Download The United States and Latin America

The United States and Latin America
Main Idea
Imperialism in Latin America involved the United States and
European nations seeking to strengthen their political and
economic influence over the region.
IMPERIALISM=BULLYING United States gets involved
EUROCENTRIC AND WHITE MAN’S BURDEN. Money and political prestige.
Content Statement/Learning Goal:
Describe the political, economic, and social roots of imperialism
expansion.
Describe how imperialism involved land acquisition, extraction of raw
materials, spread of Western values, and maintenance of political
control.
Describe how the consequences of imperialism were viewed differently
by the colonizers and the colonized.
• "God Himself placed in every human heart the
love of liberty. . . . He never made a race of
people so low in the scale of civilization or
intelligence that it would welcome a foreign
master.”
-William Jennings Bryan while accepting
Democratic nomination for president in 1900
• Spanish-American War: (1898) war fought
between Spain and the United States that
began after the sinking of the battleship USS
Maine; the United States won the war in four
months, gaining control of Puerto Rico, Guam,
and the Philippines
• Roosevelt Corollary: a policy proposed by U.S.
president Theodore Roosevelt as an addition,
or corollary, to the Monroe Doctrine; it
pledged to use U.S. military force to prevent
European interference in the internal affairs of
Latin American nations while reserving for the
U.S. the right to intervene.
1.Uprising in Cuba/Growing U.S. Influence
The United States had become a growing economic and political power
in Latin America by the late 1800s.
Uprising in Cuba
• Island of Cuba one of Spain’s
colonies in the Americas
• 1860s, Cuban nationalists
began fighting for
independence
• Spain exiled leaders of
nationalist revolts
Cuban Nationalists
• One exiled leader, José Martí,
continued struggle for
independence from New York
City
• Poet, journalist, Martí urged
Cubans to continue fight
• Founded Cuban Revolutionary
Party; returned to Cuba, 1895
Martí was killed in an uprising against the Spanish. Thousands of
Cubans were forced into Spanish-controlled camps where many
died.
2. The Spanish-American War
Sympathy for Rebels
• Many people in U.S. felt sympathy for Cuban rebels.
• Viewed Cuban struggle for freedom as similar to American Revolution. Give Cuba
freedom of democracy.
• Anti-Imperialists protest any involvement.
• Pulitzer vs Hearst rivalry. Wanted to sell newspapers.
• U.S. newspapers printed scandalous stories and large, shocking illustrations about
events in Cuba.
• American newspapers urged United States to enter war YELLOW JOURNALISM
Spanish-American War Begins
• February 1898, U.S. battleship Maine exploded in Havana’s harbor
• Many American’s and newspapers immediately blamed Spain
• Fire most likely an accident. Spain offered to pay for damage done by loss of
Maine.
• McKinley calls for 125,000 volunteers.
• Spain Declares war after McKinley call for troops. U.S. reciprocates.
2.Spanish-American War/Peace Treaty
Short War: John Hay “splendid little war”
• War disastrous for Spain
• Spanish army defeated in Cuba, navy fleets destroyed in Philippines, Cuba
• U.S. won war within three months. American Casualties of Cuban Campaign:
5,400 deaths only 379 from battle. Many died from yellow fever or unsanitary
conditions
Treaty ending Spanish-American War
• United States received Puerto Rico, Guam
• Agreed to purchase Philippines for $20 million dollars
• Spain agreed to give up Cuba, but U.S. did not want Cuba to have
full independence
– U.S. made Cuba a protectorate by forcing it to include Platt Amendment
as part of new constitution
– Platt Amendment allowed U.S. to intervene in Cuba, approve foreign
treaties, lease land at Guantánamo Bay for naval base
3. Revolt in the Philippines
Status in Philippines
• Nationalists in the Philippines, another
Spanish colony, believed SpanishAmerican war would bring them
independence
• Instead became U.S. colony
Betrayal and Revolt
• Rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo, who
cooperated with U.S. forces against
Spanish, felt betrayed
• Rebels revolted against U.S.
• U.S. and McKinley felt Filipinos were
incapable of governing themselves.
Andrew Carnegie offers $20 million to
buy independence of Philippines. U.S.
refuses.
Ruling Philippines
No Independence
• Three years of fighting
• More than 200,000 Filipinos died
from combat, disease
• Did not win independence
• Until 1935, U.S. ruled Philippines
through governor appointed by U.S.
president
• 1946, Philippines granted full
independence
4. The Panama Canal
• U.S. gained control over more territory with building of Panama Canal
• Wanted two ocean navy. Cement status as world power.
• 1880s, French company had tried unsuccessfully to build canal across Isthmus
of Panama, then part of Colombia
• 1903, U.S. bought French property, equipment
• Colombia refused to allow U.S. to build canal. Offered $10 million.
Panama Canal Zone
• U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
sent warships to support uprising
against Colombia
• Panama declared independent,
signed treaty granting land to build
canal; became Panama Canal Zone,
ruled directly by U.S.
• Remained this way until 1999.
Building the Canal
• 1904-1914, Panama Canal built. 8
years and $400 million.
• Major medical advances required to
control effects of yellow fever,
malaria on canal workers. 30,000 die
in construction of canal.
• Shortened sea voyage from San
Francisco to New York City by about
8,000 miles
5. A Warning to Europeans
Monroe Doctrine
• 1823, Monroe Doctrine declared Americas off limits to European imperialism,
except for colonies that already existed
• Seen as idle threat by U.S. until end of Spanish-American War
Considerable Financial Interests
• Late 1800s, Europe and U.S. had considerable financial interests in Latin
America; many nations there were deeply indebted to foreign creditors
• 1904, European creditors threatened force to collect in Dominican Republic
Roosevelt Corollary
• To protect U.S. interests, maintain stability, Roosevelt announced the Roosevelt
Corollary to Monroe Doctrine
• The U.S. vowed to use military might to keep Europeans out of the Americas
6. Increasing U.S. Power
United States sent troops to several nations in early 1900s
• U.S. forces entered Haiti, the Dominican Republic,
Nicaragua, Cuba to restore civil order
• United States took control of finances in those countries
• Claimed need to prevent financial chaos
Reality: U.S. used Roosevelt Corollary to become even more
involved in political affairs of Latin American countries