How did expansionists and anti-imperialists view imperialism in relation to the original principles of American democracy? What different assumptions did people on the two sides make about the roots and goals of the United States?

Anti-imperialists oppose wars of conquest, particularly of non-contiguous territory or people with a different language or culture; it also includes people opposing the expansion of a country beyond earlier borders. This related to the founding ideals of American democracy in that people should have the right to self-govern.