Imperialism and America Pt.2 The Spanish American War and its Aftermath
Cuba Cuba became the next US target By 1825 Spain had lost most of its over sea empire. It still controlled Guam, Philippines, Cuba & Puerto Rico. In 1854 the US attempted to buy Cuba & bring it in as a slave state. Cuba was politically & economical unstable
Cubans Rebel Against Spain Beginning in 1868, Cubans launched a series of unsuccessful revolts against Spain. Spain responded by exiling the revolutionary leaders, including Jose Marti who continued to agitate for independence from New York.
Cuba had a history of rebellion. By 1878 it had abolished slavery. By the early 1890s, the U.S. and Cuba had become closely linked economically. Cuba exported much of its sugar to the U.S., and Americans had invested approximately $50 million in Cuba s mines, railroads, and sugar plantations.
The 2 nd War for Independence In February 1895, Jose Marti returned to Cuba to lead a second struggle for independence. Deliberately destroyed property, especially American-owned mills & plantations. Hoped to provoke American intervention. Died in the struggle, becoming an instant hero.
The Spanish Response Spanish General Valeriano Weyler tried to crush the rebellion by moving the Cuban population into concentration camps. 300,000 Cubans were moved & thousands died from hunger & disease. What did this convinced many Americans to support the rebel cause.
War Fever Escalates Weyler s actions fueled a headline war between William Randolph Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer. They printed exaggerated accounts of events that came to be known as yellow journalism. Hearst is quoted as saying, You furnish the pictures, I ll furnish the war!
Spanish authorities resisted reporters that exaggerated the truth. Some reporter even staged rebellions & made up stories. The US demanded increased intervention by McKinley.
The Spanish Ambassador Enrique de Lome s letter was published. It criticized the US Pres. For being weak. Even though the public agreed they did not like the fact a person wrote about it. 1898 he sent the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba to protect US lives & property. On Feb.15 an explosion in the ammunition area sank the Maine killing 266 sailor and marines. No one knew what happened. It was suspected at the time that it was the victim of a Spanish mine.
With the press promptly blamed Spain for the sinking of the Maine. Remember the Maine! became a rallying cry of the war. By early April, President McKinley was under tremendous pressure to go to war. American mobs were demonstrating in the streets against Spain and against McKinley for refusing to go to war.
Even within the president s own party, the Republican Party, jingoism, or an attitude of aggressive nationalism, was strong, especially among the younger members of the party. They were furious at the president for not declaring war. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, for one, raged that McKinley had no more backbone than a chocolate éclair.
Finally, on April 11, 1898, McKinley asked Congress to authorize the use of force to end the conflict in Cuba April 19, Congress declared Cuba independent, demanded that Spain withdraw from the island, and authorized the president to use armed force if necessary. In response, on April 24, Spain declared was on the United States.
Spanish American War The American Navy was ready for war with Spain. The navy s North Atlantic Squadron blockaded Cuba, and an American fleet based in British Hong Kong was ordered to attack the Spanish fleet in the Philippines, then a Spanish colony. On May 1, 1898 the first battle of the war took place as the American fleet under Commodore George Dewey attacked and destroyed a Spanish squadron in Manila Bay.
The Americans quickly assembled 20,000 troops which were sent from San Francisco to the Philippines. On the way they captured Guam. While waiting for American troops to arrive, Dewey contacted Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary leader who had staged an unsuccessful uprising against the Spanish in 1896. Aguinaldo launched a new guerilla war.
At First, Aguinaldo believed that the American were allies, but when American troops arrived in the island he became suspicious. The Americans quickly seized the Philippine capital of Manila from the Spanish but refused to allow Aguinaldo or his forces into the city. They also refused to recognize his rebel government. Hostility between the Filipinos and the Americans began to grow as both sides waited for the war with Spain to end.
Result of victory, Spanish territories in the Pacific are lost to the United States. U.S Gained: Guam- Island that was port of call (rest stop) between U.S. to Asia Midway & Samoa- U.S. would create Navy bases on these islands.
Unlike the mobilization of the navy, which had been very efficient, the mobilization of the army was poorly conducted. Although volunteers flooded in to army training camps, conditions were so unsanitary that epidemics broke out, and hundreds of Americans died. By the end of the war more Americans had died in training camps than actual battle. American troops were poorly equipped for this. Even their uniforms were not designed for the tropical climate. They were made of wool.
On June 14, 1898 a force of 17,000 Americans troops landed on the southern coast of Cuba, east of Santiago. A Spanish fleet occupied Santiago harbor and was well protected by powerful shorebased guns. American military planners wanted those guns captured so they could drive the Spanish fleet out of the harbor and into a battle with the American fleet waiting off the Cuban Coast.
Rough Riders Among these troops was a voluntary cavalry units from the old west the Rough Riders. It included cowboys, miners, and law officers. Its commander was Colonel Leonard Wood and its second in command was Theodore Roosevelt, who had resigned from his post as assistant secretary of the navy to join the fight against Spain. On July 1, American troops attacked the village of El Caney northwest of Santiago.
Another force attacked the San Juan Heights, a series of hills overlooking the main road to Santiago. While one group of soldiers attacked San Juan Hill, the Rough Rider who were on foot attacked Kettle Hill. After seizing Kettle Hill the assisted in the capture of San Juan Hill. The Rough Riders did not make their attack alone. Accompanying them up Kettle Hill were the allblack 9 th and 10 th Calvary Regiment. 25% of the troops in Cuba were African American.
In panicked the Spanish Commander ordered the fleet out of the harbor. On July 3, the American fleet engaged the Spanish one and sank or beached every Spanish vessel. Spanish resistance in Cuba ended two weeks later. Soon after, American troops occupied Puerto Rico. On August 12, 1898, Spain and the United States agreed to a cease -fire
Paris Peace Treaty 1898 December 10, 1898 Spain signed the treaty of Paris. The war lasted 16 weeks. The US lost 5,400 lives only 379 were from battle. Spain had to do 3 things 1. Cuba is independent 2. US received Puerto Rico & Guam 3. US pays $20 Million to Spain for the Philippines.
The Debate over Annexation Many supporters of annexation the Philippines emphasized the economic and military benefits of taking the islands. They would provide the U.S. with a naval base in Asia, a stopover on the way to China, and a large market for American goods. Others believed it was the U.S. s duty to teach less civilized people. Not all Americans supported annexation. Anti-Imperialists included Industrialist Andrew Carnegie, social worker Jane Addams, writer Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), and Labor leader Samuel Gompers. Carnegie argued that the cost of an empire far outweighed the economic benefits it provided. Gompers worried that competition from cheap Filipino labor would drive down American Wages. Addams, Clemens, and other believed imperialism violated American Principles.
President McKinley decided to annex the Philippines for the following reasons 1. Giving them back to the Spain would be cowardly and dishonorable 2. We could not turn it over to France or Germany that would be bad for business and discernible 3. They were unfit for selfgovernment 4. There was nothing left for us to do but take them all, educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them.
Rebellion in the Philippines Pt.2 Emilio Aguinaldo called the American decision to annex his homeland a violent and aggressive seizure. He then ordered troops to attack the American soldiers in the Philippines. To fight the Guerillas, General Arthur MacArthur adopted many of the same policies that the America had condemned Spain for using in Cuba such as concentration camps to separate guerrillas and civilians. Thousands of Filipinos died from disease and starvation.
While MacArthur fought the Guerrillas, the first U.S. civilian governor of the islands, William Howard Taft, tried to win over the Filipino people by reforming education, transportation, and health care. New railroads, bridges, and telegraph lines strengthened the economy. A public school system was set up, and new health care policies virtually eliminated severe diseases such as cholera and smallpox. These reforms slowly reduced Filipino hostility.
In March 1901, American troops captured Aguinaldo. He accepted American control of the islands and called on the guerrillas to surrender. By summer 1902, the U.S. had declared the war over. Eventually the U.S. allowed the Filipinos a great role in governing their own country. By the mid-1930s, they were permitted to elect their own congress and president. Finally, in 1946, the U.S. granted independence to the Philippines.
Puerto Rico In 1900 the Congress passed the Foraker Act, making Puerto Rico an unincorporated territory. This meant that Puerto Ricans are not U.S. citizens and had no constitutional rights. The act also stated that Congress could pass whatever laws it wanted for the island. 1917 the U.S. made Puerto Ricans Citizens. 1947 they were allowed to elect their own governors and it was made an commonwealth
Cuba After the war, the United States established a military government in Cuba. Although the U.S. had promised to secure Cuban independence, President McKinley took steps to ensure that Cuba would remain tied to the U.S. He allowed the Cubans to prepare a new constitution for their country, but he attached conditions.
A special amendment attached to a 1901 army appropriations bill. The Platt Amendment specified the following: 1. Cuba could not make any treaty with another nation that would weaken its independence or allow another foreign power to gain territory in Cuba 2. Cuba had to allow the U.S. to buy or lease naval stations in Cuba 3. Cuba s debt had to be kept low to prevent foreign countries from landing troops to enforce payments 4. The U.S. would have the right to intervene to protect Cuban independence and keep order.
The Cubans at first rejected the Platt Amendment but quickly realized that unless they accepted it the U.S. would maintain a military government of the island. Reluctantly, the added the amendment to their constitution. It was repealed in 1934