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Meeting Of The Minds-American Expansionism: William Howard Taft

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Meeting of the Minds - American Expansionism: William Howard Taft
Introduction
William Howard Taft was a conservative Republican imperialist politician. He was a jurist, judge, Filipino governor, president, and later chief justice. He mostly supported imperialism to boost the American economy by using land and resources from colonies. However, he wasn’t too interested in in political or social aspects of imperialism as long as they didn’t interfere with his economic portion.
In the document “American Anti-Imperialist League Platform”, points regarding imperialism and the treatment of natives in American colonies, specifically Filipinos are made. It expresses a distaste towards imperialism and those who support it. It mentions the mass slaughter …show more content…

He explains how it’s America’s duty from God to spread the country as well as Christianity. His main point is that whites are the master race and they need to control all other races. Though Taft would agree with the promotion of imperialism, he would disagree with the other topics in the document. He believed that native peoples, more specifically Filipinos, were worthy of their own ideals, cultures, and governments. While Beveridge promotes imperialism for mostly social takeover, Taft does it for economic benefits.
In the speech “Imperialism”, the speaker, William Jennings Bryan, expresses his distaste towards imperialism. He says America should not spread anymore, because it isn’t an empire. He also says that in the past, America was never imperialist and now it should stay as the past presidents and the founding fathers created it. Taft would disagree with most of the ideas expressed in the speech. He believes America should continue to spread to fuel business interests, boosting the economy. Moreover, he had some progressive beliefs, so he wouldn’t be entirely in favor of keeping things the way they always have …show more content…

He mostly supported imperialism for economic reasons. He also thought American imperialism was benefitting the countries affected by it. He thought the building of schools and roads improved the lives of the natives. Despite being ordered to by the US government while he was governing the Philippines, he refused to segregate official gatherings.
Spanish-American War
Taft supported the Spanish-American War. He disliked the mistreatment of those living in colonies. Spain was being abusive, and he likely would’ve been against that. At the end of the war, the United States gained plenty of territory from Spain as well. He would like the new land gained after the war to use for economic opportunities
Filipino War
Taft supported the Filipino War on the side of the United States. If the US won, the Philippines would stay part of the United States. With the land, the US could do plenty to benefit itself economically. He also thought the Philippines could be industrialized if given enough time, money, and resources from the US. He hoped the Philippines would be imperialized to support his and other Americans’ interests. After the war, he became the Governor of the

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