[Essay Feedback] - United States expansion after The Spanish-American War

Jun 30, 06, 08:18PM ¦ #1

Here is a paper I need to turn in tonight. Any opinions on what I should improve (should I?:). Thank.

United States expansion after The Spanish-American War

United States expansion after The Spanish-American War of 1898 was a partial result of Theodore Roosevelt's emergence as a strong executive. He became the 26th President of the United States in 1901 after President William McKinley was assassinated. Several factors during Roosevelt's pre-presidency years contributed to his approach to diplomacy. In 1895 he served as president of the New York Board of Police Commissioners, in 1897 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy and in 1898 co-founded the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry popularly referred to as the "Rough Riders." Each event proved critical in Roosevelt's eventual rise that included playing significant roles in the United States annexation of the Philippines in 1898, the Platt Amendment of 1902 and the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904. With this background it is no surprise that the United States became the "Policemen of the World" under Roosevelt's leadership and applied what he termed as "speaking softly and carrying a big stick."

Roosevelt's strategic position in the Spanish-American War of 1898 proved advantageous for his developing diplomatic strategies. As assistant secretary of the Navy he played an important role in strengthening the Navy for its eventual confrontation with Spain over the interests and direction of Cuba. As Cuba seemed most determined to break from the colonial bondage of Spain, the tiny island 90 miles south of the Florida coast remained equally important to the United States for economic and military reasons as well. (Nash p. 687) Cuba was rich in sugar cane and represented a market for possible tax-free imports. In addition, American dominance in the Atlantic Ocean remained a primary goal. Since United States interests in the Pacific Ocean were established by acquiring a naval station in Samoa in 1878 and with the American-backed Hawaiian Coup over sugar interests in 1893, the United States was determined to expand in equal proportions.
Despite the fact that United States involvement in Cuba began as a protection mission where Cuban nationalism was threatened and violated by their Spanish colonial masters, it eventually turned into another matter all together. As the events of 1898 blossomed, the United States expanded considerably in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans respectively. In the case of the Pacific, the Manila Bay, Hawaiian Islands, Guam and the Philippines all came under direct United States jurisdiction as a result of the Paris Treaty of 1898 that ended the Spanish-American War. (Nash p. 689) Consequently, Spain was forced to give up its colonial possession in this region of the world to the United States. In return Cuba gained its independence, but not without a heavy cost. For three years United States troops remained in Cuba and overall United States influence on the island was substantial. More importantly though, the formal removal of United States troops from Cuba also would produce foreign policy measures that would have impacts that can be felt in modern times.

The Platt Amendment of 1901 formally established United States authority in Cuba. As United States troops were removed as promised, the amendment forced Cuba to cede the naval base Guantanemo Bay to the United States and agree to cede no territory to any other nation besides the United States. The amendment essentially gave the United States authority to intervene on Cuba's behalf as they saw fit and to control Cuba's diplomatic activity exclusively. The strategic maneuvering of the United States Navy can not be overstated. In addition to the Cuban relationship is that of Hawaii. Upon securing control of Pearl Harbor Naval Station in 1887, the subsequent War of 1898 played a pivotal role in the United States' decision to annex Hawaii in the first place. Not surprisingly, United States naval presence in the Pacific would increase over the next 20 years in the form of establishing the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in 1908 and in 1917 Ford's Island in the center of Pearl Harbor as the site for Army aviation development. (Nash p. 693)

From 1899- 1913 further United States expansion took place in the Philippines as it was forcibly sold to the United States by a defeated Spain at the Treaty of Paris of 1898. It was not the United States intent to have to fight for as long as they did with the Filipinos. Despite its formal ending in 1902, the battles and skirmishes between United States troops and Filipino insurgents continued until World War I. Further expansion consistent with United States policy occurred in 1903. At this time Panama was fighting to gain independence from Columbia. Consequently, an able ally was important. The ally that proved most beneficial was the United States. Once again Latin American interaction with the United States did not come without a cost. Roosevelt was committed to the cause of controlling the waterways of the world and the connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was a logical progressive move. With the signing of the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty in 1903, (Nash p. 702) Panama officially gave the United States dominion over the Canal Zone. Although the Panama Canal did not open until 1914, the political power enacted by the United States was firmly in place.

Increased United States global expansion was formalized in 1904 with Teddy Roosevelt's amending of the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, designed primarily to insure that the United States maintained a position of neutrality and isolation as it related to internal European conflicts. It also was designed to express the United States position on the Americas. The Monroe Doctrine held that the region was not bound to outside European control of its internal affairs. However, it did imply that new colonies created and older ones who had established their independence from their former colonizers were now to be considered United States interests.

This last point proved to be ammunition for President Roosevelt as he interpreted it to mean that the United States had an obligation to be the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere. In an address to Congress in 1904, President Roosevelt declared the following:

Chronic wrong doing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power. (Wikipedia.org)

Considering his connection with police administration at the highest level in the state of New York years prior, it should be no surprise to understand his mindset as the enforcer of political correctness. It should also be no surprise to see such articulation come forth as he attempted to set the tone for his executive leadership, his first term won on popular election instead of default by assassination.

Roosevelt's Corollary also had a strong correlation with American business and the spread of United States influence throughout the Americas. Expansion took form not only in terms of physical space, but through the influence of American ideals too. In the case of the Dominican Republic, Roosevelt was tested by French and Italian interests who were in the middle of a heated revolution on the island. As a result the United States intervened to solidify her authority as the policeman of the region. Moreover, a United States receivership was established as the official Dominican customs collector. This measure gave the United States substantial control over the islands' economic activity. Similarly Nicaragua felt the impact of United States expansion as well.

Since the pre- Civil War era, Nicaragua was an attractive site for American business interest. According to J. Buschini in "U.S. Intervention in Latin America," Roosevelt's reach was felt after he left office in 1909 as his corollary policies were adapted by his successor William Taft. As a former governor of the Philippines, Taft was exposed directly to the tactics of United States expansion, but input his own stamp of leadership on the executive branch. He implemented what became known as "dollar diplomacy" as a method of beefing up United States assets and financial investment in foreign nations, most notably the Caribbean and Latin America.

Since the middle 1800s Nicaragua was the center of intense interests by industrial powers and the site of initial plans to build an extensive inter-ocean river canal. Despite competing forces, Nicaragua remained a viable option for the United States and under President Taft's administration the matter was full blown. United States business interests in the country at the turn of the 19th century can be seen through the existence of the United States- Nicaraguan Concession whose chief legal counsel became Taft's Secretary of State. (Buschini p. 2) This is important because the United States- Nicaraguan Concession was the largest American company in Nicaragua. Political events in the country were tied to the Taft administration also because it backed one Nicaraguan rebel against another because he was an employee of the American invested company. This opportunity was utilized by the United States government as an appropriate time to send in the Marines to suppress Nicaraguan Revolution in 1904. Similar to the situation in the Dominican Republic, the United States became the primary controller of Nicaraguan finances. Customs collection became the responsibility of American banks exclusively.

True to Roosevelt's form, his administrative policies certainly reflect a "big stick." The United States expanded physically, financially and through ideas substantially after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In so doing, the nation imposed her will on the rest of the world in the name of a "civilizing mission." From Roosevelt's background in police authority and naval and army infrastructure development, it stands to reason that his Presidential reign will be forever linked to expansion through guns, banks, and perhaps more significantly, through control of minds.

Works Cited

Buschini, J. "U.S. Intervention in Latin America" [Online 2000]. Small Planet
Communications Website smplanet.com/imperialism/teddy.html. (Accessed September 20, 2005.

Nash, Gary and Julie Roy Jeffrey, John Howe, Peter Frederick, Allen Davis and Allan
Winkler. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, Volume II: Since 1865. New York: Pearson & Longman, 2004.

"Panama Canal." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Website
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal. (Accessed September 21, 2005)

	[Essay Feedback] - United States expansion after The Spanish-American War
spyeye Reg: Jun 30, 06 Posts: 10 Profile	Jun 30, 06, 08:18PM ¦ #1 Here is a paper I need to turn in tonight. Any opinions on what I should improve (should I?:). Thank. United States expansion after The Spanish-American War United States expansion after The Spanish-American War of 1898 was a partial result of Theodore Roosevelt's emergence as a strong executive. He became the 26th President of the United States in 1901 after President William McKinley was assassinated. Several factors during Roosevelt's pre-presidency years contributed to his approach to diplomacy. In 1895 he served as president of the New York Board of Police Commissioners, in 1897 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy and in 1898 co-founded the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry popularly referred to as the "Rough Riders." Each event proved critical in Roosevelt's eventual rise that included playing significant roles in the United States annexation of the Philippines in 1898, the Platt Amendment of 1902 and the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904. With this background it is no surprise that the United States became the "Policemen of the World" under Roosevelt's leadership and applied what he termed as "speaking softly and carrying a big stick." Roosevelt's strategic position in the Spanish-American War of 1898 proved advantageous for his developing diplomatic strategies. As assistant secretary of the Navy he played an important role in strengthening the Navy for its eventual confrontation with Spain over the interests and direction of Cuba. As Cuba seemed most determined to break from the colonial bondage of Spain, the tiny island 90 miles south of the Florida coast remained equally important to the United States for economic and military reasons as well. (Nash p. 687) Cuba was rich in sugar cane and represented a market for possible tax-free imports. In addition, American dominance in the Atlantic Ocean remained a primary goal. Since United States interests in the Pacific Ocean were established by acquiring a naval station in Samoa in 1878 and with the American-backed Hawaiian Coup over sugar interests in 1893, the United States was determined to expand in equal proportions. Despite the fact that United States involvement in Cuba began as a protection mission where Cuban nationalism was threatened and violated by their Spanish colonial masters, it eventually turned into another matter all together. As the events of 1898 blossomed, the United States expanded considerably in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans respectively. In the case of the Pacific, the Manila Bay, Hawaiian Islands, Guam and the Philippines all came under direct United States jurisdiction as a result of the Paris Treaty of 1898 that ended the Spanish-American War. (Nash p. 689) Consequently, Spain was forced to give up its colonial possession in this region of the world to the United States. In return Cuba gained its independence, but not without a heavy cost. For three years United States troops remained in Cuba and overall United States influence on the island was substantial. More importantly though, the formal removal of United States troops from Cuba also would produce foreign policy measures that would have impacts that can be felt in modern times. The Platt Amendment of 1901 formally established United States authority in Cuba. As United States troops were removed as promised, the amendment forced Cuba to cede the naval base Guantanemo Bay to the United States and agree to cede no territory to any other nation besides the United States. The amendment essentially gave the United States authority to intervene on Cuba's behalf as they saw fit and to control Cuba's diplomatic activity exclusively. The strategic maneuvering of the United States Navy can not be overstated. In addition to the Cuban relationship is that of Hawaii. Upon securing control of Pearl Harbor Naval Station in 1887, the subsequent War of 1898 played a pivotal role in the United States' decision to annex Hawaii in the first place. Not surprisingly, United States naval presence in the Pacific would increase over the next 20 years in the form of establishing the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in 1908 and in 1917 Ford's Island in the center of Pearl Harbor as the site for Army aviation development. (Nash p. 693) From 1899- 1913 further United States expansion took place in the Philippines as it was forcibly sold to the United States by a defeated Spain at the Treaty of Paris of 1898. It was not the United States intent to have to fight for as long as they did with the Filipinos. Despite its formal ending in 1902, the battles and skirmishes between United States troops and Filipino insurgents continued until World War I. Further expansion consistent with United States policy occurred in 1903. At this time Panama was fighting to gain independence from Columbia. Consequently, an able ally was important. The ally that proved most beneficial was the United States. Once again Latin American interaction with the United States did not come without a cost. Roosevelt was committed to the cause of controlling the waterways of the world and the connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was a logical progressive move. With the signing of the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty in 1903, (Nash p. 702) Panama officially gave the United States dominion over the Canal Zone. Although the Panama Canal did not open until 1914, the political power enacted by the United States was firmly in place. Increased United States global expansion was formalized in 1904 with Teddy Roosevelt's amending of the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, designed primarily to insure that the United States maintained a position of neutrality and isolation as it related to internal European conflicts. It also was designed to express the United States position on the Americas. The Monroe Doctrine held that the region was not bound to outside European control of its internal affairs. However, it did imply that new colonies created and older ones who had established their independence from their former colonizers were now to be considered United States interests. This last point proved to be ammunition for President Roosevelt as he interpreted it to mean that the United States had an obligation to be the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere. In an address to Congress in 1904, President Roosevelt declared the following: Chronic wrong doing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power. (Wikipedia.org) Considering his connection with police administration at the highest level in the state of New York years prior, it should be no surprise to understand his mindset as the enforcer of political correctness. It should also be no surprise to see such articulation come forth as he attempted to set the tone for his executive leadership, his first term won on popular election instead of default by assassination. Roosevelt's Corollary also had a strong correlation with American business and the spread of United States influence throughout the Americas. Expansion took form not only in terms of physical space, but through the influence of American ideals too. In the case of the Dominican Republic, Roosevelt was tested by French and Italian interests who were in the middle of a heated revolution on the island. As a result the United States intervened to solidify her authority as the policeman of the region. Moreover, a United States receivership was established as the official Dominican customs collector. This measure gave the United States substantial control over the islands' economic activity. Similarly Nicaragua felt the impact of United States expansion as well. Since the pre- Civil War era, Nicaragua was an attractive site for American business interest. According to J. Buschini in "U.S. Intervention in Latin America," Roosevelt's reach was felt after he left office in 1909 as his corollary policies were adapted by his successor William Taft. As a former governor of the Philippines, Taft was exposed directly to the tactics of United States expansion, but input his own stamp of leadership on the executive branch. He implemented what became known as "dollar diplomacy" as a method of beefing up United States assets and financial investment in foreign nations, most notably the Caribbean and Latin America. Since the middle 1800s Nicaragua was the center of intense interests by industrial powers and the site of initial plans to build an extensive inter-ocean river canal. Despite competing forces, Nicaragua remained a viable option for the United States and under President Taft's administration the matter was full blown. United States business interests in the country at the turn of the 19th century can be seen through the existence of the United States- Nicaraguan Concession whose chief legal counsel became Taft's Secretary of State. (Buschini p. 2) This is important because the United States- Nicaraguan Concession was the largest American company in Nicaragua. Political events in the country were tied to the Taft administration also because it backed one Nicaraguan rebel against another because he was an employee of the American invested company. This opportunity was utilized by the United States government as an appropriate time to send in the Marines to suppress Nicaraguan Revolution in 1904. Similar to the situation in the Dominican Republic, the United States became the primary controller of Nicaraguan finances. Customs collection became the responsibility of American banks exclusively. True to Roosevelt's form, his administrative policies certainly reflect a "big stick." The United States expanded physically, financially and through ideas substantially after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In so doing, the nation imposed her will on the rest of the world in the name of a "civilizing mission." From Roosevelt's background in police authority and naval and army infrastructure development, it stands to reason that his Presidential reign will be forever linked to expansion through guns, banks, and perhaps more significantly, through control of minds. Works Cited Buschini, J. "U.S. Intervention in Latin America" [Online 2000]. Small Planet Communications Website smplanet.com/imperialism/teddy.html. (Accessed September 20, 2005. Nash, Gary and Julie Roy Jeffrey, John Howe, Peter Frederick, Allen Davis and Allan Winkler. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, Volume II: Since 1865. New York: Pearson & Longman, 2004. "Panama Canal." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Website en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal. (Accessed September 21, 2005)
beatrice Reg: Feb 13, 06 Posts: 67 Profile	Jun 30, 06, 08:28PM ¦ #2 Did you write this essay yourself? :) Seems to be very concise and well written.
spyeye Reg: Jun 30, 06 Posts: 10 Profile	Jun 30, 06, 08:29PM ¦ #3 Quoting: beatrice, Post #2 Did you write this essay yourself? :) Actually, I asked someone to help me with it (since I don't like writing - especially in the summer time). Anyway, you think it's good? I don't need an A; I would be happy with a C or B :)
beatrice Reg: Feb 13, 06 Posts: 67 Profile	Jun 30, 06, 08:32PM ¦ #4 OK - I hope you had them edit or proofread it only. I think you should easily get a B or more - depending on how the teacher scrict is. I'm not sure if the citation style should be in MLA (it seems so - you may want to double check). Beatrice
spyeye Reg: Jun 30, 06 Posts: 10 Profile	Jun 30, 06, 08:34PM ¦ #5 Yeah, I wrote a first draft myself - she helped me with the references and grammar (plus she gave some usefule ideas on some paragraphs ;). Thanks for your help. I hope my teacher won't notice this thread lol...
beatrice Reg: Feb 13, 06 Posts: 67 Profile	Jun 30, 06, 08:36PM ¦ #6 You're welcome. Keep up a good work (and get some rest during the summer time :). Beatrice
die1gra2 Reg: Mar 11, 08 Posts: 1 Profile	Mar 11, 08, 03:12PM ¦ #7 You have an essay realating to varios phases of the us exapansion thnks