Colonization: A Necessary Evil Harold Larrabee in Term Paper

Colonization: A Necessary Evil?

Harold Larrabee in his essay "The Enemies of Empire" poses many difficult, thought provoking questions regarding colonization. After reading the discussion of American colonization presented in the book "The American People: Creating a Nation and Society" the ambiguities of the situation become more apparent.

Diverse rationale for the colonization of a nation have been around since the inception of the concept. Some viewed colonization as a moral duty, while others saw it from an economic vantage point, and still others gazed upon the potential political horizons of effective assimilation. Whatever the reasoning, the issue of colonization is not an easy one.

"To colonize or not to colonize," that was the question facing late 19th century leaders of America. America was at first reluctant to expand her interests abroad. She was content to "pursue her 'manifest destiny' by expanding across the North American continent." (p 677), "but in the 1850's, American's began to look beyond their own continent." (p 677)

The first attempt at colonization (Santo Domingo) was not accepted. Ideas such as "expansionism violated the principle of self-determination by the governed, the natives were unassimilable, and higher taxes would be necessary to promote growth" (p 678) were given as reasons for the rejection. Attitudes began to change with the overthrow of the Hawaiian government and the Spanish American War.

Hawaii was easy prey for a growing nationalistic spirit. White landowners already controlled most of the island so the overthrowing of the native government for strategic and commercial reasons was not difficult. (p 678) Following this coupe. America entered the struggle for autonomy by the native Cuban people from Spanish oppression

The reasoning for joining the fight supposedly occurred because of the cruelty of the Spaniards, drummed into America's public perception by the beating of the "sensationalist newspapers in the Untied States" (p 684) In reality economic interests in the raw goods produced in Cuba were a bigger factor. Whatever the case America was ready…