When America, as we know it today, was created, it had just freed itself from an unwanted, suffocating European power. The people wanted nothing to do with foreign affairs and their presidents’ policies reflected that. As America moved forward and established themselves as a world power, they began to want more. At the turn of the twentieth century, this want for more hit its peak and because of other circumstances, more was just within reach. America had always prided themselves in staying out of foreign problems and focusing inward, but now a new age was dawning. Those who were pro imperialist argued that the US had built itself up and it was now their duty to help others and expansion could help America internally, but anti imperialists …show more content…
It was not necessary for America to get involved with the war, but several factors including yellow journalism, made the push to join that much easier. However, situations such as the Delome letter were not some of the public’s primary concern. As seen is a newspaper article written by an African American author, E.E Cooper, the war was an opportunity to improve race relations in America (Doc 1). African Americans were fighting a constant war with the “white” people to be treated equally or with at least a little respect, but it was a losing battle. Their most recent fight was over Jim Crow laws and that was nowhere near over. They truly hoped that a war would be enough to turn the tide. Perhaps the most weighty opinion was the one of sitting president, William McKinley. He tried to persuade a decidedly religious group that taking over the Philippines was the Christian thing to do because America would simply be saving them from themselves and evil countries that would do far worse (Doc 3). McKinley had also advocated for the Spanish American War for much of the same reason, it would be saving these poor, repressed people from the despicable Spaniards. There were many that agreed with McKinley. The general public genuinely believed they were saving these people and their way was the best