Unit 3 Notes 2: United States in Latin America PART I

Four types of imperial control

Colony Protectorate Sphere of Influence Economic Imperialism

Colony
A country or a region governed internally by a foreign power (direct control)

Protectorate
A country or territory with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power (indirect control)

Sphere of Influence
An area in which an outside power claims exclusive investment or trading privileges

Economic Imperialism
Independent but less developed nations controlled by private business interests rather than by other governments

US Foreign Policy in Latin America

Monroe Doctrine Pan-Americanism Big Stick Diplomacy Roosevelt Corollary Dollar Diplomacy

Monroe Doctrine
In the Early 1800s the United States grew worried about European incursion into the Americas. As a result, in 1823, President James Monroe declared all of the Americas off-limits to European colonization. He specifically advised Spain, France, and Portugal to respect Latin Americas call for independence (1821)

Pan-Americanism
Idea by James G. Blaine, US Secretary of State in the 1880s The idea of Pan-Americanism was that the countries of the Americas should work together to support peace and increase trade

Big Stick Diplomacy

Idea of Theodore Roosevelt Based on the African saying, Speak softly and carry a big stick. The idea was that the United States should display the might of the US naval force to the world so that other nations would think twice about fighting. The idea was that this would promote peace

Roosevelt Corollary
Building on the Big Stick Diplomacy was the Roosevelt Corollary After Roosevelt became president in 1904, Roosevelt announced that the United States would intervene in any conflict in the Americas that threatened the stability of the region The idea was to prevent European intrusion into the Western hemisphere

Dollar Diplomacy
Created by Roosevelts successor president William Taft The idea was that the United States would increase trade with Latin America The result would be that US businesses increased their profits while helping to lift Latin American countries out of poverty and social disorder Additionally, with stable countries, Latin America would have no reason to look to Europe for support

The Unites States Chooses Imperialism

By the late 1800s, with European countries gathering more and more colonies across the globe, the United States, in order to compete, makes the decision to acquire new territories and open new markets.

Spanish-American War
Cuba had been one of the longest held colonies of Spain For several decades, Cuba suffered many attacks by Cuban revolutionaries.

CauseCuban Rebellion
After a major defeat in 1878, many Cubans rebels retreated to the United States to organize a new revolution Jose Marti, a Cuban writer and poet living in New York City, brought American Cubans together to supply weapons, money, and training for the rebels

EffectEconomic Crisis
Cuba was the worlds largest producer of sugar cane with the United Sates as their main consumer In 1894, the United States imposed a tariff (tax) on sugar to protect its economy This wrecked the sale of Cuban sugar to the U.S. and damaged the Cuban economy As a result, Marti launched a new rebellion for Cuban independence

AmericaStruggling to Stay Neutral

President Cleveland wanted to stay neutralhe believed that getting involved would damage our economy and cost lives However, many Americans compared the conflict in Cuba to the American Revolution Additionally, many business leaders saw this as the perfect opportunity for the United States to begin expanding their influence and power

Yellow Journalism
Most importantJournalists wrote stories about the atrocities and horrors committed by Spain William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer owned newspapers that published stories about the Cuban rebellion

Yellow Journalism
Hearsts paper, THE JOURNAL, told stories of Spain feeding Cuban prisoners to sharks and dogs Pulitzers paper, THE WORLD, described Cuba as a place with blood on the roadsides, blood in the fields, blood on the doorsteps, blood blood blood! This sensationalist style of writing came to be known as yellow Journalism

Question?
Why do you think these newspapers wrote these types of stories as opposed to more straightforward reporting? Does this still happen today?

Actual Struggle in Cuba

Cubans were suffering horribly Spain sent 200,000 troops to put down the rebellion The Spanish general, Valeriano Weyler, earned the nickname The Butcher Cubans were rounded up into concentration camps where tens of thousands died due to starvation and disease

The Coming of War

In 1897, by request of the US, Spain removed The Butcher from Cuba Those loyal to Spain in Cuba rioted President William McKinley made the decision to send the USS Maine to Cuba to keep the peace and protect Americans in Cuba

Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine, Havana Harbor, February 15, 1898

Question?
What do you think caused the explosion of the USS Maine?

Results
The media immediately blamed Spain Congress authorized $50 million in war preparations Americans begin using the slogan Remember the Maine as a rally for war Americans demonstrated in favor of war in massive numbers

Causes of War
Americans sympathized with Cubas struggles with Spain Push by American business interests Yellow Journalism encouraged people to think horrible things about what was happening in Cuba The explosion of the USS Maine lead to an outcry for war

Question?
What do you think was the most important cause of the war? Why this one?

The War
The war lasted a little over 3 months and ended with a US victory in August 1898 The US had one of the best navies in the world and easily dominated Spain In addition, the US blockaded the island, preventing Spain for delivering supplies and reinforcements Additionally, many Spanish troops were weakened by fighting with rebels and suffering tropical diseases

The Outcome
America and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, which:
Made Cuba independent Gave the US control of Puerto Rico and Guam Gave the US the Philippines in exchange for $20 million (paid to Spain)