American Imperialism

1
American Imperialism

• The Spanish-American War

2
Cubas Role

• 1898 Cuba a colony of Spain
• 1868-1898 Cubans revolt
• Spanish used harsh tactics (concentration camps,
  etc.)
• 200,000 Cubans killed
• Why did some Americans support Spanish control of
  Cuba, while others sympathized with the rebels?

3
Americas Role

• Americans sympathetic to Cuba
• Yellow Journalists told gruesome stories about
  Cuba
• William Randolph Hearst most famous owner of a
  yellow journalism paper

4
Newspapers form and express public opinion.
They suggest and control legislation. They
declare wars. They punish criminals. The
newspapers control the nation . . .
5
Hearsts Role
I have been through one war. I have seen the
dead piled up, and I do not want to see another.

• Pushed for US intervention in his newspaper, the
  New York Journal
• President McKinley resisted

6
Spains Role

• February 1898, The Journal publishes the De Lôme
  Letter
• Spanish letter, intercepted by Cuban spy, sold to
  Hearst
• Called McKinley weak.
• Americans outraged

7
Story of the USS Maine
8
The USS Maines Role

• Feb. 15th, the Maine exploded
• Killed 260 sailors
• Journal Headline DESTRUCTION OF THE WAR SHIP
  MAINE WAS THE WORK OF AN ENEMY!

9
What was the opinion of other papers?
Where Is The Headline???
Oh! THERE it is!
10
The Fighting Begins

• Public pro-war
• McKinley asks Congress to declare war
• America attacks Spain at the Philippine Islands,
  2000 miles away
• Spains ships easily defeated
• Filipino patriots took the Spanish surrender

11
Fighting in Cuba

• US unprepared for land battles
• 5400 Americans killed 5000 from disease and
  food poisoning
• July 1898, Spain surrendered
• Who were the Rough Riders?
• Volunteer Calvary under command of Wood and Teddy
  Roosevelt

12
Real History v. Idealized History
13
Philippines After the War

• Filipinos fight Americans for 3 years
• Freedom fighters crushed in 1902
• Congress passes Philippine Government Act
  giving US control of government
• Not revoked until 1946

14
Cuba After the War

• US wanted to protect business investments
• Set up a military government
• Would remove troops only if Cuba accepted the
  Platt Amendment
• Limited Cuban sovereignty could not make
  treaties and let US oversee its affairs
• Required US leases on land for military purposes
• Created a protectorate until 1934

15
Treaty of Paris

• Lots of debate in US
• Did US have the right to annex the Philippines?
• President McKinley that there was nothing left
  for us to do but to take then all the Philippine
  Islands and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift
  and Christianize them.
• What was the problem with this? Most Filipinos
  had been Christian for years!

16
The US Empire

• Guam
• Puerto Rico
• Philippines
• Now, how and when would the US add to its empire?