US_Ch5_webquest-1

=**Was the Spanish-American War an Imperialist effort drummed up by corporate interests?**=

There was strong anti-war sentiment in the U.S., but much of the anti-war opinion had racial biases, since some opponents didn't want non-whites becoming part of America. Keep in mind, this is the time period of the Jim Crow Laws in the South and the Chinese Exclusion Act in the entire nation. Sources that claim that the U.S. was imperial and trying to form an empire cite overseas markets as the reasons. America could benefit from overseas markets, but it's also important to remember that not all American businesses would benefit and would see new competition, which therefore would lead some businesses to be against expansion. In addition, new markets could also mean new goods for the American people and new jobs available. More importantly though was the Teller Amendment, which passed the House and Senate and then signed by President McKinley before war was declared on Spain. The Teller Amendment agreed that independence would be turned over to Cuba after hostilities with Spain and Cuban independence was secured. This was something new. Never in history did a nation liberate a territory that was being oppressed by a bigger nation by going to war against a more powerful nation (the U.S. wasn't more powerful than Spain at the time). In addition, Spain didn't do everything possible to avoid war with America. Modern Progressives view America as flawed and in need of deep social justice reforms and view American actions overseas as oppressive. Nations that looked to form an empire and that were motivated by imperial beliefs would never give up territory that it controlled. In the case of the Philippines and Hawaii, your notes and Internet guide both show that alternatives were worse. The Philippines could have been taken by a more oppressive European nation and Japan was set to take over Hawaii. Economics could be part of the reason the U.S. went to war against Spain, but that's not the full story.


 * 1. One point of view is that American expansion overseas was for economic reasons and looking to form an empire, but how does the Teller Amendment show a different point of view?**

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