The environmental movement gains support in Congress. Many national parks are created and the Senate moves to protect the buffalo when a mere 400 remain. America becomes a world power. America wins control of Spanish colonies on both sides of the globe, including the Philippines. Filipinos want independence but President McKinley decides to annex the country instead.
Manila becomes a crucial link to the markets in the Western Pacific.
In 1900 war breaks out in the Phillipines. Antiwar sentiment grows with the support of Andrew Carnegie and other prominent businessmen. Sixty thousand American troops eventually fight in the Philippines, yet the war still continues. McKinley knows that his chances in the November election hinge on his ability to extricate America from this overseas war. In reality, most women in 1900 are still dependent upon men.