Boston Case

After the Spanish- American war, Spain had lost and was forced to sign up the Treaty of Paris, which Spain needed to give up control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the united states. However, this treaty had become a threat to the Filipino nationalist. Albert J. Beveridge, who was an historian and elected to the U.S. Senate in 1899, believed that America should retain the Philippines by giving his economic and moral reasons. He thought that America should expand their territory and civilize the world with the military and financial power. However, Joseph Henry Crooker, a clergyman, announced that America should not rule the Philippine. He believed that American should stand as the power of the freedom in and world. With two main arguments, American colonization of the Philippines met with intensive debate.

In the Albert J. Beveridge debate, he gave a speech in front of the senate to declare that America should keep the Philippines as its colony in 1900. He believed that it was the duty for America to colonize Philippine. In his speech, he said, "We will not repudiate our duty in the archipelago. We will not abandon our opportunity in the Orient. We will not renounce our part in the mission of our race, trustee, under God, of the civilization of the world. " It clarified his idea that America had the duty to colonize Philippine with God support. Also he said "God has made us the master organizers of the world to establish system where chaos reigns. He has given us the spirit of progress to overwhelm the forces of reaction throughout the earth. He has marked the American people as His chosen nation to finally lead in the regeneration of the world." Albert J. Beveridge wanted to convince the audiences that this was the divine mission of America.