Darwinism is the belief in “survival of the fittest” in natural selection in evolution. Social Darwinism is the belief that wealth and power naturally go to the most deserving. The Social Darwinism belief system was used as a motivation in the late 1800s and early 1900s to expand the American empire and control the inhabitants of those lands who were considered inferior and in need of guidance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an 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 independence to govern themselves, the United States continued to govern the country. This 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 had not been in a prime position as a port en route to China, a country seen as a potentially huge market for trade, the American government would likely have been less inclined to consider taking control of the Philippines. The United States then decided to Americanize the Filipinos through an education system taught with English as the primary language. Since Filipino culture was considered inferior to imperialist culture, teaching them the American way was seen as a duty to uplift these people. More than “elevating” these people, Americanization would be a means to maintain control and diminish further rebellions. In 1823, a doctrine known as the Monroe Doctrine was established to define 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 American rights were directly affected, and any attempt to colonize American soil 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 known as the Roosevelt Corollary in 1904. This amendment warns Latin American countries to keep their policies and finances stable, otherwise they "risk the intervention of some civilized nation." The Roosevelt Corollary has been used as justification for numerous interventions in Latin American countries. American troops were sent to quell unrest in these countries and establish ports and bases to increase American influence in the region. The American authorities also controlled politics in these countries and transferred European debts to US banks. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Some have used the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution's guarantee of self-determination as an argument against imperial control of nations against their will. Other various arguments focused on what were seen as the likely negative effects at home, including the fear of cheap labor being imported to America. Due to disagreements on domestic issues, it was difficult for anti-imperialists to unite as a single strong force speaking out against American imperialism. While America's pursuit of global domination has increased American political power and economic control, it has come at the cost of other cultures and their rights...