To What Extent Did The Us Have The Right To Rule The Philippines

After winning the Spanish-American War in 1898, the United States gained control of three colonies and one of those colonies was the Philippines (42). Americans were split on their ideas of what to do with the Philippines. Some believed that the Philippines rightfully belonged to the U.S. so therefore the U.S. should retain the colony and govern it however they wish (42). One man who felt this way was Albert J. Beveridge, a U.S. Senator that opposed the anti-imperialist movement (42). Senator Beveridge sided with the imperialistic ideals that believed the U.S. had the right to control the Philippines as they pleased (42). On the opposing side of this argument were people like Joseph Henry Crooker, a religious author and member of the American Anti-Imperialist League (45). People like Mr. Crooker felt that the U.S. should not rule the Philippines and that due to the increase in military conflict, that the
should withdraw from the area (45). One should be able to see why the opinions of those like Mr. Crooker are the correct ones to side with by acknowledging how hypocritical it is for the U.S. to adopt policies of those like the rulers they once fought against and how many lives are being lost fighting for a colony the U.S. has no place in. Mr. Crooker points out how the imperialistic policies the U.S. has begun to practice are similar to those the U.S. resisted against in the past when he says, “To buy 10,000,000 distant islanders is the expansion of Jefferson Davis...To tax far-off colonists without their consent is the expansion of the policy of [British king] George III…” (47). One should see how his comparison to Jefferson Davis is accurate considering Mr. Davis believed it was perfectly okay to enslave and control a race of people in order to benefit their masters. This is comparable to the situation in the