1. How was the United States connected to Cuba in the 1890s?
The main reason the United States was interested in Cuba was economics. Cuba had large sugar plantations, and the U.S. was the largest purchaser of this sugar in the world. American investors spent millions of dollars in the Sugar industry. This helped to boost the Cuban economy as they had a great place to export their product, as well as making lots of money for the American investors involved. America and Cuba traded over $100,000,000 annually, meaning they relied on each other quite a bit, Cuba for the boosted economy, America for the sugar.
2. What were the main reasons the United States intervened in Cuba? (i.e. went to war) Which reason do you believe was most important? Explain your answer.
There were many reasons Americans supported intervention in Cuba, some for humanitarian reasons of protecting the innocents dying, some saying American property in Cuba was at risk. American merchants and African-Americans particularly supported war with Spain as an intervention. Businessmen generally supported peaceful negotiations as they were scared of their investments being at risk. This changed when the Maine was blown up. Many businessmen decided that America would actually be at a better economic position overall if they defeated Spain in war, as they would be able to gain other strategic ports around the world. I think gaining economic advantages in trade routes around the world was the most important reason for going to war.
3. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
During this time, America was still rife with prejudice and racism against blacks. Many people believed them to be lesser people still, and them not having as much money or social status contributed to this. One of the only possible ways a black American could raise their social status was through joining the military. The blacks who volunteered for the Spanish-American War were hoping to raise the overall position of blacks in America, and they ended up being elite squads of troops.
4. How did racial attitudes at the turn of the century shape American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines?
Many Americans at this time subscribed to the belief that African-Americans were lesser people. The United States said they would let the Cubans negotiate with the Spaniards, but as they perceived most of them to be black, they decided they needed America’s help in their affairs. A similar situation occurred in the Philippines, as most Americans were not even aware of the place or that it was in rebellion. Mainly only African-American communities sympathized with the Filipino, but as they were not powerful in America, the white men who had only scene the African depictions of Filipino were doing all the negotiating, and took advantage of that. Basically, if someone was darker than an Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Saxons believed they “needed help” in their affairs, which they used as an excuse to make a deal that worked out best for America.
5. Why did Emilio Aguinaldo feel that the United States supported his campaign for Filipino independence?
Emilio Aguinaldo, the nationalist leader of the Philippines, was convinced that the chief reason the Americans joined his fight was because they wanted Filipino independence. He believed that the Americans felt empathy for the Filipino rebels, as only a hundred or so years ago, they too were fighting for independence from a strong European power. He thought that Dewey’s intervention against Spanish ships was a sign of a world power fighting for the cause of freedom throughout the globe. He didn’t realize that most Americans didn’t even know where the Philippines were, and the ones who did just wanted it as a strategic port.
6. Why do you think the Spanish-American War was called "a splendid little war" by an American diplomat at the time? Do you think we could have a "splendid little war" today? Explain your answer.
The Spanish-American War was called a “splendid little war” because it was very swift and a definitive victory that worked out well for the United States. I do not believe that we could have such a “splendid little war” today. The underlying goal of the Spanish-American war, although it was not exactly stated outright, was quite obviously to keep the industry of sugar trade with Cuba alive and well in the United States. Nowadays America can’t seem to find a real goal for going to war, as instead of fighting for a nation, or at least supposedly for one as we did for Cuba, we fight against a concept; this fight continues to lower the image of America even further, and gains us nothing like the Spanish-American war gained us ports to control trade around the world. Not to mention, we are terrible at deciding when to leave, which makes our wars longer and longer.
The main reason the United States was interested in Cuba was economics. Cuba had large sugar plantations, and the U.S. was the largest purchaser of this sugar in the world. American investors spent millions of dollars in the Sugar industry. This helped to boost the Cuban economy as they had a great place to export their product, as well as making lots of money for the American investors involved. America and Cuba traded over $100,000,000 annually, meaning they relied on each other quite a bit, Cuba for the boosted economy, America for the sugar.
2. What were the main reasons the United States intervened in Cuba? (i.e. went to war) Which reason do you believe was most important? Explain your answer.
There were many reasons Americans supported intervention in Cuba, some for humanitarian reasons of protecting the innocents dying, some saying American property in Cuba was at risk. American merchants and African-Americans particularly supported war with Spain as an intervention. Businessmen generally supported peaceful negotiations as they were scared of their investments being at risk. This changed when the Maine was blown up. Many businessmen decided that America would actually be at a better economic position overall if they defeated Spain in war, as they would be able to gain other strategic ports around the world. I think gaining economic advantages in trade routes around the world was the most important reason for going to war.
3. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
During this time, America was still rife with prejudice and racism against blacks. Many people believed them to be lesser people still, and them not having as much money or social status contributed to this. One of the only possible ways a black American could raise their social status was through joining the military. The blacks who volunteered for the Spanish-American War were hoping to raise the overall position of blacks in America, and they ended up being elite squads of troops.
4. How did racial attitudes at the turn of the century shape American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines?
Many Americans at this time subscribed to the belief that African-Americans were lesser people. The United States said they would let the Cubans negotiate with the Spaniards, but as they perceived most of them to be black, they decided they needed America’s help in their affairs. A similar situation occurred in the Philippines, as most Americans were not even aware of the place or that it was in rebellion. Mainly only African-American communities sympathized with the Filipino, but as they were not powerful in America, the white men who had only scene the African depictions of Filipino were doing all the negotiating, and took advantage of that. Basically, if someone was darker than an Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Saxons believed they “needed help” in their affairs, which they used as an excuse to make a deal that worked out best for America.
5. Why did Emilio Aguinaldo feel that the United States supported his campaign for Filipino independence?
Emilio Aguinaldo, the nationalist leader of the Philippines, was convinced that the chief reason the Americans joined his fight was because they wanted Filipino independence. He believed that the Americans felt empathy for the Filipino rebels, as only a hundred or so years ago, they too were fighting for independence from a strong European power. He thought that Dewey’s intervention against Spanish ships was a sign of a world power fighting for the cause of freedom throughout the globe. He didn’t realize that most Americans didn’t even know where the Philippines were, and the ones who did just wanted it as a strategic port.
6. Why do you think the Spanish-American War was called "a splendid little war" by an American diplomat at the time? Do you think we could have a "splendid little war" today? Explain your answer.
The Spanish-American War was called a “splendid little war” because it was very swift and a definitive victory that worked out well for the United States. I do not believe that we could have such a “splendid little war” today. The underlying goal of the Spanish-American war, although it was not exactly stated outright, was quite obviously to keep the industry of sugar trade with Cuba alive and well in the United States. Nowadays America can’t seem to find a real goal for going to war, as instead of fighting for a nation, or at least supposedly for one as we did for Cuba, we fight against a concept; this fight continues to lower the image of America even further, and gains us nothing like the Spanish-American war gained us ports to control trade around the world. Not to mention, we are terrible at deciding when to leave, which makes our wars longer and longer.
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