Imperialism In American Imperialism

Imperialism is the policy of a nation to expand its influence. Many nations throughout history have been affected by imperialism. In fact, America itself was greatly impacted by imperialism. In regards to the nineteenth- and twentieth-centuries, America was on the receiving end of imperialism, gaining many new territories. However, despite the allures of gaining new territories, there are several issues with imperialism. For example, when an imperialist nation takes over another country, there is always the chance that the native people will rebel. In the 19th and 20th centuries America grew increasingly imperialistic. In definition, annexation is the gaining of political control over another country. For example, both Hawaii and the Philippines

In late 1898 Spanish and American negotiators met in Paris. The most difficult territory to deal with was the lush islands of the Philippines. In addition, President McKinley felt that it would be morally wrong to give islands to the Spanish to be misruled. Like any logical man, McKinley weighed his options. If the Philippines were left to govern themselves, they might fall into chaos, then be later captured by an aggressives power. In light of this possibility, the president felt that it would be best to keep the islands and free them later. Whilst keeping a close eye on the public 's opinion, McKinley noticed that many missionaries were eager to convert the Filipino people. Out of torment, McKinley fell to his knees and asked for godly guidance. Consequently, his inner voice told him to take all of the Philippine islands and Christianize them. Acting in accordance, McKinley sought the outright annexation of the

At the end of the Spanish American war, the Filipino people thought that they would be granted freedom. However, they did not. Congress excluded them from the peace negotiations with Spain, and clearly wanted to stay permanently. Consequently, this only fostered hate for the United States. Having gotten into the Spanish-American war to free Cuba, America now had to send several thousand troops to crush the rebellion. However, the Filipino rebels were not going down without a fight. The rebels eventually resorted to guerrilla warfare. In the end, rebels had taken the lives of 4,234 Americans and roughly 600,000 Filipinos lost their lives as well. One thing fueled this rebellion: the desire for liberty. The same situation that the early American settlers had dealt with, had found its way to the Philippines. A small nation that simply wanted freedom was being denied liberty by the superpower that owned