The War Prayerby Mark Twain The story is in response to the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902. It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, […]
Author Archives: Mark Twain
Before 1899 Twain was an ardent imperialist. In the late 1860s and early 1870s he spoke out strongly in favor of American interests in the Hawaiian Islands. In the mid 1890s he explained later, he was "a red-hot imperialist. I wanted the American eagle to go screaming over the Pacific."" He said the war with Spain in 1898 was ""the worthiest"" war ever fought.[59] In 1899 he reversed course