The US conquest was not accidental. It was, and I quote, a consequence of imperialist moves. Many other territories of Spain, including the Philippines, were already fighting for independence and freedom. There came a point when Spain was no longer economically capable of retaining their empire in those areas. Even though they did not relish the idea of giving up, they had to. The Americans, however, deemed it appropriate for them to take advantage of Spain’s loss.
The Americans had a conflict with Spain regarding Cuba. Throughout the time when they had Spain as a rival, they surely would have already known about the other areas their opponent holds, including the Philippines. The archipelago was in a good strategic place in Asia and had a
Differing ideas of national identity shaped views of United States overseas expansion in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to a great extent due to the presence of segregation amongst the African American population, acquisition of the Philippines, and encouragement of violence as a result of the Spanish-American War. Imperialism is the policy of taking control over countries around the world for political and economic gain. Since its formation, the United States has imperialized several countries, including the Philippines, Cuba, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Imperialism was incorporated during the Spanish-American War, a four-month battle between the United States and Spain. Then, chaos induced after the explosion of the USS Maine in Cuba.
This finally triggered McKinley to go to war, and it was justified because the Cuban and Filipino people needed protection against the strong Spanish empire. Ultimately, the Spanish were wiped out by the U.S. and the Philippines demanded independence. However, McKinley needed to please the imperialism-loving voters that elected him to office. Therefore, the United States retained the Philippines so the country would not fall into the hands of economic rivals like France or
The U.S. was given more land to control, including the Philippine islands, which McKinley found to be a problem because the islands were so far away and expanded over thousands of miles. Eventually, McKinley decided to annex the Philippines, and American support for the foreign policy soon followed. American imperialism was embraced by many because it allowed for the United States to get closer to becoming a major player on the world stage. Some believed it was their duty to “Christianize” the Filipinos; others believed it was a stepping stone for trade with China. Those in opposition of annexing the Philippines, especially the Anti-Imperialist League, believed that it didn’t align with American
The first reason is the main reason the U.S joined the Spanish-American war is territory and resources. According to a document by Jason Colby, Spain took control of Cuba, the Philippines Islands, and Puerto Rico. The U.S was worried that
Many good choices were made by the United States, and annexing the Philippines was one of
Spanish-American War Who?- The Spanish-American War was a war fought between the United States and Spain. Significant leaders on the American side includes William Mckinley, Nelson A. Miles, George Dewey, and Theodore Roosevelt. Significant leaders on the Spanish side include Praxedes Sagasta, Patricia Montojo, and Pascual Cervera What?- The Spanish-American War was a war that led to many things such as the Treaty of Paris, the U.S. having Cuba being part of their territory, the U.S. being in control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands and also the Philippine-American War.
According to Johnson, "The United States' military victories over Spain demonstrated the nation's strength and capabilities, earning international recognition and respect" (Johnson 372). The successful outcomes of battles such as the Battle of Manila Bay and the Battle of Santiago de Cuba showcased the United States' ability to project power over great distances and achieve decisive victories. The Spanish-American War also solidified the United States' position in the Western Hemisphere and expanded its sphere of influence. Through the Treaty of Paris in 1898, the United States gained control over several territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. These territorial acquisitions allowed the United States to establish naval bases and exert its presence in strategic
Congress approves force to stop the violence, but Spain declares war. In the end though, the U.S. won. The results led to the Treaty of Paris (1898), the Insular Cases of 1901, and acts/amendments on Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Cuba: Teller Amendment (gives independence to Cuba) and the Platt Amendment (Cuba is a protectorate if they don’t have agreements with foreign countries without U.S. approval). Puerto Rico: Fonaker Act of 1900 and Jones Act 1917.
The Spanish American war was a product of Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis and the urbanization of America. In 1895, a rebellion broke out in Cuba, as Cuban patriots wanted independences from Spain. Through the yellow journalism, reports of Spain’s cruel military tactics lead to a public uproar in the U.S. However, most of these stories were exaggerated as a form to promote war. After an American battleship, the USS Maine, was destroyed, America was “forced” to start war and stop Spanish occupation.
America wanted to civilize them from the issues that is occurring. According to Document 4, “America is trying to show how the Filipinos that America can make their “dreams” come true erasing their problems with freedom, education, and justice.” The Filipinos wanted the independence, making US leader seizing the opportunity to control the Philippines by showing pull factors. United States didn’t really care about the issues going on in the Philippines. Controlling Philippines allows the United States a mid pacific port for trade purists.
The United States mostly expanded into Latin America and Asia/Oceania during this time period. A prominent example of overseas expansion is the Spanish-American War. This conflict, which was caused by the alleged sinking of the USS Maine, led to the United States’ acquiring of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among others. The U.S. also received significant control in Cuba, where the Platt amendment provided a great deal of power to the United States in regards to building military bases. This acquirement of foreign territory represents a clear example of imperialism.
In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was established in order to evenly divide unclaimed lands between Portugal and Spain. This led to the Line of Demarcation, in which the non-European world was divided into two zones. Portugal had rights to the eastern hemisphere, and Spain had rights to the western hemisphere. This allowed Spain to colonize areas in the New World. Even though they had this opportunity, they were not able to colonize specific areas in North America due to competition with other European countries.
There were many important causes and effects of the Spanish American War. In the 1880’s the U.S. wanted to achieve manifest destiny and so they expanded out west and took control over the Native Americans. There were four different motives that the United States could’ve used to imperialize: political and military interest and economic interest were mostly with trading. Humanitarian and religious interest, to help those that you have allied with or to spread religion and the rich help those who were “under privileged.” Lastly, social darwinism, the idea that you are superior than someone else.
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, had said “No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent.” Now picture one’s own home, city, and country being liberated from their past tyrannical rulers by the United States, which goes on to rule them with the same dictatorial hand. That is exactly what happened to the Philippines as the result of the Spanish-American War. The United States’ annexation of the Philippines was a very controversial act that took place in 1898, and it took a great amount of debate over whether it was a good or bad idea to annex it in the first place. This conquest was the result of the United States’ war with Spain, of which the Americans won with assistance from the Philippines.
The United States expanded a lot after the civil war because of the second Industrial Revolution. The second Industrial Revolution brought economic prosperity and overseas expansion. During the beginning of the 20th century, the main topic discussed was foreign policy. There was a divide in the United States. Some people supported the overseas expansion and some people didn't like to get involved in foreign affairs.