Argument essay history

American Imperialism

The period after civil war was a very tough one for United States. During this era, the nation experienced a lot of indifference on the matters of foreign affairs. Moreover, the state was not clear on how it would conduct international relations. At this time, the people of this great nation thought it wise not to have an overseas empire. However, this changed drastically towards the 1890s. The country was set to conquer and set up its overseas empire. Even so, individuals were indifferent over the matter. Some of the Americans thought that the country was ready for an overseas empire while others disagreed.

The advocates of the overseas empire believed that it was the best decision they could ever make. This was largely because they were thinking on the basis of business interest1. These people believed that by annexing the numerous islands, they would be creating new market for their goods. The United States produced a lot of goods through the industries that they had set up. Some individuals thought that the country was facing overproduction and it had to expend its markets. Annexing of the islands was a good idea. Furthermore, the supporters of the overseas empire viewed the islands as fields of investments. The islands had land where they could set up industries and grow crops. Additionally, the proponents also thought it would be a wise idea because the country would expand its political boundaries. This would mean that the authority would command a larger area. Moreover, the military would also grow bigger.

The opponents of the overseas empire thought that the idea was outrageous. This was because the annexing of the islands seemed like a ploy for the state to continue with the act of slavery. The thought of having an overseas empire angered the opponents leading them to form an alliance known as the American Anti-imperialist League2. The association was formed for the sole purpose of fighting against the annexation of the Philippines. Moreover, the opponents were not happy with the idea because they perceived the United States to be a young country that ought to have been concentrating on reclaiming itself. They argued that the country was still an infant and that it was unable to create an empire for itself. Not to mention, some senators argued that by annexing the islands the individuals would have violated the American traditions. In addition, they said that the country was fine just the way it was and it did not require other nations to be a part of it.

Another reason that stood out from the opponents was that the islands to be annexed were very far away from the pacific coast. They argued that the United States would not be benefiting a lot from other nations. Others also claimed that the Filipinos and Spaniards were very primitive and that they did not want them to join their developed state. The challengers felt that the Unites States would be helping other countries by teaching them how to be civilized. During this era, the United States was very indifferent about an overseas empire. Even so, the advocates of the overseas empire went ahead with the annexation of the Philippines.

Bibliography Gorn, Elliott J., Randy W. Roberts, and Terry Bilhartz. 2010. Constructing the American Past, Volume 2: A Source Book of a People’s History. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Elliot J. Gorn, Roberts W. Randy and Terry Bilhartz. 2010. Constructing the American Past, Volume 2: A Source Book of a People’s History. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. 2. Gorn, Randy, and Bilhartz. 2010