The American Empire Flashcards
1
Q
The Cuban War of Independence
A
- The turning point is the Spanish-American War with the Cuban War of Independence.
- Years before 1898, Cuba is very close to US, 90 miles of America coast, and Spain used to rule most of Americas but there were lots of revolutions and they lost a lot of US but still kept Cuba.
- Ten Years War in 1868, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes led a nationalist uprising and his followers proclaimed Cuba’s independence. -> Ten years of gorilla warfare
- Utter devastation on the island of Cuba after the war of independence, US is powerful and there is economic interests on the island.
- Spain reacts viciously, first of three liberation wars.
- Followed by little war (1879-1880) and Cuban War of Independence (1895-1898)
- End of this conflict, it becomes called the Spanish-American War
- 1895, Josi Marti, he joins the forces, he is the key figure in the Cuban War for independence, he lived in exile in the US and became worried about some American and Cuban politicians who were talking about annexing Cuba before it became part of Spain.
- Marti dies on the battlefield and becomes a national hero and this latest national uprising is then the Cuban War of independence and damages the economy of the island, it is dependant on sugar and tobacco plantations and a lot of Americans own these plantations. Spain reacts brutally, they enforce anew policy of re-concentration and that means hurding Cubans into towns and cities and denying food and shelter. Houses were burned, food trees burnt and plantations wiped out.
2
Q
Yellow Journalism and Cuba
A
Yellow journalism and Cuba
- New mass media, New York World, New York Journal etc, they promote nationalistic sentiments in response to the crisis in Cuba. Pictures showing that Cuba would be better off under the protection of American rule. New Media age, sell a million copies every day, that had a lot of “click bait” praying on what people wanted
- 9th Feb 1898, NY journal posts an inflammatory story that the Spanish ambassador had written to a friend in Cuba and called the American president McKinley weak which angers the American citizens and calls for war with Spain.
- Humanitarian concerns, some historians have argued that Spanish-American war is also a humanitarian war of intervention
- The policy of re-concentration is criticized as it resorts in violence against Americans as there some Americans living in Havana.
- Some thought Cuba would be under better protection under the US
3
Q
The Sinking of the USS Maine
A
- America sends a battleship to Havana, capital of Cuba, the USS Maine to protect US citizens and American property.
- Feb 1898, the Maine is sunk by an explosion and costs a lot lives, 266/355 sailors die, huge betrayal. It was probably actually and accident but this is an American outrage and the press blame Spain.
- President McKinley, in the beginning is actually cool towards all this, warfare is mounting but doesn’t want to intervene as the US was just pulling out of an economic depression, they couldn’t afford to go to war. McKinley was actually a war veteran and so knew about its costs, but also the US military was not very good and well equipped at this time. The citizens then say he is a coward and put pressure on him, economic interests and moral outrage seem to demand war.
- One of the warmongers, Roosevelt, is absolutely sure that the sinking of the Maine was done on purpose by the Spanish. “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!” McKinley finally gives in and April 1898 sends a message to Congress and sets out the crisis in Cuba and the destruction of the Maine is proof of an intolerable set of circumstances and the only chance of relief is enforced pacification of Cuba.
- Congress has been asked to take measures to end this hostility with Spain.
- John Hay, refers to the Spanish-American war as a splendid little war
4
Q
Roosevelt’s Rough Riders
A
- Roosevelt rough riders, the Charging of San Wan Hill? A lot of gender politics at this time, American men were perceiving themselves as weaklings. Some historians have argued that this was a powerful force in decision to go to war.
- Roosevelt is very concerned with manliness. The Americans beat spain and lose 400 lives. Roosevelt is embracing the idea of expansion and the war is progressive way beyond Cuba and they defeat the Spanish fleet in the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
- Roosevelt believes in the purpose of war, it was for the nation morally, it was a crisis of manhood. War was not just seen for expansion, many think this was a powerful force to go to war with Spain.
- The Americans beat Spain easily, and they are now fully accepting the idea of Imperial expansion, however not all Americans are comfortable with this and don’t want expansion to go too far. ‘This was still about the liberation of Cuba now our interests’
- Some Americans are not entirely comfortable with this and the congress enforces the Tela amendment, it bars Americans from annexing Ciba, stopping them from making it their territory.
- After Spain surrenders in Cuba, America does start an occupation in Cuba that lasts until 1901
- Washington Post ‘The policy of isolation is dead. A new consciousness seems to have come upon us the consciousness of strength and with it a new appetite, a yearning to show our strength. The taste of empire is in the mouth of the people even as the taste of blood in the jungle.’
- December 1898, Spain surrenders much of its empire. US signs treaty of Paris, where it enquires, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Philippines and Guam.
5
Q
The annexation of Hawaii
A
- Expansion of Cuba wasn’t the only expansion but also annexation of Hawaii.
- Hawaii had been an object of US interest for a while and in 1893 Hawaii had become republic, but its colony is dominated already by American owned sugar plantations. The Americans call a lot of the shots on Hawaii.
- Some of the sugar plantation owners decide to overthrow the indigenous Queen of Hawaii, President William Harrison at the time, wants to annex Hawaii and submits a treaty to the senate however his successor Cleveland withdraws it as he is concerned about Hawaiians not wanting this to happen. However, Hawaii annexation becomes a topic when McKinley becomes president and July 1898 the US ratifies the annexation treaty and by 1900 Hawaii is an American territory but only until after WWII does it become a state.
- Tela amendment, 1898, assert Americas determination when the war is accomplished to leave the gov and control of Cuba to its people.
- Anti-imperialist league forms in 1898, they oppose annexation of Philippines. They don’t like American expansion as they don’t want America to abandon the idea of self-government and non-intervention as it was their founding idea and if they annex another parts of the world they cannot stay true to that. Taxation without representation etc. This league has 25,000 members.
- After Spanish American war the support for this league dwindles
- After Spanish American war, anti imperialism slowly shrinks, whilst it was going on there was a big group of anti imperialists.
6
Q
American Acquisitions by 1900
A
- Commerce, some of the islands are placed in quite strategic places, such as Puerto Rico and Cuba are gateways to trade of Latin America. Many Cubans and Puerto Ricans welcome intervention as they think it will make their lives better and planters look forward to greater access to the market.
- American policies often serve the wealthy land owners, sugar planters
- Some of these territories are strategic outposts, American naval policy and commercial power as this enables the states to project its commercial power throughout the world and especially Asia. Shipping routes, markets of Japan and China. Open door policy allows access for Americans to foreign markets in Asia in particular. The free movement of goods and money, but not people as there is a ban of Chinese immigration in this period.
- Some American leaders, the democratic ideals can be preserved in this new stage of empire liberty
7
Q
Empire, race and progress
A
- Civilising mission, the idea that Americans Christianise and civilise these people in new territories and is embraced by McKinley and race plays a part here too.
- Philippine, Cuban, Puerto Rican people portrayed as stupid and backwards, and need to be civilised.
- Structural racism in the US
8
Q
The Philippine American War 1899-1902
A
- When Philippine becomes a colony, initially the people are happy after defeat of colonial overlord Spain but it then becomes clear that the US wants to retain possession of the island, the Pilipino movement turn against the Americans -> Philippine-American War (1899-1902) very bloody war, over 100,000 Philippines who die and 4,000 Americans.
- Torture on prisoners, rape etc
9
Q
An international problem
A
- Roosevelt takes it further, he wants to extend the US and the Roosevelt corollary, US has the right of police power and European powers should stay out of quarrels in the Western Hemisphere.
- US as international police power
- Important era of America’s dominance in the western hemisphere
10
Q
The Panama Canal
A
- Roosevelt administrations, biggest achievement. Canal that radically cuts the travel time from NY to Sans Francisco, long standing project that the French had wanted to do in the 1880s, but they ran out of money. This is not American territory HOWEVER.
- Roosevelt secretly supports Panamanians who have been wanting independence for years and to revolt from Columbia. Roosevelt even sends a gun boat and really supports the Panamanian rebellion, and once they become independent they immediately seek an agreement with US who gives the US a right to construct the canal and 1914 the first boat goes through.
11
Q
The First World War and ‘Civilisation’
A
- 1914 also WWI, origins of war is located in Europe, the war also in terms of global politics also shifts ideas about western civilisation and its superiority. Challenges the western superiority after looking at their terrible bloody WWI, is that a good example? Americans don’t want to get involved.
- It destabilises racial hierarchy due to perceived downfall of Western civilisation.
- Does not involve America at the start
- Civil war within the west, was how it was seen
12
Q
American Neutrality
A
- Idea that Americans should never get involved with wars with Europe as it goes back a long way in American tradition.
- President Wilson comes up with American Neutrality, that it should never get involved with the war.
- Era of huge mass immigration in the US, that have taken one side or the other in this war, such as Germans, Irish and Czechs
- Limits to this Neutrality, right to trade with the powers at war. Most of the American exports go to Britain or France, Britain also receives a significant amount of American dollars in loans
- American money is essential for the brits in the success and winning of World War One.
13
Q
The Sinking of the Lusitania
A
- War at sea is the decisive battleground, WWI is a global war. But for British and naval blocking is essential and British boat Lusitania boat is sunk by a German submarine, and some Americans are on this and so Americans are outraged and call for war.
- Off the coast of Ireland
- 120 of them are Americans
- American public opinion is outraged and calling for war
- April 1917, Wilson asks congress for a declaration of war against Germany, he says they are not lie the British or the French.
14
Q
The U.S enters the war
A
- Civil liberates take a real hit at this time, there is a lot censorship and nationalisation, such as railroad taken under federal control and conscription comes in. Troops are very important in stopping the German army in Paris, help end the war.
- Arrive in summer of 1918 but are very important in stopping the German army near Paris.
15
Q
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
A
- Wilson is a key participant in the Paris Peace Conference
- Wilson’s fourteen points, a vision of an international boarder, he wants open diplomacy no more secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, reduction in arms, readjustment of colonial claims.
