beveridge is known as one of the most prominent american imperialists. he supported the annexation of the philippines and, along with republican leader henry cabot lodge, campaigned for the construction of a new navy. in 1901, beveridge became chair of the senate committee on territories, which allowed him to support statehood for oklahoma. however, he blocked statehood for new mexico and arizona because he deemed the territories too sparsely occupied by white people. in his opinion, they contained too many hispanics and native americans, whom he described as intellectually incapable of understanding the concept of self-governance. he celebrated the "white man's burden" as a noble mission, part of god's plan to bring civilization to the entire world: "it is racial... he has marked the american people as his chosen nation..."