The white mans burden

The white mans burden was a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1899, this poem related to The Spanish-American War (April-July 1898) which was a brief, intense conflict that effectively ended Spain's worldwide empire and gained the United States several new possessions in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Preceded by a naval tragedy, the destruction of USS Maine at Havana, Cuba, the Spanish-American War featured two major naval battles, one in the Philippines and the other off Cuba, plus several smaller naval clashes.

Imperialism was a major factor that led to the impact of the Spanish American War. A major issue that arouse during this war along with many others was the issue of RACE. American leaders felt that we had an obligation to over rule countries that were not as strong as our nation ( like Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam), they also felt that we were doing them a favor by Americanizing there savage culture. When people, tribes and cultures where not similar to those of the "white man", we found the urgency to try and over come those people.

The White Man's Burden, written by Rudyard Kipling 1899 touches base on how

"As with slaves before them, the colonized were viewed as entirely other: uncivilized, child like (even in the case of the Irish), Not white. These "Savage children" needed the wise counsel and stern hand of the west in order to pull themselves up and take their place among the civilized people of the world"

This poem explains how the white man took over the Philippines causing many problems because the white man wanted their land. It explains how we looked at the Filipino people as being ours that we caught and not even looking at them as human beings. For whatever reason the United states till to this day thinks that they have the power to go into ones land and do what we want to them, if we do not like what is doing on there- or in the time of the Spanish American War, we just simply did not understand them.

Take up the White man's burden --
Send forth the best ye breed --
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild --
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child

As expressed in this verse of the poem  they are not even look upon as people, but a child and a devil? The so you say "white man" wants there strongest sons and best workers to do what he want to profit for us.

The fighting that took place during the Spanish American War was brutal there was torture, rape, throat slitting, and capture. There was also much disease and famine. In a statement in Over Throw by Stephen Kinzer states from the Cleveland Plain Dealer "MA: whats the sound of running water out there, Willie? Willie: Its only us boys, Ma. We've been trying the Philippine water cure on Bobby Snow, an' now were pouring him out. The united states made sick jokes in reference to the torture that went on during a war that could have been avoided.

The united states wanted to expand for control and for money, The imperialistic era brought the United States into war and into peace, we temporally conquered land for the thought of profit with totall disregard to others because we wanted to expand for our own benefit, with no regards to other societies. "Filipinos remember those years as some of the bloodiest in their history. Americans quickly forgot that the war ever happened"( Over Throw, Stephen Kinzer)