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    The United States had four main reasons for interest in the Caribbean: 1. Ideology - To spread American values like democracy and expand its influence as a world power, as outlined in the Monroe Doctrine. 2. Defense - The Caribbean is strategically important for America's defense as enemies would need to pass through it. Naval bases and coaling stations were established to protect access points. 3. Expansionism - Territorial expansion was seen as necessary to sustain population growth and bring wealth and power, beginning with purchases like Louisiana and desires to acquire Cuba. 4. Trade and Investment - America traded heavily with British colonies before independence and later invested over $50 million in Cuba alone by 1898 across industries

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    The United States had four main reasons for interest in the Caribbean: 1. Ideology - To spread American values like democracy and expand its influence as a world power, as outlined in the Monroe Doctrine. 2. Defense - The Caribbean is strategically important for America's defense as enemies would need to pass through it. Naval bases and coaling stations were established to protect access points. 3. Expansionism - Territorial expansion was seen as necessary to sustain population growth and bring wealth and power, beginning with purchases like Louisiana and desires to acquire Cuba. 4. Trade and Investment - America traded heavily with British colonies before independence and later invested over $50 million in Cuba alone by 1898 across industries

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    14 views1 page

    Untitled

    Uploaded by

    Tiana Chevannes
    The United States had four main reasons for interest in the Caribbean: 1. Ideology - To spread American values like democracy and expand its influence as a world power, as outlined in the Monroe Doctrine. 2. Defense - The Caribbean is strategically important for America's defense as enemies would need to pass through it. Naval bases and coaling stations were established to protect access points. 3. Expansionism - Territorial expansion was seen as necessary to sustain population growth and bring wealth and power, beginning with purchases like Louisiana and desires to acquire Cuba. 4. Trade and Investment - America traded heavily with British colonies before independence and later invested over $50 million in Cuba alone by 1898 across industries

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    Reasons for US interest in the Caribbean

    When answering this question you have to provide examples to support your points.
    Below are the main arguments each point should have as well as examples.
    Ideology
    * Manifest Destiny
    * Spread American superior civilization- E.g.: in areas of education, sanitation,
    communication, health as seen in Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
    * Champion of Democracy- help Latin American countries to maintain their
    independence as well as seek their independence e.g. Venezuela and Colombia, Cuba
    * Spread its influence to be a world power
    * Monroe Doctrine
    Defence
    * The Caribbean is America's 'backyard' and had to be protected- to get to America
    enemies have to come through the Caribbean
    * Gateways to America in the Caribbean: The Mona Passage, (between Hispaniola and
    Puerto Rico) The Windward Passage (between Cuba and Hispaniola) and the Anegada
    Passage (between Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles).
    * Needed to set up military/naval bases e.g. Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Puerto Rico to
    protect the canal
    * Needed to set up coaling stations for steamships to refuel
    Expansionism
    * To sustain its population America had to expand
    * Territorial acquisition meant wealth and power
    * Expansionism was an aspect of Manifest Destiny
    * Expansionism began on the North American mainland- Louisiana Purchase 1803, Texas
    1846, California 1848
    * Expansion into the Caribbean began with the desire to purchase Cuba (4 times)
    * Ostend Manifesto- America wanted Cuba for reasons of national security as well
    as to expand slavery
    * Treaty of Paris 1898- Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines ceded to America
    Trade and Investments
    * America traded with British colonies in the Caribbean long before her
    independence in 1776
    * After the American Revolution Britain implemented the Navigation Acts to stop
    further trade but trade still continued
    * Cuba- By 1898 America had invested about $50M in the areas of sugar coffee, cocoa
    and tobacco plantations and cattle ranches, railway construction and mining. 83% of
    Cuba's exports went to America
    * Puerto Rico- Millions invested in sugar, tobacco, banking, manufacturing and
    public utilities. Would provide sure markets for American manufactured goods and
    raw materials.
    * Panama Canal
    * Dollar Diplomacy
    * Haiti- controlled about 60% of Haiti's import trade and the National Railway
    Company. Investments in banking and public services.
    * America was looking for new areas of investments. It would certainly be
    convenient to find lucrative areas of investment in her sphere of influence.

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