Adam Taylor 

                                                                              Per. 2 AP US History

                                                                              2-10-05

                                                                               9.1.4 Essay

            Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the United States expanded its territory westward through purchase and annexation. At the end of the century, however, expansion became imperialism, as America acquired several territories overseas. This policy shift from expansionism to imperialism came about as a result of America’s experience in the Spanish-American War and Congressional debates that followed the American victory.

            We started to become imperialist during the years of McKinley when, before the Spanish-American War. We were taking interest in places such as Somoan Islands, and Hawaii. In Somoa, we made a deal with them that we would defend them, and in exchange they would give us a harbor, which happened to be Pago Pago. This was to be a refueling, point for the fleet, and would serve as a place of protection for our trade routes to Asia. Another place of American interest in the Pacific was the Sandwich Islands, but they are commonly known today as the Hawaiian Islands. Americans started taking an interest there when they learned of the nice locations it was to grow sugar and get wealthy. They only got more interested when they were being given special treatment that allowed an even larger profit for them. Well as time went on the native people started to want to get their power back, and when the Queen did this, the American sugar growers rebelled, and took over the in a coup de tat. With this the Hawaiian government was overthrown, in 1893, and a new American government was installed in 1898. So by the time the Spanish American War was breaking out, we had already annexed the Hawaiian Islands, and gotten Pago Pago.

            In 1898, America starts its expansion into the Caribbean. Due to many factors such as letter calling McKinley a wimp, American jealous over Spanish Imperialism, and the U.S.S. Maine exploding in Havana Harbor. With this America sent in a military force on land, and a navy to blockade the island. Within four months, the Spanish lost, and started talks in the Paris Treaty. In this treaty America got a lot of new lands, all over the world. Thus really expanding our imperialism policies to coupe with all the new peoples. Through the American victory, the Cubans were freed and made their own self-governing nation. Meanwhile the US made some great gains, because the US got Puerto Rico, Guam, and then through some bargaining, a deal was struck over what to do with the Philippines. During the war, Admiral Dewey had been dispatched to attacked Milan Bay, and won, defeating the Spanish. Now that the Spanish were defeated, either the US had to take over, or some other European nation would come in and take over.  So it was worked out that in exchange for America paying 20 million dollars, for the Philippines. The Philippines would be a whole new thing for America, because they would have rebels to deal with in this new annexation.

            When America bought the Philippine Islands, from the Spanish, they did not realize what they were getting into. All the other new lands that America had acquired had not rebelled, at least as bad as it was in the Philippines. For two long bloody years the America troops had to fight against the rebels. It was so bad, that more American boys died fighting the rebels than did in the Spanish American War. This back at home caused many to think badly of the new government imperialism policies. One person in peculiar was, the Democratic presidential candidate for 1900, William Jennings Bryan. Bryan felt that what we were doing was wrong. That we had liberated one country but put another under occupation. What he was talking about was that we had gotten Cuba free, but then we had taken over the Philippines. So we were acting no better than the European countries in our greed of imperialism. This was the idea that the anti-imperialism generally shared. They thought that it was wrong and that it was not right to allow these actions to continue. But the people who thought that it was right argued that it was because they felt that ideals of Darwinism. Where the pro imperialist felt that it was their right to civilized the lesser people, and in the process if they made some money, or naval refueling points, and resources then oh well. So the to sides back at home went on the ideals of imperialist.

            So it is clear, that imperialism was here to stay for a while, even if the if people back home did not agree with it. We would expand in through many different routes, from buying them, getting them by victories in wars, giving protection in exchange for land, or just plain taking over. Through the annexation of Hawaii, the procatoreship of Samoan Islands in acquiring Pago Pago, the buying of the Philippines, and getting Guam, Puerto Rico, for beating the Spanish. Now the that the American government had taken over the lands, they had to work on the policies to deal with ruling all these new people, and that is what the problem is when you have two sides with polar views.

This is very interesting, insightful, and well stated.  Each of your body paragraphs contains a clear topic sentence that relates directly to the question and the provided thesis statement. Your supporting evidence supports the thesis and you glean some important elements of the burgeoning American imperialism of the time. 40