After the Spanish-American War, two opposing American opinions emerged regarding the expansion of U.S. territory. On one hand, there were those who believed in the idea of "Manifest Destiny" and saw it as a duty to spread American influence and ideals across the globe. They argued that the acquisition of new territories would bring economic and strategic benefits to the United States. On the other hand, there were those who opposed expansion, believing it to be against American values of self-determination and limited government. They argued that acquiring new territories would be costly and would require the United States to become an imperialistic power, going against its founding principles.
