The annexation of the Philippines by the United States was a contentious issue at the turn of the last century. Supporters of annexation called the notion “benevolent assimilation,” while Mark Twain – interested by the racial and religious ideologies circulating amid the national debate – called it “hogwash” and “pious hypocrisy.”

KU professor Susan Harris examines a rarely seen political side of Twain, whose questions about America’s role in the world remain as relevant in 2011 as they were in 1900.

This presentation is a part of The Big Read.