think about your families. Your wives, your sons. Also, can we not trade with them without annexing them? We don’t need to be cruel to get what we want or need. Not only that, but we don’t want the Filipinos to pollute our lovely country do we? We don’t want them to procreate in America where there will be more of them, ready to steal your job. They’re poor! They’ll work for a penny a day for all we know, and none of us real Americans will have any more jobs, and then they will take over our country. My fellow Americans, we do not need another war. We do not need to conquer the whole world to be successful. We need to make peace with the Philippines before they turn on us like savages. We can’t stop them from being savages. They will not accept our way of life. They would also need constant babysitting. We would have to raise a massive standing army just to keep them under control and stop them from inevitably ruining our country, which would require us to raise taxes, just for them to come and take your job so you can’t even pay the taxes. Not to mention we are drowning in debt from the war we just got out of. They could use this weakness against us, and next thing we know, they might be in positions of power, and taking over our country. I know I don’t want that, and you don’t either, so why is this even an option? My fellow men out there, do you want these men- no these animals stealing your wives from you? Women are naïve and will follow anything with money attached to it. We don’t want their tainted blood polluting our perfect blood. Taking over the Philippines would be a grave mistake and I advise, for the sake of this wonderful country, that we do not do it. Make America Great.
41. Sabrina Schlotterer March 13, 2023 at 3:11 pm

    I am a Republican senator from Texas and I wholeheartedly support this forward movement of our great nation toward a future of success. To simply return territories in need of our help back to the Spanish would just be immature. We need to look at the possibilities being presented to us and decide what truly is best for the country. It is foolish to think that it is possible to remain a high power in the economic plane of the world while staying stagnant. We must expand our market to maintain that power, and the annexation of the Philippines is the perfect solution to that. Its position in relation to China and other foreign powers is essential to continuing the growth of our economy. Besides, those people could use our help building up their own country. I mean, without those horrible Spaniards ruling over them they don’t even know how to take care of themselves! They need people like us, strong, grown nations, to teach them how to be. And speaking of that, many do not want these unruly creatures to ruin our great country with their undesirable features and ways of life, but rest assured that they will not just become normal citizens like you or I upon annexation. They will be like children we provide care for since they cannot even care for themselves. We already have control over the islands, and along with all I already stated, why wouldn’t we just take them? Our navy is already growing steadily and as my dear friend Alfred Mahan believes, that is the defining feature of a powerful nation. These lands are also great spots to allow us to have control over more international waters than we have ever been able to. Why shouldn’t we take advantage of that? By expanding our empire we prove to every other country that we hold the most power, and that we are not a force to be trifled with without the understanding that we are stronger than any competitor. All of those other nations have grown weak and lost their ways, but not us. We will continue to grow and thrive until we no longer can, to put this great country above all others.
42. Sanuthi W March 13, 2023 at 3:18 pm

    I would choose to be a Republican from the West. As someone who values the principles of liberty and justice, I find imperialism to be morally indefensible. It goes against the very ideals that our nation was founded upon, namely the idea that every person is entitled to basic human rights and the freedom to pursue their own goals without interference from others. When we take over other countries, we are essentially denying them their right to self-determination and imposing our own values and systems upon them. Unfortunately, the history of the United States is rife with examples of imperialism. From the annexation of Hawaii to the colonization of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, our nation has a long record of using force to assert our dominance over weaker nations. While some may argue that these actions were necessary to protect American interests, I believe that this is a shortsighted view that ignores the long-term consequences of our actions. At the root of imperialism lies a desire to exploit resources and make other nations dependent on the US. This is a short-sighted approach that fails to take into account the long-term consequences of our actions. Instead, we should focus on building relationships with other nations based on mutual respect and cooperation. Finally, I believe that the idea that Filipinos (or any other nation) are unfit to rule themselves is both arrogant and misguided. The people of every nation have the right to determine their own destiny and govern themselves in a way that reflects their values and aspirations. We should not impose our own values or religion on others, but rather support them in their efforts to create a better future for themselves and their families. We should learn from our own history and avoid perpetuating the cycle of annexation and exploitation that has characterized so much of our nation’s past. By working together with other nations based on mutual respect and cooperation, we can build a brighter future for all.
43. Avery Betts March 13, 2023 at 4:03 pm

    I am a Republican senator from Pennsylvania, and as such, I believe that a march towards imperialism would be for the best. Not only will it benefit America as a whole and provide us with the materials we need to keep business going, but it would also be a darn shame to let a perfectly good piece of land fall back into the hands of whoever is lucky enough to catch it. First of all, have you seen how excited everyone got for the Spanish-American War? If we obtain some land, we could probably convince ourselves to do it again, and along the way, we’d be keeping our military on its toes and keeping the excitement alive! Plus, we kinda need the materials. Business is absolutely booming, and the way things are going, we might have not enough supply and too much demand. We need the extra boost with the raw materials the other countries can supply, otherwise, I might not be able to get my wife all the stuff she wants for her birthday because everyone will be freaking out about not having enough clothes. That would be bad. Not to mention, we just fought a whole war over the Philippines! Why would we give it back? It would just tell all the other countries that we’ve gone soft, or that we’re so irrational as to start conflict, win, and then act like it never happened. It would be disgraceful. Besides, not taking the Philippines doesn’t mean that they get to rule themselves, someone else would probably swoop in and claim it. Maybe even Spain again, and we already know how that went. Why give free resources away and risk putting the Filipinos under a tyrant when we could show them the way just fine? Now I will admit, the arguments that it puts us on a self-destructive path to war and that we would now be responsible for taking care of any of the rebellions that spring up are a little concerning, but for now, the good outweighs the bad. I firmly believe that the path of imperialism is the right one to take.
44. Teddy Abbot March 13, 2023 at 4:10 pm

    Hi I am Cushman Davis from the state of Minnesota. I am in favor of making America and imperialist power. To take over the Philippines and adopt an imperialist stance is very important for the future of the United States. To adopt an imperialist stance would not only help America look more powerful, the benefits of expanding our power would be in our best interest of America because of the economic, national security, political ambitions, and many other benefits. WIth the expansion of American powers the American economy would greatly benefit by opening up new markets and resources in Hawaii, such as sugar and tobacco. While the Philippines offered access to rubber, timber, and other valuable resources. By annexing the Philippines, the United States could gain control of these resources and use them to boost its own economy. Another great benefit for America would be National security. The Philippines is just 1,500 miles from America and if we let the Spanish keep their rule on the Philippines it could become a huge national security problem. Spain could use the Philippines as a base and with the short distance between the U.S and Philippines. With Spanish bases in the Philippines it would not be hard for the Spanish to inflict war upon us. The people of the Philippines are not safe under Spanish rule and if we keep playing the conservative role these people will continue to suffer. WIth the annexation of the Philippines we could save these people from the suffering inflicted by Spanish rule. Lastly The expansion of US power will benefit military and strategic interests. The conquer of territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines will provide strategic naval bases that could be used to project American power in the Pacific. America is our home and to expand our power and solidifying ourselves as one of the most powerful countries in the world keeps us safe and with power come responsibility and it is our responsibility to keep the people of Philippines safe, so please give us the power to take over Philippines and expand our power to make this world a safer and better place.
45. Ally O'Brien March 13, 2023 at 6:28 pm

    My name is Senator George Frisbie Hoar and I represent Massachusetts in the Senate. I am a Republican. I am strictly against imperialism, this is not the most popular stand for me in the senate or with my party. One of the reasons I fight against imperialism to everyone else is because when I think logically, about how our country was founded it was through fighting to get away from another country’s empire. Americans who know of our history and the gaining of our independence know that to get where we are today we had to go to war to become our own country. We cover many countries and should understand what it feels like to be in the control of another country’s hands. Taking over these innocent people for more money is immoral and goes against everything the United States stands for, which is liberty and freedom. When we founded this country we also created the constitution which we are honoring every day in this country, if we think for a minute it is very practical to consider imperialism of other nations to be unconstitutional. We do not need to involve ourselves in other countries, we are not “helping” the people by taking over their governments and giving them no control. It would be best for the United States to focus on itself and not get ourselves involved in unnecessary warfare that could cost the lives of our people. In addition to the lives that the wars engaged in imperialism would cost, it would also become a tax burden on the country because we will need to build our army up with weapons and men to be prepared to fight. Many of my colleagues have enthusiasm over the topic of imperialism but this is one thing that I cannot agree with them on. No one is giving us the power to take over another nation that has a government already ruling it, it is not our business to go about taking it over. I will be voting no on imperialism in the Treaty of Paris vote across the Senate on February 6.
46. Titus Smith March 13, 2023 at 6:52 pm

    As a senator of North Carolina and a Democrat, I strongly believe that American expansion is crucial for the development and growth of our nation. Since its development in 1776 America has been hungry for new markets and ventures. As a country, we expanded west and spread out our economy and because of this past expansion, we have become a powerhouse. It is only right to maintain our manifest destiny and continue to spread our American ideals. There is controversy over our involvement with the Philippines and our bouts with Spain, but how cowardly would it be if we were to give Spain the Philippines back? You never heard of Jackson giving Oklahoma back to the Indians or Thomas Jefferson revoking his declaration of independence against Britain. Once the Americans won the revelationary war, patriotism was spiked and expansion began, after our victory over the Spanish we must flex our power. If America wants to remain a respectable and honorable nation we must keep the Philippines and remain strong in our ideals. Even without mentioning the spanish, leaving the Philippines would be irresponsible. Those people were not endowed with the same god-given rights that we were, therefore it is our burden and responsibility to spread our society and take over theirs. For those who oppose my claims and think that the Philippines will create the same problems other immigrants and other groups have created, I have a solution. If we treat the newly added Filipinos the same way we treated the native Americans as dependents and forgo some of their rights they will not be considered American citizens. This way we still expand and our citizen’s arent is hurt. Annexation of the Philippines not only has moral benefits but economic benefits as well. Territory out in the pacific ocean marked with an American flag opens up many more opportunities to trade with China. Opening trade with them will invigorate our economy and help us grow into a global superpower and not just a western hemisphere one. Our economy currently is in need of something the Philippines can provide, raw materials. To make up for the fact that we produce more than we consume in this country, the Philippines trading their sugar and tobacco around the world will substantially help our economy. Annexation of the Philippines as well as further American expansion is necessary because it fulfills our god given destiny to spread our society, as well as boost our economy to dominate global markets.
47. Camryn Jones March 13, 2023 at 8:23 pm

    Regarding the topic of expansion I would be writing from the perspective of a Republican senator from Northern states of the US. One of the largest issues I see with proposals of imperialism is the hypocrisy that would be required to carry it out. The United States was truly born following the revolutionary war, standing up against British rule. Americans saw the value of liberty and sovereignty. To expand in the name of imperialism would be to place the same burdens on other countries that Americans fought to be freed from. Many people who are for imperialism view other races and regions as inferior, and in need of governance. For America to engage in the acquisition and governance of other regions without allowing their populations to hold the same rights and liberties as American citizens, would be acting in the same way the British government once did. Furthermore, our actions in the newly acquired regions would likely be in the name of civilization and taking control over others seen as different. The harm that has historically been done to Native American communities would be similarly placed upon others. Instead of aligning with other nations of interest, America would be assuming that we know what is best for others, such as those in the Philippines, and disregarding the sovereignty we value. Americans were once subject to British taxation and rule without any representation. Imperialism would cause America to inflict this same pain onto others. While following Imperialism America’s issues with taxation would be far from over. Expanding power into other regions would require a large army, an endeavor that would be impossible without heavy taxation. Additionally, Imperialism would require a constant presence of the American people in war. Not only is war traumatic for both the soldiers and their families, but it leaves those left behind to continue the operation of the nation. American presence in battle would cause many of our citizens to be swept away from the country that’s been built to expand it into unneeded regions. Rather than expanding into other regions, Americans could form profitable trade relationships in order to further the development of the economy without sacrificing American lives.
48. Gio Baldini March 13, 2023 at 8:26 pm

    The senator I have picked is Redfield Proctor, a republican from Vermont. He is most likely in favor of imperialism. I came to this conclusion because it is told that he went to Cuba, and saw for himself the horrors that were going on in that nation. He saw the dirty trenches surrounding towns and destroyed houses with little to no space and terrible conditions which littered the island, all while soldiers went to their posts in the trenches. These were basically towns that had fortified themselves like a prison. He also saw children and adults with mutilated faces and extremities and dead bodies sometimes on the street from anything like sickness or starvation. On top of this, there weren’t even many beggars at all since there was almost never a helping hand. With that being said, it doesn’t mean he was exactly a complete imperialist. He said himself that “Some favored a United States protectorate, some annexation, some free Cuba; not one has been counted favoring the insurrection at first.” He wasn’t exactly against or in favor of either annexation or freeing Cuba, but he was completely urging them to go to war. He saw that the Cubans were in terrible condition and that it was too late for peace with Spanish sovereignty. He does try and remain as neutral as possible on the subject as a whole, which is shown by how he says “…but leave everyone to draw his own conclusions”, as well as “…it is not my purpose at this time, nor do I consider it my province, to suggest any plan.” All of this is taken from his speech to the US Senate on March 17, 1898. Even though he tries to remain neutral, it is said that it excited those in favor of war and likely switched many of those against it. One could make the argument that it easily could’ve been seen the other way around and that Cuba has fallen and crumbled because of our interference and not Spain’s, but that was not mentioned by anyone and clearly was not a possibility in his mentality. Anyways, overall, Redfield Proctor was pretty much a more neutral imperialist who believed saving the Cubans, however that might be, is the best option in this debate.
49. Luci Kucab March 13, 2023 at 10:04 pm

    Hello everyone,
    My name is Albert Beveridge and I am for imperialism. As a prominent imperialist, I find it my duty to explain how imperialism benefits our country. Most importantly I believe that annexing the Philippines will be key to expanding our navy. All that extra land would be a prime spot to plop more naval bases.These naval bases will allow us to spread the “white man’s burden” and spread civilization around the world! But as I am speaking, Spain and other countries around the world could be plotting this same action. Believe it or not we aren’t the only ones interested in expanding. Giving back the Philippines to Spain would be cowardly and dishonorable and letting other imperial powers have the Philippines would be very bad business and discredit the reputation we have built. Speaking of Business, Annexing the Philippines would put America into a position to dominate trade. Imperialism would open up a whole new market of raw goods and buyers to expand our economy because as of right now we are producing faster than we can consume! With all this talk about annexation, people have been asking about the filipinos. Almost forgot! My response to them is that granting them independence was foolish. They are unfit to rule themselves/ they are incapable of understanding self- government. As Americans it’s our job to help civilize and assimilate them into American culture. Being a republican from Ohio I have seen some of America’s worst times. To me it’s so important that we annex the Philippines and expand our naval base, in hopes of becoming an insanely powerful nation. Please disregard how good imperialism makes the republicans look! I mean all of this from the bottom of my heart, don’t listen to anything those cheating democrats tell you about how bad imperialism is. They may say “We will end up like Spain – a shriveling power” or “Can’t we just trade without having to annex other territories?”. I argue that America is better than Spain and could never become a shriveling power with all the resources it has. Secondly, where’s the fun in that! Why trade without annexing when we can annex and get exactly what we want.
    Albert Beveridge 1898
50. Sammie Koch March 13, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    Hello there,I am a Republican Senator from the fine state of Mississippi and my name is none other than Hernando Money. I believe I speak for the greater amount of our nation when I say I do in fact believe that Imperialism and expansion is a necessity we as a country must endure together for America the great to continue to reign as superior to all other nations. We must follow suit, as the European countries did years ago when they began to annex several parts of Africa and Asia. We must return to our roots and fight for new territory and the advantages they bring just as our ancestors did before us. It is our undeniable destiny to annex the Philippines and to rescue them from Spain. The Philippines are an extremely advantageously placed territory as it is not only on the water from all fronts which makes it a very probable spot for military bases but it is also right below the country of China, a nation with lots of tradable goods and resources.We must have the philippines to allow us to partake in trading and importing goods from all of Asia. Also, those currently living on the filipino land are I do believe quite unfit to rule themselves; they are nomadic in lifestyle and do not possess the intelligence to control themselves or others. This is why we must expand the United states, to govern the Filipino people into smart and alliable partners. We will shape them into bright chivalrous men and teach them how to become an American; we will teach them of Christianity as well as many other of our ideals. Until these savages are deemed esteemed intelligent fellows, they will not be granted any real American rights like voting or citizenship so there is no reason to fret the possibilities of revolt. they will however, have the great great privilege of being able to call themselves Americans. We will supply our new fellow Americans with jobs they were unfit for before our savior of them. They will work for our magnificent military and not even have to leave their country!