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Debt Of Gratitude: 1898 And The Moral Sources Of US

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Perez’s (1999) article “Incurring a Debt of Gratitude: 1898 and the Moral Sources of United States Hegemony in Cuba” is a recount of the genesis of the United States-Cuban relations. The author presents an elaboration the activities that transpired and finally culminated in a complex relationship between the United States and the neighboring island of Cuba. The relationship between the United States and Cuba was prompted by an urgent need to liberate the people of the latter from Spanish rule. Under the Spanish rule, the people of Cuba had been subjected to inhumane treatment. As Perez (1999) describes, the Spanish rule was torturous to the citizens who were compelled to seek independence. The United States took advantage of the need for independence, coupled with their duty to ensure civilization as one of the global superpowers, and helped in defeating the Spanish rule. …show more content…

Perez (1999) explains that the involvement of America in driving out the Spanish during the 1898 War may have been strategic to the interests of America. As a small and upcoming country, Cuba had many prospects that attracted the United States. The strategic location of the island from North America further propelled the interest of the American’s in the welfare of the people of Cuba. Apparently, America had commercial, financial, and economic interests on the small island. Eventually, the Cubans, with the help of the United States, managed to drive out the Spanish colonialists. According to Perez (1999), the United States played a significant role in the liberation of the Cuban people. Consequently, Cuba incurred a debt of gratitude to America. Such situations have been experienced in the contemporary world where countries such as Iraq, which have been liberated from some kind of unrest, have incurred a debt of gratitude from their

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Because popular media and especially photojournalism functioned as the main resource people had to find about what really happened. This event not only shafted Americans perspective, but also displayed the visual representation of a shifting ideals from Cuba’s freedom to the United States imperialist conquest.  Chapters three through five specifically cover the enemy’s during the The War of 1898. Miller emphasizes throughout these chapters the

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In this part in particular, De La Fuente utilizes figures and solid facts to prove his claims, especially with his effective use of census records to show black flight from Cuba due to lack of opportunity (pg. 104). Speaking to social mobility and education, De La Fuente identifies the mediocrity of Cuban and American efforts to create a literate population. Although the government made significant strides to educate the populations, imperialist motivations fueled the system, which lacked secondary systems of support and training for Afro-Cubans. It is essential that De La Fuente identifies lack of labor opportunities and education in Cuba because both Afro-Cubans and white Cubans could eventually find solidarity in combatting these issues. Upon reading this chapter, De La Fuente’s revelation of a cyclical nature in Cuba with revolution and racism is uncovered.

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Even though, during war the United States rather argued it’s nobleness in world matters, protecting Cubans and Filipinos from Spaniards. An exemplar of this is America issuing the Teller Amendment; which declared that Americans had no interest in taking political control in Cuba. But, later the Teller Amendment was proved wrong by the Platt Amendment, which stated that; Cuba would never sign a treaty with foreign power, impairing it’s independence, let America maintain independence and order in the country, and the United States maintain Guantanamo Bay a permanent base. Therefore, the U.S. controlling Cuba’s policies. The Filipinos as well are another exemplar of it, during the Spanish-American war they were offered independence but, later on were taken as United States territory until, the Filipino Revolution led to independence.

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The Spanish-American War in 1898 marked a turning point in United States foreign policy due to the fact that it was the first time America stepped away from economic isolationism and embraced imperialism. Before the war, the country was dealing with Reconstruction and Manifest Destiny. After the war, the country was regulating entire civilized populations through acquired territories from the war, and the Panama Canal. Before the Spanish-American War, America was an isolationist country that kept its focus on internal affairs that were directly involved with the post-Civil War era. In particular, it related to Reconstruction and Manifest Destiny.

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For the reason that the U.S government had earlier supported Spain in their war against the Cuban people. The United States also benefited largely from the Spanish-American War which the U.S referred to as “splendid little War”. The “Treaty of Paris” gave the United States more territory which allowed them to expand both economically and graphically. The war was a turning point for the; for it rebirthed the U.S as a twentieth-century world power. They also establish predominance in the Caribbean region, which allowed them to trade with other countries around the world in a profligate period.

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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.

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The Spanish American war was a product of Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis and the urbanization of America. In 1895, a rebellion broke out in Cuba, as Cuban patriots wanted independences from Spain. Through the yellow journalism, reports of Spain’s cruel military tactics lead to a public uproar in the U.S. However, most of these stories were exaggerated as a form to promote war. After an American battleship, the USS Maine, was destroyed, America was “forced” to start war and stop Spanish occupation.

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The event which truly set the stage was the Spanish-American War. One of the key tools utilized to gain the public’s support of the war, especially by William Randolph Hearst, was yellow journalism, involving the use of sensationalism with little to no research behind the stories. Without it, the American public would have likely never heard of the explosion of the USS Maine, nor would they have thrown their support behind the war in the mindset that the ship has been attacked by the Spanish. From this conflict, and with the help of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, the United States gained control of Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Of course, the inhabitants of these islands were not given a choice in this matter, which is indeed a recurring theme in the story of American imperialism.

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In the late 1800’s Imperialism had begun because the Europeans were greedy for power. They would conquer other small weak nations for many reasons such as a source of raw material, gaining more territory, and gaining control of people and using them as cheap laborers. Spain once was a great nation governing over the Philippines, Guam, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. During this time, the Philippines and Cuba were the only ones fighting for freedom and independence out of the four countries under the control of Spain. Later on, Rumors had spread to the US that the Spanish were being cruel to the Cubans and the Philippines.

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This war originated in the cuban struggle for independence from Spain in February 1895. And Spain’s brutally repressive measures to halt the rebellion were graphically portrayed for the U.S. public by several sensational newspapers, and American sympathy for the rebels rose. All changed after the unexplained sinking in Havana harbour of the battleship USS Maine, which had been sent to protect U.S. citizens and property after anti-Spanish rioting in Havana. Spain announced an armistice on April 9 and speeded up its new program to grant Cuba limited powers of self-government, but the 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. Self-interest then became the primary objective for the US government after knowing that it could obtain Cuba and expand it’s power beyong

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The Spanish-American War occurred in the midst of discontent among Cubans and Puerto Rico, upset with America’s increased economic influence.

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