In what ways did the Insular cases limit the spread of American ideals when American control of territories overseas expanded in this time period? Did racism play a role do you think?

Answers with Explanations:

1. In what ways did the Insular Cases limit the spread of American ideals when American control of territories overseas expanded in this time period?

The "Insular Cases" refer to the United States Supreme Court's opinions regarding the territories of the Americans that were acquired during the Spanish-American war. A series of rulings followed whether the inhabitants in the territories "not incorporated" for the purpose of the US constitutional law were to be given full constitutional protection.

According to the Supreme Court, the people in these unincorporated territories do not automatically have the right to have full constitutional protection. So, this limited the American ideals such as "equality" in the said territories.

2. Did "racism" play a role?

Yes, I believe racism played a major role in the Insular Cases. During the colonization period, racism was common. Races were put in hierarchy according to how much amount of white blood they have.

Countries that were excluded and considered as unincorporated territories were Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. The population of people in these areas were considered "indigenous." This allowed the US government to have a unilateral power over them while exploiting these colonized territories.