Readings on the New Imperialism

Imperialism is a policy in which one nation conquers and controls one or more other nations. The conquered nations, which become controlled by outsiders, are called colonies. The control that a nation has over a colony can be economic, political, and/or social. The type of control exerted when one nation dominates another is often determined by the aggressor nation's reasons for wanting a colony.

A Washington Post editorial on the eve of the Spanish-American war:
"A new consciousness seems to have come upon us-the consciousness of strength-and with it a new appetite, the yearning to show our strengthAmbition, interest, land hunger, pride, and mere joy of fighting, whatever it may be, we are animated by a new sensation. We are face to face with a strange destiny. The taste of Empire is in the mouth of the people even as the taste of blood in the jungle."

Do you think this is a positive or negative commentary on possible expansion? Why?

Take up the White Man's burden-
Send for the best ye breed-
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild-
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.
-Rudyard Kipling

What is meant here by the "white man's burden"?

This is what President McKinley told a group of ministers about how he came to the decision to take on the Philippines as an American colony:

Before you go I would like to say just a word about the Philippine business The truth is I didn't want the Philippines, and when they came to us as a gift from the gods, I did not know what to do with them I sought counsel from all sides-Democrats as well as Republicans-but got little help.
I thought first we would only take Manila; then Luzon, then other islands, perhaps, also.
I walked the floor of the White House night after night until midnight; and I am not ashamed to tell you, gentlemen, that I went down on my knees and prayed Almighty God for light and guidance more than one night. And one night late it came to me this way-I don't know how it was, but it came:
1) That we could not give them back to Spain-that would be cowardly and dishonorable.
2) That we could not turn them over to France or Germany, our commercial rivals in the Orient-that would be bad business and discreditable.
3) That we could not leave them to themselves-they were unfit for self-government-and they would soon have anarchy and misrule over their worse than Spain's was; and
4) That 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, and by God's grace do the very best we could be them, as our fellow men for whom Christ also died. And then I went to bed and went to sleep and slept soundly.

What do you think about McKinley's justifications for taking over the Philippines?