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American Interest In Cuba
In 1854, diplomats recommend- ed to President Franklin Pierce that the United States buy Cuba from Spain. -
United States Takes over Hawaii
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Purchase of Alaska
Seward arranged for the U.S. to buy Alaska from the Russians for 7.2 million -
Cuba Rebolted
The Cuban revolt against Spain was not successful, but in 1886 the Cuban people did force Spain to abolish slavery. -
America’s reason for Expansion
In the 1880, America had four reasons for its expansion: global competition, desire for military strength, thirst for new markets, and belief -
War Fever Escalates
In 1896, Spain responded to the Cuban revolt by sending General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba to restore order. Weyler tried to crush the rebellion by herding the entire rural population of central and western Cuba into barbed- wire concentration camps. Here civilians could not give aid to rebels. An estimated 300,000 Cubans filled these camps, where thousands died from hunger and disease. -
Cuba and the United States
When the United States declared war against Spain in 1898,
it recognized Cuba’s independence from Spain. It also
passed the Teller Amendment, which stated that the United
States had no intention of taking over any part of Cuba. The Treaty of Paris, which ended the war, further guaranteed Cuba the independence that its nation- alist leaders had been demanding for years. -
The De Lime Letter
In February 1898, however, the New York Journal published a private letter written by Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, the Spanish minister to the United States. A Cuban rebel had stolen the letter from a Havana post office and leaked it to the newspaper, which was thirsty for scandal. The de Lôme letter criticized President McKinley, calling him “weak” and “a bidder for the admiration of the crowd. -
Treaty of Paris
On December 10, 1898, the United States and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. At the peace talks, Spain freed Cuba and turned over the islands of Guam in the Pacific and Puerto Rico in the West Indies to the United
States. Spain also sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million. -
Filipinos Rebel
In February 1899, the Filipinos, led by Aguinaldo, rose in revolt. The United States assumed almost the same role that Spain had played, imposing its authority on a
colony that was fighting for freedom. -
Foreign Influence in China
The United States began to fear that China would be carved into colonies and American traders would be shut out. To pro- tect American interests, U.S. Secretary of State John Hay issued, in 1899, a series of policy statements called the Open Door notes. -
America and Puerto Rico
In 1900, Congress passed the Foraker Act, which ended military rule and set up a civil government.T he act gave the president of the United States the power to appoint Puerto Rico’s governor and members of the upper house of its leg- islature. Puerto Ricans could elect only the members of the legislature’s lower house. -
Cuba and the United States
In 1900 the newly formed Cuban government wrote a constitution for an independent Cuba. The constitution, however, did not specify the relationship between Cuba and the United States. -
The Boxer Rebellion in China
In August 1900, troops from Britain, France, Germany, and Japan joined about 2,500 American soldiers and marched
on the Chinese capital. Within two months, the interna-
tional forces put down the Boxer Rebellion. Thousands
THE BOXER PROTOCOL
of Chinese people died during the fighting. -
America And Puerto Rico
In 1901, in the Insular Cases, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution did not automatically apply to people in acquired territories. -
Cuba and the United States
Consequently, in 1901, the United States insisted that Cuba add to its constitution several provisions, known as the Platt Amendment, stating that Cuba could not make treaties that might limit its independence or permit a foreign power to control any part of its territory, the United States reserved the right to intervene in Cuba, Cuba was not to go into debt that its government could not repay, and the United States could buy or lease land on the island for naval stations and refueling stations -
America and Puerto Rico
Congress, however, retained the right to extend U.S. citizenship, and it granted that right to Puerto Ricans in 1917. It also gave them the right to elect both houses of their legislature. -
Aftermath of the war (Filipinos Rebel)
After suppressing the rebellion, the United States set up a government similar to the one it had established for Puerto Rico. The U.S. president would appoint a governor, who would then appoint the upper house of the legislature. Filipinos would elect the lower house. Under American rule, the Philippines moved gradually toward independence and finally became an inde- pendent republic on July 4, 1946. -
Alaska Becomes a State
In 1959, Alaska became a state. For about two cents an acre, the United States had acquired a land rich in timber, minerals, and oil.