American Anti-Imperialist League

American Anti-Imperialist League

George S. Boutwell, first President of the Anti-Imperialist League
Formation	June 15, 1898
Founder	Gamaliel Bradford
Dissolved	November 27, 1920
Purpose	Opposition to American imperialism
Headquarters	Boston
Location	United States
Presidents	George S. Boutwell (1898-1905) Moorfield Storey (1905-1920)

The American Anti-Imperialist League was an organization established on June 15, 1898, to battle the American annexation of the Philippines as an insular area. The anti-imperialists opposed forced expansion, believing that imperialism violated the fundamental principle that just republican government must derive from "consent of the governed." The League argued that such activity would necessitate the abandonment of American ideals of self-government and non-intervention—ideals expressed in the United States Declaration of Independence, George Washington's Farewell Address and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.^[1] The Anti-Imperialist League was ultimately defeated in the battle of public opinion by a new wave of politicians who successfully advocated the virtues of American territorial expansion in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War and in the first years of the 20th century, although the organization lasted until 1920.