Essay on American Imperialism in the Philippines - 3614 Words

In 1898, in an effort to free Cuba from the oppression of its Spanish colonizers, America captured the Philippines. This brought about questions of what America should do with the Philippines. Soon, controversy ensued both in the American political arena as well as among its citizens. Throughout its history, America had always been expansionistic, but it had always limited itself to the North American continent. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, however, there emerged a drive to expand outside of the continent. When America expanded to the Philippines, the policy it followed was a stark break from past forms of expansionism. Despite much controversy, America followed the example of the imperialistic nations in Europe and sought to†¦show more content†¦The idea of Manifest Destiny stemmed in part from the ideas of the Monroe Doctrine.? It was an intangible concept best described as a pervasive thirst for expansion in America that shaped American history.? Americans bel ieved that it was their destiny to encompass the entire North American continent (Lubbrage 1). The westward migration of American settlers and European immigrants to the Midwest in the 1840?s and 1850?s prompted this movement. Swayed by popular zeal for expansion, political leaders chose to neglect the conflicts that would ensue with Mexico and Great Britain (Henretta 360).? In his document entitled Manifest Destiny (1845) ?from which the movement received its name OSullivan articulated the philosophies of Manifest Destiny. He envisioned in Americas future, the ?defence of humanity, of the oppressed of all nations, of the rights of conscience, the rights of personal enfranchisement. He believed that America was the chosen country to do this, as it did not have a history of conflict except in the defense of its freedom (O?Sullivan paragraph 4). Americans saw it as their divine mission to expand to spread democracy and Christianity (Henretta 360). A critical turning point in American expansion was when America first looked to Cuba. During this period of westward expansion, the new political movement known as Young America whichShow MoreRelatedAmerican Imperialism and the Colonization of the Philippines Essay1583 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Imperialism and the Colonization of the Philippines The irony of the 1898 Spanish-American war was that Americans fought partly to aid Cubans in the fight for Cuban sovereignty, and the United States ended up colonizing some territories they won from Spain, like the Philippines. Despite America’s previous claims of only supporting independence and democracy, the United States became an imperialist power and colonized the Philippines (Introduction to the Spanish-American war and theRead MoreImperialism Could Have Grown American Into A World Power1525 Words   |  7 Pages Imperialism could have grown American into a world power and still have respected different cultures. 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