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Mark Twain's War Against Imperialism

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Mark Twain
He was against imperialism. He spoke out against what happened in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War before 1899, twain was an ardent imperialist. In the late 1860s and early 1870s, he spoke out strongly in favor of American interests in the Hawaiian Islands In the mid-1890s he explained later; he was "a red-hot imperialist. I wanted the American eagle to go screaming over the Pacific." He said the war with Spain in 1898 was "the worthiest" war ever fought. In 1899, he reversed course, and from 1901, soon after his return from Europe, until his death in 1910, twain was vice-president of the American Anti-Imperialist League. He wasn't happy about what happened in the Philippines and believed the US should not interfere …show more content…

Today we are making more than we can use... Therefore we must find new markets for our produce, new occupation for our capital, new work for our labor. As our commerce spreads, the flag of liberty will circle the globe and the highway of the ocean - carrying trade to all mankind - will be guarded by the guns of the republic. Many Americans feel it was not only our responsibility and duty but it was also a mandate by God.

Mark: if the United States stayed in the Philippines, One would be that Americans would corrupt themselves because of the brutal way in which they had to fight this war that was an immoral war and Americans shouldn't be involved in it. The other argument that the anti-imperialists made was that even if McKinley won this war, he could not extend constitutional rights to the Filipinos, that the American Constitution was only meant for certain races and would only extend as far as the American continent.

Keith: an immoral war? It seems to me that God, with infinite wisdom and skill, is training the Anglo-Saxon race for an hour sure to come in the world’s future. The lands of the earth are limited, and soon will be taken. Then will the world enter upon a new stage in its history- the final competition of the

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