The Annexation Of The Philippenes

"Should the United States Annex the Philippines?" After defeating Spain in 1898, the United States took control of Guam, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Then decided to annex Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, but to give Cuba its freedom. Now the United States has to make the decision to annex the Philippine Islands, like Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico, or to give them their freedom, like they did Cuba. It would be in the best interest for President McKinley to acquire the ownership of the Philippines thereby expanding U.S. trade routes and strengthening foreign affairs.

The most important reason to annex the Philippines is for better trade. The United States will have more customers in Eastern Asia and in the Western Pacific. The U.S. will have a stepping stone path from the U.S. to Asia with the islands of Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines. If the United States takes over the Philippine Islands, the U.S. will create more jobs for the American people. People will be able to have jobs as sailors to transport goods to other countries; this will help the economy of the U.S. The Philippine Islands have many natural resources and crops that will come to America such as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, cassava, taro, yams, peanuts, beans, string beans, greens, eggplants, tomatoes, onions and many other vegetables. Many fruits are grown there such as papayas, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, jackfruits, pomelos, avocados, oranges, durians, and best of all, coconuts. The availability of these goods will be a benefit to the U.S. economy.

Another reason why the United States should take the Philippines is to teach them religion. The United States wants to bring Christianity into their lives. They also want to civilize the Filipinos so they will be cultured and educated. The Philippines is strategically located, providing easy access for the U.S. military and navy if they are needed anywhere in Asia. If the U.S. doesn't take the Philippine Islands, a country such as Germany will. This could bring about a situation where the U.S.' security is jeopardized.

The strongest argument for the United States not annexing the Philippines is from the perspective of the other countries in Asia. The United States extending its system to that hemisphere would be considered dangerous to the peace and safety of the region. The argument's foundation can be found in the United States' own, Monroe Doctrine. Just like the United States was concerned about European intervention in its hemisphere, the same hold true for the United States' presence in Asia. This comparison is not valid because the United States and other countries already have footholds throughout Asia. Great Britain, Russia, and France are all influencing the region.

An argument against this decision is that the Filipinos don't want us there. The Filipinos want to be free with no landlords to take care of them. They are satisfied with the way they live and don't want it to change. This argument is not very strong because the only people who don't want the United States there are foreign governments and Filipinos who want to create change. As far as religion, the Catholic Church has a very large following and whether or not the U.S. is there the Catholic Church will continue to grow. It's in the United States interest to make sure the Catholic Church does not fail.

The United States should annex the Philippine Islands. It is in the best interest of the United States and its people, as well as the Filipinos and their neighbors. By adopting this position the U.S.' security will be strengthened, because our being in the Philippines will keep the peace in the region.