Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow: Chapter Analysis

In the book "Overthrow", by Stephen Kinzer writes about an American being involved in the first overthrowing of a foreign government. He also writes about 250 American sailors died when the Unites States used "forcible intervention" in what was then to become the conquering of three territories involving several islands in opposite sides of the world. "Some argued that the Unites States had to take new territories in order to prevent European power, or perhaps even Japan, from taking them" (Kinzer 33). Kinzer argues, the Unites States felt that by intervening and conquering new land they would have financial gain and a vast ability of land for economical used. In 1876 when the treaty of Reciprocity was signed between the Hawaiian Majesty and then current president Ulysses S. Grant where the treaty involved local sugar planters in exchange for into granting United States exclusive
This gave the US a reason to intervene and helped with the liberation of Cuba from the Spaniards which gave the US control of yet another island. The Platt Amendment was then signed it "gave the Unites States a way to control Cuba without running directly, by maintaining a submissive local regime" (Kinzer 42). Kinzer states that "Americans had to look to faraway countries, weak countries that had large markets and rich resources but had not yet fallen under the sway of any great power" (Kinzer 34). As a result they also invaded Puerto Rico because it was ruled by Spain however Puerto Ricans looked forward for American rule. On the 10th of December 1898 the Philippines were then bought off from Spain for $20 million dollars by then President McKinley. His reasons were that "there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos and uplift them and Christianized them, and by God's grace do the very best we could for them…."(Kinzer