Not only does the bald eagle symbolize America, but it also signifies taking other countries under our wing. Towards the beginning of 1898, America and Spain went to war in Cuba due to poor treatment of the Cuban people. America started to be seen as one of the most powerful countries in the world. Across the Pacific Ocean, eleven thousand soldiers marched into the capital of the Philippines, Manila. The United States had three choices in regards to the Philippines, and we decided to annex them. A treaty to annex was ratified with a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Even though it seemed that our only choice was to annex, should we have annexed the Philippines? In this case, annexing means to incorporate new territory to something larger.
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The Philippines would not be able to survive without the United States interfering. “The rule that all just government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, applies only to those who are capable of self-government” (Document B). Letting a country dependent of other people suddenly become independent would cause a country full of chaos. If America liberated the Philippines, “they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there worse than Spain’s was” (Document C). The United States manages an organized government, and America would be doing the Philippines a huge favor by accompanying them into the right …show more content…
If the United States did not annex the Philippines, one of our rivals could easily take the country. President William McKinley knew that “we could not turn them over to France and Germany- our commercial rivals in the Orient- that would be bad for business and discreditable” (Document C). Losing the Philippines would be feeding money to our enemies. America is doing what is best for the Philippines by teaching them a new and formulated way of functioning. “There was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them” (Document C). The United States could improve their lifestyle, and rescue them from the Spaniards. We could not “turn these peoples back to the reeking hands from which we have taken them” (Document B). America rescued the Philippines, and helped them out by guiding them towards better education.
Although the United States was built on freedom, we have to do the right thing for both of our countries. Liberating them would cause turmoil for each country by leaving the Philippines without any guidance or supervision. Making them an independent country would instantly cause our rivals to profit off of them. The United States should have annexed the Philippines because they needed taken under our
The Philippines would not be able to survive without the United States interfering. “The rule that all just government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, applies only to those who are capable of self-government” (Document B). Letting a country dependent of other people suddenly become independent would cause a country full of chaos. If America liberated the Philippines, “they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there worse than Spain’s was” (Document C). The United States manages an organized government, and America would be doing the Philippines a huge favor by accompanying them into the right …show more content…
If the United States did not annex the Philippines, one of our rivals could easily take the country. President William McKinley knew that “we could not turn them over to France and Germany- our commercial rivals in the Orient- that would be bad for business and discreditable” (Document C). Losing the Philippines would be feeding money to our enemies. America is doing what is best for the Philippines by teaching them a new and formulated way of functioning. “There was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them” (Document C). The United States could improve their lifestyle, and rescue them from the Spaniards. We could not “turn these peoples back to the reeking hands from which we have taken them” (Document B). America rescued the Philippines, and helped them out by guiding them towards better education.
Although the United States was built on freedom, we have to do the right thing for both of our countries. Liberating them would cause turmoil for each country by leaving the Philippines without any guidance or supervision. Making them an independent country would instantly cause our rivals to profit off of them. The United States should have annexed the Philippines because they needed taken under our