Chapter four of John Hollitz’s novel, Thinking Through the Past, shows a blend of primary sources about the United States annexation of the Philippines. In source one, Kristin Hoganson writes about male degeneracy and the allure of the Philippines. When considering the case of the US annexation of the Philippines, Hoganson central argument is that the Spanish-American war, along with the United States annexation of the Philippines, is due to the United States’ imperialistic mindset and the challenges of race and manhood that accompany it. Multiple sources in chapter four support Hoganson’s opinion, such as source six. Nevertheless, sources such as number nine under the argument of Senator Donelson Caffery, counter Hoganson claim. Overall, Hoganson thesis that the United States Annexation of the Philippines was due to masculinity and the imperialist mindset of men in America, is sound and reasonable due to the multitude of evidence found within these primary sources. …show more content…
According to Hoganson, “Imperialists generally thought the Filipinos unfit for self-government....imperialists employed images of savage, childish, and feminine Filipinos to argue that the United States had humanitarian obligations in the Philippines.” This shows the imperialist mindset regarding race. In regards to manhood, Hoganson says that the colonies were not only helpful economically for the United States, but also it would keep the American men and their political systems from