Negative Effects Of Spanish American Imperialism

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States expanded its overseas territory through war and revolts. For example, Cuba and Panama were gained through revolts from their citizens. At the time, the United States nationalism was growing by the use of Yellow Journalism. This was used as a way to catch the eye of the civilians to show them what was going on and try to get them to support the cause. Yellow Journalism was important in showing the Cubans revolt against the Spanish and the tension of the Cuban people. Because of the tension, the USS Maine was sent down to Cuba. When the USS Maine exploded and almost 300 sailors died the United States declared war. This was the start of the Spanish-American War luckily

there were few casualties and the US had acquired an empire. The states gained Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines. Although negative views emerged about the expansion due to the longstanding belief of isolation and it was seen as one of the anti-colonial traditions of the United States. However, because there was growing nationalism in America the positive views of expansion were related to national identity. Americans believed they were destined to share their culture with others and the United States gained land as a way to show they were a world power. Therefore, positive views of expansion came from American beliefs and what America stood for as a whole.
To some people, overseas expansion was negative due to it going against the longstanding belief of isolation as well as an anti-colonial tradition.

For example, William Graham Sumner gave a speech at Yale that in which its blatant purpose was to openly criticize imperialism and state that he was worried that if the United States continued to excessively use military it would become just as bad as Spain. Also, Jane Addams a social and progressive reformer from Chicago gave a speech that her side. She spoke about how the Spanish-American War went against the nation’s idea of peace as well as encouraged violence in American cities especially Chicago. Meanwhile, William Jennings Bryan gave a speech with the purpose of undermining the US for acquiring the Philippines, he showed that colonialism should be put to an

end.
Ultimately, the roots of these negative views came from earlier debates about whether or not the United States should involve itself in foreign affairs. Jay’s Treaty was one of the ways that the United States remained neutral and out of the war. This happened because it was an appeasement which sought to reserve conflict between the United States and Great Britain because the British had used impressment of United States sailors. Also, even though Americans such as Thomas Jefferson wanted to get involved in the foreign affairs as a way to pay back countries for their help in wars. Washington ultimately said in his farewell address that the United States should “steer clear of permanent alliances” and he encouraged the nation to become independent in foreign affairs. However, even though there were negative views of imperialism, more often than not they were positive because the expansion of the United States helped it to become the world power it is today.
The positive views of expansion came from the United States natural identity as well as its past. The whole idea of imperialism came from Manifest Destiny and how the Americans believed they had the God-given right to settle from sea to shining sea. In fact, Theodore Roosevelt advocated the masculinity and the importance of imperialism and militarism. He also said that the United States were obligated to provide government to the Philippines because they were now a territory of the United States; this is known as white man’s burden. Therefore, the United States had the right to not only gain territories but also spread their beliefs as well. In McKinley’s speech he addresses the American church delegation explaining why the United States had “put the Philippines on the map of the United States” as well as show them that there was a religious mission and they had the job of spreading their religion to the Filipinos so that they can then become their best selves. Nationalism in the United states also brought some positive views of overseas expansion.
Due to newspapers widely supporting the idea of war and techniques such as Yellow Journalism people in all areas gained an important cause to fight for.

E E Cooper an educated African American man appealed to the African-American race by saying the Spanish-American War would unite people of all races and the United States could be a multiracial family where everyone was proud and happy to fight for their country. The positive views were more prominent since the expansion of overseas territory would help the United States become more of a world power. Puck published its magazine following the end of the Spanish-American War after the States gained the Philippines as a territory. This was also written the same year as the Roosevelt Corollary which was an add on to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. The Monroe Doctrine was a document the requested the European nations not to occupy the Western Hemisphere. However, when there was a crisis in Venezuela Roosevelt feared a European power would then invade the country so he added the Roosevelt Corollary. This made it so the United States could get involved in foreign affairs if there were flagrant cases of wrongdoing and impotence which made it possible for the United States to expand further and become a world power. The United States wanted to have outposts and fueling stations in the Pacific so that they could regulate trade in Asia. The United States also wanted to be able to open up foreign trading markets after what happened in the

Panic of 1893. The Roosevelt Corollary allowed the United States to do this if there was any wrongdoing which could mean they could declare war and gain more land for their empire. This all shows that overseas expansion was more positive than negative in the views of the American people.
Even though imperialism was seen in both a positive and negative way, more often than not it was seen as a positive way that would only help to better the country. This is since a war was a cause all Americans could rally behind. The Americans felt they needed to share their beliefs and spread them to other places as well as it helped the United States become more of a world power. Therefore, the United States overseas expansion between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries had more of a positive view than a negative one.