Who did not stimulate US Imperialism?
There were many groups that were against imperialism as a policy for the United States. Prior to the Civil War, many northerners were opposed to acquiring more territory in the west because they feared the spread of slavery. After the Spanish-American War, some of the old “Radical Republicans” and other members of Congress opposed the idea of acquiring colonies. A large portion of the Democratic Party, led by William Jennings Bryan, opposed annexation of colonies. Anti-imperialists reminded the nation of our anti colonial heritage. They quoted Lincoln in reminding the nation that no man is good enough to govern another man without that man’s consent. Many anti-imperialists were racists or appealed to those with racist ideas. They questioned whether is was wise to bring “nonwhite” people “under our flag.” Many simply opposed imperialism because it would be too costly and would force the US to send American troops into “harm’s way” to put down any resistance to our taking over other land
