Pros And Cons To Annex The Philippines

The United States of the early 20th century was one with a booming economy and a hunger for power. They had expanded westward and were looking to continue to expand their territory across the seas, in order to assert their dominance as a global superpower among the powerful nations of the time. The poor relations between Cubans and their Spanish rulers eventually led to the Treaty of Paris, which is when Spain surrendered the Philippines to the United States. It was at this point that another major divide between the American people was created. Many Americans believed that attempting to gain power over as many territories as possible was a bad idea and one that went against what America was built on. However, there were also many supporters

If they didn’t, they would be going against God. Supporters would also believe that the United States is a completely superior country. When describing America, Beveridge said it is, “...a land set like a sentinel between the two imperial oceans of the glove, a greater England with a nobler destiny. It is a mighty people that He has planted on this soil…” (Beveridge, 1900, pg. 97). By using words such as ‘nobler’ and ‘mighty people,’ it shows the superiority Beveridge and other imperialists feel over other countries. Critics of this document would be those against the annexation of the Philippines. These would be people that believe the ideals that America was built on would be lost, and it was not their duty to intervene with another country’s right to self-government. Another possible reason that one might be against the annexation was the fear of changing the economy for worse. For example, “Trade unionists worried that poor Filipino workers would flood the U.S. labor market and depress wage rates” (Murrin, pg. 727). People were also worried about what the cost of the navy could do to the economy. The cost did prove to be high: “In 1890, naval expenditures exceeded $22 m” (Cortes, Feb