Essay One: Imperialism
Flies circle great black lumps as the moist air ravages the corpses. Dried blood soaked into the ground after faceless soldiers brutally destroyed its owners’ lives. These were the stories in the newspapers, the movies, and the films. Horrified by these crimes against humanity, the American public was spurred into action against the Spanish oppressors. the United States invaded Cuba in 1898 to pursue humanitarian efforts. the United States used propaganda targeting humanitarian concerns to incite the public to declare war. As Americans were interested in the Cuban Revolution, sensational journalism only raised tensions between the United States and the Spanish monarchy, which would help cause the war. While General Weyler
The General detained most of the people in concentration camps. By this time, the United States had many entrepreneurs who were interested in investing in Cuba. The journalism stirred the Americans into anti-Spain mood. However, President G. Cleveland promised not to go to war (McManus, 2008, p. 67).
On April 25, 1898 the Spanish-American war began. The United States and Cuba eventually ended up benefiting from the Spanish-American war even though both had to overcome many losses. The United States had a great interest in Cuba. Having gained their independence 100 years ago from Great Britain, the U.S. knew exactly what Cuba was going through.
liberties of...people” to intervene on behalf of Cuba (McCartney, pp. 240). His rhetoric portrays a common belief of Americans that the United States’ destiny is to help others achieve the same success and freedom America possesses. Moreover, it portrays the American belief that the United States holds a distinctive role in Providential history and a sacred responsibility to further Christian values abroad. Eventually, when an American battleship, the USS Maine, exploded in the Havana harbor, Americans called for action, which finally led to the American intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. During this time, Americans redefined the United States as being interventionist and asserted that the United States’ history of freedom proved
With the inclusion of both Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, yellow journalists, together they influenced the public to feel the pain of the Cubans and immensely propelled the desire to finally go to war. The effects are numerous with yellow journalism, for example, Americans learned more about the Spanish American War through dramatized articles like “FEEDING PRISONERS TO THE SHARKS” and “blood on the roadsides, blood in the fields, blood on the doorsteps, blood, blood, blood” which exposed the violent tensions in Cuba. On top of this, Americans felt genuine emotion for the Cubans, they felt like we as a country should help them gain their independence from Spain. Also, American citizens were also infuriated that those currently
A steady stream of images depicting the Spanish as monsters and the Cuban people as damsels in distress, flooded newspapers. (Insert The War Must be ended here) Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst battled for subscribers by embellishing stories of Spanish led atrocities. This led to the increased sympathy of the American people for the abused Cubans. With the sinking of the Maine on February 15th, 1898, the New York Journal blamed the Spanish without evidence, “Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!” became the motto.
According to history.com “U.S. Congress soon afterward issued resolutions that declared Cuba’s right to independence, demanded the withdrawal of Spain’s armed forces from the island, and authorized the President’s use of force to secure that withdrawal while renouncing any U.S. design for annexing Cuba.” McKinley then set up a naval blockade on Cuba and started requesting American volunteers for their military. This decision caused the Spanish to declare war with America which we now call it the Spanish-American War of 1898. The war started out on May 1, 1898 when Commodore Dewey and his naval squad went into the Philippine Islands at Manila Bay to successfully gain control of the sea when they defeated the Spanish naval force that was trying to defend the Philippine Islands. The victory of the defeat triggered McKinley’s want for acquiring the Philippines land as a trophy for the war, leading to tension between the Americans and Filipinos.
Ava Walker Mr. Wormell USHH1 8 May 2023 Spanish American War Essay Throughout the history of the United States of America, the Spanish-American war has been illustrated as the United States stepping in and assisting Cuba in a time of need. The United States offered their aid to Cuba to obtain freedom and independence just like they had received from France in the Revolutionary War. However, this illustration is not universally perceived. As, the United States of America wrongfully forced themselves into Cuba's fight for independence against Spain and consequently stole land and power.
The United States wanted to take advantage of the Caribbean for example Cuba. At the time Cuba wanted its independence from Spain. The United States wanted to keep their sugar and mining companies in Cuba. Now the Cubans used two fellow yellow journalists, known as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. The two both wrote about how the Spanish atrocities in Cuba, many were fabricated.
The themes of Admiral Alfred T. Mahan books were that “great nations had empires which they maintained with great navies” (Fraenkel 45). The second reason why U.S.S Maine was sent to Havana harbor because President McKinley said “to protect American lives and interest”, Americans had invested heavily in Cuba. On the night of February 15, 1898 the Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor. 260 Americans sailors were killed. This was another humiliation for the Americans after the De Lome letter, just 6 days before.
During the 1890s, journalism that sensationalized Cuban affairs became a powerful force that helped fuel anti-Spanish and pro-war feelings in the United States (“Yellow Journalism”). This type of journalism, called yellow journalism, relied on exaggerating stories in order to lure readers and increase newspaper sales (“Yellow Journalism”). Led by New York World owner Joseph Pulitzer and New York Journal owner William Randolph Hearst, yellow journalism played a significant role in pushing the United States’ decision to declare war on Spain in 1898 (“U.S. Diplomacy”). Prior to the Spanish-American War, Cuba’s struggle for independence was met with American sympathy, as General Valeriano Weyler tried to crush the revolution launched by José
The start of the second Industrial Revolution was also the start for the push of imperialism throughout the country. The decision of taking care of another country because of the opinion that they were not “civilized” was a motive for many of the United States leaders. Leaders included President Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, and President William McKinley. The imperialist group was strong but they had much push back from anti-imperialist. The anti-imperialist included Jane Addams and Mark Twain.
Colonialism and Imperialism affected our world both positively and negatively. On one hand, Imperialism has often been linked with racial segregation, manipulation, and hardship. On the other, it has been said that many colonial powers contributed much in terms of schools, roads, railways, and much more. Whether this time period was constructive or harmful, it has played a large part in shaping our lives today. European Imperialism started long before the 1800’s.
In being an anti-imperialist the worrisome is not that one opposes the idea of expansion of religion, commercial, and constitutional. It’s that with the annexing of these tropical islands would come to a result of the American system of self government would be that America might abandon this idea that makes America that nation it is to this point. Three reasons why the U.S should avoid imperialism is because it fails to follow that criteria of the constitution, could lead to tyrants like behavior, and could lead to conflict One argument that can’t be missed is the fact that the constitutions sets forth a principle that states “consent of the governed” after further research this means that to imperialize and annex other islands would violate
This is evident in Editha through the characterization of George and Editha, both representing an opposing view on imperialism. Americans had sympathies for the Cubans, they struggled under Spanish rule. But American sympathy was not the sole reason for America getting involved in the Cuban revolution. American business had about $50 million invested in Cuba and these investments were at risk because of the revolution taking place in Cuba (Kennedy-Cohen 610). The Teller Amendment also proves that America went to war with Spain for the wrong reasons.
The Spanish-American War occurred in the midst of discontent among Cubans and Puerto Rico, upset with America’s increased economic influence.