ABSTRACT
The United States’ bid for an overseas empire during the late nineteenth century greatly enlarged its territorial jurisdiction, and in doing so, raised some urgent questions about the shifting bound - ary lines of the national polity. The annexation of the Philippines attracted a disproportionate amount of attention in public debates surrounding the projection of U.S. sovereignty beyond its continental borders. Proponents of extraterritorial expansion believed that the acquisition of the Philippines would bolster the nation’s commercial and geo-political interests in Asia and elevate the standing of the United States vis-à-vis European powers. Opponents of extra - territorial expansion voiced concerns about a range of issues, including the political and the logistical costs associated with long-distance colonial rule and Filipino demands for national self-determination.
