While Minister Josiah Strong backed expansionism by claiming it was God's Will, Senator Alfred Beveridge justified it by stating that the emerging businesses demanded imperialism and it was America´s destiny to bring trade, liberty, and civilization to benighted people. Strong argued that it was America´s manifest destiny to acquire new lands in a race with the other nations to dominate the world and acquire the limited resources. Beveridge argued that the increased business abroad had made it necessary to protect investments overseas.
