Imperialistic America?

Is America an empire builder? Certainly, some would say yes, but a careful look at our history reveals a much more complicated picture. True, America has dabbled in expansionism, think about Hawaii, parts of the Caribbean, and the Philippines. It would seem, however, America's heart has never been completely in it, and as a result, we've never been very good at it. Also, our expansionism has almost always generated tremendous debate, think about President Cleveland's reluctance to annex Hawaii and the Senate debate on the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. In fact, lets look at a few primary sources from the controversy over annexing the Philippines. The following documents demonstrate some of the wide ranging opinions Americans and Filipinos had concerning annexation. President McKinley, presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, Senator Alfred Beveridge of Indiana, President Emilio Aguinaldo of the Independent Philippine Republic, an article published in the Boston Post on behalf of African Americans living in Boston. Finally, read "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. 1. Which speakers discourage imperialism? (1pt) 2. Which speakers support imperialism? (1pt) 3. Choose a statement likely to be considered racist today. Identify the speaker and explain why you picked their document. (2pts) 4. Identify three reasons given for annexing the Philippines and and three reasons against annexation. Be sure to identify the speaker for each reason for and against. The same speaker may be used for more than one reason. (12pts)