As part of the treaty that ended the Spanish-American war, the US took possession of the Philippines. For some Americans, imperialist expansion was a moral duty and necessary for America to achieve maturity as a nation. For other Americans, imperialist expansion was dangerous, immoral, and racist. In this lesson, students examine how advocates and critics used political cartoons to express their positions on annexation.
[Lesson Plan updated on 5/13/16.]
Image: Political cartoon satirizing American and European imperialism made by J.S. Pughe in 1899. From the Library of Congress.