By the end of the nineteenth-century, the United States was prosperous and growing rapidly. The 1898 Spanish-American War resulted in American control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The nation became more imperialistic, which many argued was a bad idea. Josiah Strong believed it was the duty of the Anglo-Saxons to share their political and religious ideals with others (#1). Similarly, President McKinley was interested in Christianizing Filipinos. He also argued that if the United States did not annex the Philippines, then nations like France and Germany would (#3). In addition to religion, it was argued that growing production and “an increasing volume of public sentiment” demanded American control overseas (#2). Senator Beveridge also believed imperialism would promote commerce and benefit the nation (#5).
However, other people were against imperialism in America. Senator Hoar argued that under the Declaration of Independence, the nation could not “govern a foreign territory,