In the latter 1800’s, U.S. citizens across the nation were overwhelmed with nationalism as they watched their country unite and strengthen under a successful political system. The belief of manifest destiny increased with the booming economy as citizens believed that God had given equipped them with what they needed to succeed, and it was now their duty to help other countries do the same.At first the U.S. started expanding westward by annexing California and Texas. Then President McKinley annexed Hawaii in 1898 for their sugar and repair station, Pearl Harbor. With Pearl Harbor and after acquiring Pago Pago Harbor (1899) in Samoa, the U.S. was ready to begin trading with Asia. With the ‘Open Door Policy,’ the U.S. was guaranteed a share in China’s vast market.
Imperialism in the U.S. started when Cuba was having issues with Spain. In 1895 Cuba’s economy collapsed and the Cubans started rebelling more severely than before. General Weyler set up ‘reconstruction’ camps to try and end the rebelling but those camps ended up killing 200,000 Cubans because of poor living conditions and disease.
A journalist named Jose Marti strongly suggested that the U.S. intervene, but both President Cleveland and McKinley were refusing to spend the money or adopt the responsibility. Frustrated, Cubans started destroying America’s sugar plantations. Yellow Journalism and the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine were a few of the many events that led up to the Spanish-American war in 1898. The Americans won and in 1898 they signed the Treaty of Paris, making the Cuba an independent country. The U.S. also got the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.
In the Philippines, the U.S. sought to ‘civilize and Christianize them.” (-President McKinley) However the Filipinos for their country’s independence by killing 4,000 Americans in a three year long war. In 1946, the Philippines were an independent country.
Unlike the Philippines, Puerto Rico became part of the U.S. after their infrastructure was stable with help from the U.S. navy, and in 1917 the Jones Act was passed where the Puerto Ricans were granted American citizenship.
The Panama Canal was built with the intentions of creating a faster sipping rout by linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Panama Canal would also allow the U.S. navy to travel faster in the time of war. In 1903 Panama agreed to the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty in which the Panamanians would receive $10 million for a 10-mile wide strip of land for the Canal. Construction began in 1904 and ended in 1914, six months early and $23 million under budget.
Many people were for imperialism for they strongly believed in manifest destiny and felt loyal to their beloved country. President Roosevelt’s ‘big stick’ theory and his actions while president revealed that he was for imperialism because he believed that when involved in foreign nations it’s best to have a strong military to strengthen America’s power. People for Imperialism saw expanding as a way to rekindle the pioneering that had seemed to hit a low point. Imperialism would also help the issue of over production and provide financial security while also give the U.S. a head in the competitive economy.
Anti-imperialists saw the expansionist’s behavior as unethical and thought of it as rejecting the nation’s foundation of ‘liberty for all.’ They also believed that the countries that were controlled by the U.S. should abide by the U.S. constitution as U.S. citizens. The expansionist’s argued that their so called unethical behavior was preparing their new county for liberty but the anti-imperialists didn’t believe that anyone should have to wait for liberty. The anti-imperialists also believed that the issues in the U.S. should be resolved before the U.S. thinks about bringing other countries into their mess.
Racists didn’t like sharing their country with other races. They also believed that the new immigrants would increase job competition because the immigrants would be willing to work for a lower wage which would also lower wages in general. Furthermore, the anti-imperialists thought that expansion would cost the U.S. a lot of extra money and military and the imported products would hurt America’s industries by increasing the competition with their low prices.
Overall the imperialist’s arguments were more convincing than those of the anti-imperialist because they manifested throughout the politics and future of the United States of America. However the views from abroad were undecided, for the Panamanians claimed to have suffered discrimination yet even those that were afraid of losing their independence started turning to the U.S. for help because America was becoming so powerful.
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