Introduction

Paul A. Kramer's article explores the relation between empire, race, and nationalism debated by Americans and Britons as each nation expanded its global presence in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As their empires grew, Americans and Britons searched for ways to explain and justify their worldwide expansion. Our article will help students appreciate the far-reaching and subtle terms of the ensuing dialogue. At a decisive moment, American colonialists justified the annexation of the Philippines through an appeal to Anglo-Saxon racial exceptionalism. Blood, culture, and history united the British and American people, the argument went, and as Anglo-Saxon nations both deserved to dominate the world. Anti-colonialists in the United States countered by arguing an American national exceptionalism. They claimed that traditional American republican values had no place for overseas colonies and worldwide expansion. However, once the United States had established itself in the Philippines, colonialists were more likely to abandon Anglo-Saxon racial arguments and rely instead on a revised ideology of the exceptional American nation: Americans had a special mission to govern "dependencies" abroad and to teach "democratic" principles to other peoples.

Sections Guide

You may use the "Sections" menu on the right to navigate through this installment. Provided below is a summary of each section in this installment.