Being the Bigger Man/Setting A People Free: The Annexation of the Philippines
The United States is divided on the dilemma of our generation, the annexation of the Philippines. The navy under direction of commodore Dewey took control of Manila Harbor and troops later stormed the islands removing the Spanish forces. The future of the Philippines now hangs in the balance. The United States should annex the Philippines because it would create an economic boom town; protect the Filipinos from imperialistic occupation and because of the history of American political policy abroad.
The Philippines is an untapped gold mine sitting in the center of the orient. “Our sugar and tobacco growing would receive an impetus” (Rand-McNally Bankers’ Monthly). The islands’ location would create a trading hub for the U.S. in the middle of a region overflowing with commerce. Annexation of the Philippines would create a trading hub the benefits the American merchants abroad and the manufacturers back in the U.S. Annexing would the Philippines would boost the American economy.
The United States is not the only country who finds the Philippines a worthwhile endeavor. Germany’s fleet is sitting outside of Manila Bay waiting for the Americans to leave. They are not the only nations; five other imperialistic powers, including France, England, Germany, Japan and Russia wish to hold the Philippines. “is the Yankee inferior…it is our duty…to protect the Philippine islanders against anarchy, chaos, confusion…and to keep them out of the hands of the great powers.” (Knute Nelson). The United States has the duty to themselves and the Filipinos to keep the islands from cruel imperialistic powers.
The history of the great country of the United States is dotted with documentation that allows action in the Philippines. “Our fathers wrote into the Constitution words of growth, of expansion, of empire, if you will, unlimited by geography or climate” (Albert Beveridge). Albert Beveridge also believed that the Declaration of Independence could only apply to those capable of self-government. The Filipinos are a highly disorganized group of people. The two most influential documents in American history tell the United States that it should expand and that expanding onto a nation lacking structure would not cross these documents.
The United States has no option but to annex the Philippines. It is their duty to protect them from the imperialistic devils from Europe in Asia. Not only do the national papers of the United States of America permit such actions they encourage it. With such a holding the U.S. could do nothing but prosper. As a nation of such stature it is the moral obligation of the giant of a country to take the higher road and protect the small helpless peoples of the Philippines.
- Photo by Michael Moyer / Used with Permission
This is a response to a prompt from Nicholson’s AP class so its not so current. the prompt was to write a paper from the point of view from someone in the time period (around 1900) about whether or not the president should annex the philippines.the circumstances of the essay are historically accurate.