US Imperialism/ Spanish American War

Document A: Reconcentration Camps

1. Sourcing: Given that in the U.S. there was an ongoing debate about whether the U.S. should
intervene in Cuba, why might Lee have chosen to send this account to Washington?

General Lee chose to send this account to Washington because he knew that the US would not
tolerate such behavior from European powers. America stood for justice and liberty, they were
the spreaders and keepers of democracy. The US had also declared that the western hemisphere
was no longer subjected to future colonization by European powers. An account like this would
have made America intervene with Spain’s oppression.

2. Close Reading: Notice the graphic descriptions of the account. How do these details about
the camp conditions affect you as you read? Why might these descriptions be so detailed?

The graphic descriptions create a clear image of the morbid situation that was taking place in
Cuba. It would make the reader sympathize with the Cuban’s just by imagining such a gruesome
event. The descriptions were so detailed so that the reader could properly understand what was
going on.

3. Contextualization: How do you think U.S. government officials might have reacted to this
description of the reconcentration camps?

The description of the reconcentration camps vividly portrayed the atrocities and the foreign
oppression that was taking place. I think that they would have been worried and even angry at
what was going on in Cuba at that time.

Document B: March of the Flag

1. Sourcing: This speech is part of a political campaign. How does that influence what you
can expect of it?

It makes me think that the idea of American Imperialism is spreading and becoming more
popular. It makes me expect that the US will try to expand their territory and spread their
political views of democracy.

2. Close Reading: What do the following phrases suggest about Beveridge’s view of
Americans as compared with people of other nations?

a) “noble land that God has given us”

b) “applies only to those who are capable of self-government” c) “civilization is dawning, at last,
for them”
 a. Beveridge believes that the U.S is a blessed territory that has been granted by a higher power,
there is this sense of prosperity and greatness that derives from this land.

b. He seems to believe that those who are ‘benighted’ and don’t have the capacity of organizing a
country by themselves shouldn’t have the right to govern themselves. He then gives the example
of Indians and children being governed without their consent because they are inferior and don’t
know any better. So, self-government, only applies to those who are well prepared for such a
task.

c. Beveridge is saying that America will civilize other nations and spread the same principles of
liberty and justice for which they stand for. Before he states this, he said that if other nations like
GB and Germany where able to govern foreign lands then so is America. He wants America to
spread their ways to other country’s so that they are able to have the same opportunities.

4. Contextualizing: According to Beveridge, what else was going on in the U.S. and the rest of
the world that made expansion a good idea?

During the late 1800’s Americans supported the idea of expansion because they wanted:
to expand their commerce with foreign nations (especially trade with Latin America), to
spread their democracy and to politically influence other countries to govern themselves
the same way they do, and they wanted more territory. the Spanish American War was
going on. The ideology of Social Darwinism also influenced America because they
believed that other nations were subjects to survival of the fittest in terms of politics of
governing. The Spanish American War also began in 1898 because America wanted to
support the Cubans and Filipinos against the Spanish. The Munroe Doctrine also stated
that any European power that colonized a nation in the Western hemisphere would be
defended by the US. The War allowed America to purchase the Philippines and Puerto
Rico and Guam were ceded to the US.

Why did the United States invade Cuba in 1898?

Provide evidence
According to this document, why from the source that
Document Name Date/ Author
did the United States invade Cuba? supports these
reasons.
“the warship Maine,
a Nation's pride… A wreck she
lies, her sailors slain… paid by
February 16 – Spain!”
April 25, 1898 Because the warship Maine, which was the
Awake United
by Marie Nation’s pride was sunk by the Spanish. So “Comrades will you go?
States! they must avenge their fallen soldiers. Avenge the cruel blow!”
Elizabeth
Lamb
 “Four hundred and sixty
women and children thrown on
the ground, heaped pell-mell as
animals, some in a dying
condition, others sick and
others dead”
November 27, Because the Cubans were being violently
Reconcentration oppressed by the Spanish. A European Power “From all this we deduct that
1897 by was intervening with a nation in the western the number of deaths among
Camps
Fitzhugh Lee hemisphere. the reconcentrados has
amounted to 77 per cent.”

“The rule of liberty that all just

According to Beveridge, inferior nations
which are uncapable of organizing and
running a country are subjects to being
September 16,
March of the governed, this is the idea of social
1898 by Albert Darwinism. He wants to spread democracy
Flag
J. Beveridge and America’s political influence to civilize
other countries and thus bring new
opportunities.
government derives its
authority from the consent of
the governed, applies only to
those who are capable of self-
government.”
“benighted peoples will know
that the voice of Liberty is
speaking, at last, for them; that
civilization is dawning”