How did Americans justify their overseas expansion at the end of the nineteenth century, and how did the people in the conquered territories view the United States’ actions? Towards the end of the nineteenth century, America had begun to develop at a rather substantial rate. The aftermath of the Civil War was followed by a developing economy, advances in technology and transportation, and territory expansion that would eventually lead to conflict with other nations. In the pursuit to become a global superpower, the United States had conquered the overseas nations of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines by the end of the nineteenth century. This expansion by the United States was fueled by a promotion of democracy, but came off as an arrogant struggle for power to the conquered territories. The United States seized an opportunity in the conquering of overseas territories, as the civilians of those territories criticized America’s notion for self-governed nations and doubted the influence of American imperialism. (Aguinaldo, 69) With the result of the Spanish-American War ending up in favor of the United States, the acquisition of an overseas empire was a new concept to the American government. A clear motive for conquering overseas territories is to promote democracy. However, it could definitely be argued that acquiring, for instance, the territory of the Philippines was seen as a business opportunity. At the time of these overseas acquisitions, President McKinley was unsure how to utilize the newly conquered Philippines. Declaring the Filipino nation as unfit to self-govern, McKinley decided to annex the Philippines intending to educate the Filipino peoples and use their territory for easier trade with China. (Rushling, 67) Also, McKinley utilized Puerto Rico using the territory for an important naval base. Needless to say, these actions did not sit well with