Many were uncomfortable with the idea of sending soldiers to aid a movement that did not want American help. To secure congressional support for intervention in Cuba, McKinley agreed to accept an extraordinary amendment offered by Senator Henry Teller of Colorado. The Teller Amendment began by declaring that “the people of the island of Cuba are, and of right ought to be free, and independent” and ended with a solemn pledge: “The United States hereby disclaims any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island and asserts its determination, when it is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people”. The Senate unanimously approved the Teller Amendment and on April 25, 1898; Congress declared a state of war between the United States and Spain.…
held belief that intervention in Cuba was a necessity to protect these very interests. The…
Sugar and molasses were important commodities for Britain since they were its source of revenue from the colonies. The British West Indies were originally the colonists’ main molasses provider; however the colonists bought molasses from foreign markets where the commodity was cheaper. Because the colonists depended on other countries, the British government passed the Molasses Act in 1733, which implemented a tax of six pence per gallon on molasses bought from non-British colonies. The British hoped that the high tax would persuade the colonists to buy molasses from the British West Indies. In addition, the Molasses Act was supposed to help the West Indies gain profits and raise revenue to pay off the debt from the French and Indian War in 1763. Nonetheless, it was never seriously enforced because the colonists found ways to avoid paying the tax such as smuggling molasses and bribing custom officials.…
When the war ended and the United States won, it offered Cuba self-government only if they agreed to the terms of the Teller Amendment which states, "Cuba should allow the United States the right to buy or lease naval stations". Though there were advantages for the United States in the Spanish-American War, America fought mostly for the welfare of Cuba.…
If every country washed by the Caribbean Sea would show the progress in stable and just civilization which, with the aid of the Platt amendment, Cuba has shown since our troops left the island, and which so many of the republics in both Americas are constantly and brilliantly showing, all question of interference by this Nation with their affairs would be at an…
In the year of 1764 the Sugar Act has been passed by the British Parliament. This is an act, according to the British Parliament, that will help pay off their war debt that came of after the French and Indian War. This act placed an order on the American colonist to pay taxes for items such as molasses sugar, and other items. Being that we American Colonies had no say in what was to be taxed upon as well as who and how much, we colonist are upset to be taxed without representation! People of our colonies have resorted to smuggling these taxed items in response to this unjust decision! For raiding our homes we bring to you mobs and rebellions. We the people will not stand for this as we are not to be treated as your money slaves! Give me…
What was happening in Cuba that caused America to be concerned? hanks to oppressive Spanish rulers and a crippled economy (caused by the American tariff of 1894's barriers against Cuban sugar production), Cuban rebels (known as the insurrectos) launched an effort to fight for independence in 1895, adopting the scorched-earth policy against cane fields, sugar mills, and passenger trains…
Albert J. Beveridge in his Senate campaign speech in September 1898 stated, “In Cuba alone, there are 15,000,000 acres of forest unacquainted with the axe,” and “There are exhaustless mines of iron...there are millions of acres yet unexplored…(Document I). America has always been interested in expansion. Some Americans did have property in Cuba. In President McKinley’s State of the Union Address he listed reasons for declaration of war against Spain. One reason, which included American citizens, was “our people have such trade and business relations; when the lives and liberty of our citizens are constantly in danger and their property and themselves ruined…(Document D).”…
In the article “The Government Can’t Stop Sugar” by the Chicago Tribune, we learned about the many problems that sugar has caused. Sugar has led up to many disputes in the government, it also has caused many Americans to become addicted to it. Our love for sugar has led to unhealthy lifestyles, causing many Americans diseases and to become obese. The Chicago tribune argues that our sweet is killing us. They gave various studies, examples, and facts that persuades the reader into thinking that we are to blame for our love but I don’t think we are the only ones to blame. In order for you to get a better understanding about why we are not the only ones to blame I will first be providing examples from the article that I agree with and find helpful…
Before 1850, Cuba was governed by Spain. However, the United States wanted to acquire Cuba for the following reasons. Firstly for commercial reason that is, Cuba would be a good market for American goods. Secondly, a slave state, planters form the Southern States of the United States wanted to acquire Cuba so that it would be made into a state where slavery could be continued. Thirdly, a military base, many Americans felt that Cuba could be used as a military base to protect Florida since that island was located only 149km away from the United States. Lastly, some Americans wanted to end Spanish rule in Cuba, they felt that the United States should replace Spain as the main country to govern Cuba.…
2. The US showed their interests in Cuba so they got involved in the revolution against Spain in 1898. The Cuban rebels had been wanting and fighting for their independence from the…
This Amendment also gave the U.S the right to set up a military base at Guantanamo Bay. In 1912 when the U.S decided to intervene in Cuban affairs for the third time, there were already about 10,000 U.S citizens living on Cuban soil. More than ¾ of the land in Cuba was owned by Americans (Gonzalez 65). Because of the inequalities in Cuba due to U.S occupation there were often labor strikes. In order to keep the U.S as the main priority in Cuba and to keep the workers from continuing to strike the U.S would put U.S aligned dictators such Machado in power. However, these dictators were never able to completely halt resistance from the people in Cuba. In 1933, a nationwide strike took Machado out of power and replaced him with a new radical government led by Ramon Grau San Martin that transformed Cuba entirely. This new government abolished the Platt Amendment, decreed a minimum wage and gave women the right to vote (Gonzalez,65). This new government greatly upset the U.S who in turn looked to Cuba’s army commander Fulgencio Batista to help crush the liberal movement Grua by staging a coup. In January of 1934 Batista soldiers, “ ...unleashed a bloody repression that crushed the Grau government, killing or jailing most of its leaders and scattering the rest into exile…
It was 1861 when the first string of sugar plantations started to develop along the coast of northern Queensland, Australia. Queensland had previously been accustomed to having cheap labor at their disposal with the use of servants and convicts. Convict transportation came to a stop and the government soon was in need of increasing income to make up for the lost labor, similar to the Europeans around the same time. Europeans were big into trading and had “previously been interested in African nations and kingdoms… traders then wanted to trade in human beings” (Ismael Montana). Around the seventeenth century many enslaved Africans were being taken to Europe and the Americas to work on tobacco and sugar plantations. Initially convicts from Britain…
4. amendment to the Cuban constitution that allowed the USA to maintain a military sphere of influence in Cuba…
As America ventured on its exploration for imperialism their dominance grew through the world. Initially, striking Hawaii, in the early 1890’s, America instilled their fear through the world. Being stubborn and overbearing America took the throne of the Hawaiian queen, Lili’uokalami. According to the Statement by Lili’uokalami the United States was going to “reinstate [her] in the authority… as the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands…,” however this was a false promise by the United States (Document J). After the dominance of Hawaii, America went after Cuba. When they took over Cuba the Teller Amendment was put into place, claiming that the Unites States would not take over Cuba, and leave it under the control of its island’s people. Soon after this was revoked and replaced by the Platt Amendment which claimed that the, “government of Cuba shall never enter a treaty with foreign powers,” this treaty restrained other countries with collaborating with Cuba and took American dominance to the next level (Document D). In Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, you see the United States referred to as the “international police,” which show its impact on the world as a whole. (Document B).…