Annexation The Philippines
Alejandra Jacobo
History 1302.10
The American Decision to Annex the Philippines Just forty-five years before the annexation of the Philippines President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, "No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent." What led Americans to so quickly forget that ideology? It can be summarized in one word: avarice. Aggressive imperialist attitudes dominated and influenced the population during the late 18th century and are essentially what fueled the Spanish-American War. The American victory over Spain not only intensified aggressive sentiments of imperialist patriotism but also caused worriment among the anti-imperialists. The country was once again divided over how moral or immoral it was to subjugate other human beings for personal gain. Ultimately the decision to annex the Philippines was unethical. The US had no right to take away independence from the country that had aided them during the war. The treaty was outright unfair towards the Filipinos. …show more content…
His biggest mistake was letting public opinion persuade him into retaining the Islands. Nonetheless the whole debate subsided for a while with the victory of McKinley over Jennings. American imperialism found a strong support from businessmen who wanted new commercial avenues for their expanding trade, military men who relished the glory and fame brought about by the achievements of victory, and clergymen who saw in the acquisition of new lands a challenging opportunity to bring Christ to others. All of these were clearly selfish reasons and misplaced patriotism. In the end the Filipino rebellion leader Emilio Aguinaldo only wanted independence for the country he held near and dear to his heart. Unlike his prosecutors he never let race cloud his judgment, on the contrary on one occasion he stated, "We only defend our independence against imperialists. The sons of that mighty nation are our and
History 1302.10
The American Decision to Annex the Philippines Just forty-five years before the annexation of the Philippines President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, "No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent." What led Americans to so quickly forget that ideology? It can be summarized in one word: avarice. Aggressive imperialist attitudes dominated and influenced the population during the late 18th century and are essentially what fueled the Spanish-American War. The American victory over Spain not only intensified aggressive sentiments of imperialist patriotism but also caused worriment among the anti-imperialists. The country was once again divided over how moral or immoral it was to subjugate other human beings for personal gain. Ultimately the decision to annex the Philippines was unethical. The US had no right to take away independence from the country that had aided them during the war. The treaty was outright unfair towards the Filipinos. …show more content…
His biggest mistake was letting public opinion persuade him into retaining the Islands. Nonetheless the whole debate subsided for a while with the victory of McKinley over Jennings. American imperialism found a strong support from businessmen who wanted new commercial avenues for their expanding trade, military men who relished the glory and fame brought about by the achievements of victory, and clergymen who saw in the acquisition of new lands a challenging opportunity to bring Christ to others. All of these were clearly selfish reasons and misplaced patriotism. In the end the Filipino rebellion leader Emilio Aguinaldo only wanted independence for the country he held near and dear to his heart. Unlike his prosecutors he never let race cloud his judgment, on the contrary on one occasion he stated, "We only defend our independence against imperialists. The sons of that mighty nation are our and