Darwinism is the belief in the “survival of the fittest” in natural selection in evolution. Social Darwinism is the belief that wealth and power naturally flow to the most deserving. The belief system of Social Darwinism was used as justification in the late 1800s and early 1900s to expand the American empire and control the people of those lands considered inferior and in need of guidance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay At the end of the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded control of the Philippines to the United States. Instead of granting the Filipino people the independence to govern themselves, the United States decided to rule the country. This was met with resistance from many Filipinos and led to a few years of fighting between the two sides before the United States emerged victorious in 1902, with most of the rebellion stopped. If the Philippines were not a favored port on the route to China, a country considered a potentially huge market for trade, the U.S. government would likely have been less inclined to consider controlling the Philippines. The United States then set about Americanizing Filipinos through an education system taught with English as the primary language. Because Filipino culture was considered inferior to that of the imperialists, teaching them American culture was considered a duty to uplift these people. More than “raising” these people, Americanization would be a way to maintain control and reduce future rebellions. In 1823, a doctrine known as the Monroe Doctrine was established to outline United States policy on colonialism. The Doctrine originally stated that European countries could not colonize the Americas, that America would stay out of European affairs unless America's rights were directly affected, and that any attempt to colonize the land American would be considered a threat (wikipedia.com, Monroe Doctrine). Fearing that Europe would intervene in Latin America to collect debts, President Theodore Roosevelt added an amendment to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904 known as the Roosevelt Corollary. This amendment warned Latin American countries to maintain political and financial stability or "risk the intervention of a civilized nation." Roosevelt's corollary served as a justification for many interventions in Latin American countries. American troops were sent to quell unrest in these countries and established ports and bases to strengthen American influence in the region. American authorities also controlled politics in these countries and transferred European debts to American banks. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Some have used the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional guarantee of self-determination as an argument against imperial control of nations against their will. Other miscellaneous arguments focused on what were seen as likely negative effects at home, including fear of cheap labor being imported into America. Due to disagreements on domestic issues, it was difficult for anti-imperialists to unite to form a single strong force speaking out against American imperialism. As the quest for domination around the world has increased..