Were Pro-Imperialists Arguments Against Imperialism Justified?

In 1776, colonists fought for independence and the right to self-government. Since then, America has stood for freedom and democracy all over the world. However, there have been instances where America was more empire than democracy. For example, during the Spanish-American war, the Americans used their strength to control the Philippines. The Americans helped free the Philippines from Spanish colonialism. However, after the war, the Americans turned around and annexed the islands. Americans all over the country fought over whether or not the annexation was justified. Pro-imperialists argued for annexation, while anti-imperialists argued against annexation. The arguments for annexing the Philippines were their need for American guidance, and preventing other countries from

And under the guise of Manifest Destiny, America expanded westward until it reached the Pacific Ocean. Manifest Destiny was the belief that God wanted America to expand westward, and it also included aspects of spreading the Christian religion as well as American culture. During Manifest Destiny, Americans believed their culture was superior to the Native Americans, and therefore needed to be spread. Pro-imperialists during the Philippine-American war used the same argument. According to the Diplomat Asia, “Accounts of the U.S. decision to seize the Philippines often treat it as an extension of Manifest Destiny” (The Diplomat Asia). In a campaign speech, a senator from Indiana claimed that the right to self-government only applied to people who were capable of doing that. He argued that the Filipinos, much like children, were unfit to govern themselves, and therefore needed the American people (Senator Beveridge campaign speech). Beveridge’s argument was that the Filipinos were similar to Native Americans and children in that the Americans governed those groups without their consent, and the Filipinos should be the