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The American Anti-Imperialist League - Digital Archive - Nathan Spicer

A digital archive of essays from and other primary source material on The American Anti-Imperialist League. Primary resources gather and curated by Nathan Spicer in partial completion of the requirements of the HIST 1011 Field Experience.

Essay: The Conquest of the United States by Spain - William Graham Sumner

Sumner, William Graham. “The Conquest of the United States by Spain: A Lecture Before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Yale University, January 16, 1899.” Boston: Estes & Company, 1899.

“The war with Spain was precipitated upon us headlong, without reflection or deliberation”

--- William Graham Sumner

“Spain was the first, for a long time the greatest, of the modern imperialistic. The United States, by its historical origin, its traditions, and its principles, is the chief representative of the revolt and reaction against that kind of a state. I intend to show that, by the line of action now proposed to us, which we call expansion and imperialism, we are throwing away some of the most important elements of the American symbol and are adopting some of the most important elements of the Spanish symbol. We have beaten Spain in a military conflict, but we are submitting to be conquered by her on the field of ideas and policies.”

--- William Graham Sumner