“Imperialism,” refers to a country’s policy of extending their rule over foreign countries. Such actions usually arise from said country’s desire to subjugate a group of countries and their resources to establish an empire. On that note, the United States’ actions in the Caribbean region, specifically their invoking of the Platt Amendment in Cuba arises. Historian John Bartlow Martin supports this action by stating that it was conceptualized for the “strategic considerations” (Martin, 1978) of Cuba’s independence. In reality, this was an extension of the United States’ imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Panama Crisis * Theodore Roosevelt, who became president of the United States in 1901, believed that a U.S.-controlled canal across Central America was a vital strategic interest to the U.S. * The Panama Canal would shorten the distance that ships had to travel to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal would permit shippers of commercial goods, ranging from automobiles to grain, to save time and money by transporting cargo more quickly. * Failed negotiations with Colombia, which owned Panama, led to the U.S. providing funds and a naval blockade in support of Panama's revolution. In a controversial move, Roosevelt implied to Panamanian rebels that if they revolted, the U.S. Navy would assist their cause for independence.
Spain used ruthless brutal tactics to bring down the revolt where the U.S intervened due to sympathy for Cuban rebels. During the Spanish American war stories of Cuban righteousness and Spanish brutality were front page. The yellow journalism covered the war extensively and often inaccurately favoring the Cuban rebels but conditions in Cuba were bad enough. After defeating Spain U.S acquired new territories one of them being the Philippines making the United States the “new Spain” .The U.S faced a decision whether they wanted to annex the Philippines or not ultimately approving annexation. In
Hakluyt also pointed that the overflow of people, both in need of religious freedom and in want of more business opportunities, within England needed a place to go. America is not only perfect for dumping those excess peoples into, but also exceeds that by also bringing profit from those living in those colonies. One of the major points that Hakluyt drives home is the comeuppance to Spain by creating demand for goods and shipping, and thereby creating profit for England and away from the plundering Spanish. From the profits of the taxes and duties of the new shipping industry, Hakluyt believes a powerful navy can be built for the protection and preservation of the growing British Empire. In 1584, when Hakluyt wrote his Discourse, he says that England at the time was swarming with unemployed youths, men, soldiers, prisoners, and beggars.
Numerous factors triggered America’s climb into both economic and social expansion. For example, high tariffs were placed on America-made products, which then gave the US a stable and protected trade interest. In addition the Spanish – American war of 1898 was a major turning point in USA expansion. The war was based on the grounds that Cuba (a colony of both America and Spain) had been declaring independence from Spain, and the USA having created the Monroe Doctrine, which supported the Cubans fight for independence from Spain in The USA, was to be involved for what can only be described as for their own best interest, due to Cuba having a oil supply. And on February 15, 1898, the USS Maine sank in Havana, in which an explosion caused 266 deaths.
The Age of Exploration The age of exploration was one of the most significant periods in history. It was influenced by the time renaissance and Crusades and ended with the Columbian Exchange and discovery of America. The British, Spanish, and Portuguese were the main explorers of this time. After it was discovered that there were spices in Asia through trading and the Crusades, it was a mystery of what everywhere else had. Better ships were now being produced and held the Early Age of Exploration.
The USA was influenced to war heavily by Cuba, which was still part of Spain’s American empire, In 1895 Cuba wanted to become independent however it was still under the Spanish control which made it hard to become free. When Cuban nationalists, led by Jose Marti, began a revolt against Spanish rule they were backed by America however they were quickly dealt with by the Spanish army. The president at the time William McKinley also believed in the moral perspective of the Whiteman’s burden so they supported the Cuban population. The harsh methods of the Spanish (to stop the Cuban revolt) were criticised by the Americans, where there was a strong support for American intervention in Cuba. In February 1989 those who were seeking intervention got a big opportunity as the warship, the USS Maine, was blown up whilst stationed on the harbour of Havana.
The President of Cuba said that he felt that Cuba had a moral responsibility to support the United States. This feeling originated from our earlier support of Cuba for their independence. Next, from the moment Cuba declared war on Germany, Cuba’s geographical position invited German attacks. They had to prepare their defenses. Germany’s U-boat warfare was another reason for Cuba’s entry into the war.
A major difference in the two expansion eras was that Americans felt the need to start expanding overseas and across the ocean. In a way expansionism had become sort of a global competition. Other countries were taking territories which were still open for settling. Thomas Nast’s cartoon in Document “A” titled “The World’s Plunderers” shows all the European countries taking up unsettled territories as they pleased. In order for America to keep up with all of the other world powers they felt they needed to outstretch their borders as well.
The war that erupted in 1898 between the United States and Spain was preceded by three years of fighting by Cuban revolutionaries to gain independence from Spanish colonial rule. From 1895–1898, the violent conflict in Cuba captured the attention of Americans because of the economic and political instability that it produced in a region within such close geographical proximity to the United States. The long-held U.S. interest in ridding the Western Hemisphere of European colonial powers and American public outrage over brutal Spanish tactics created much sympathy for the Cuban revolutionaries. By early 1898, tensions between the United States and Spain had been mounting for months. After the U.S. battleship Maine