Spanish American Imperialism Essay

In the late nineteenth century, America engaged in the Spanish-American War. The aftermath of this war resulted in the acquirement of territories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. However, not everyone felt these conquests were justified. Many Americans during that time period held the belief that the act of expanding into said regions went against democratic values and was, in fact, hypocritical of the values America frequently preached, while others seemed to believe that holding onto the territories was justified due to the fact that these newly-freed nations would be unable to govern themselves, and that it was America’s innate responsibility to aid them. Many Americans reacted to the end of the Spanish-American War by claiming

According to the United States, democracy and Christianity were principal elements of a successful society. During the end of the eighteen-hundreds and throughout the beginning of the nineteen-hundreds, America tried to colonize and reform less fortunate nations. Following a social-Darwinist point of view, Americans took their “God-given” superiority to those who were incapable of establishing their own self-government (Doc. H). After much debate, American foreign policy towards the Philippines and Cuba was that it is our duty to rule them until they could rule themselves. We pledged to save the indigenous people from their savage, bloody, and corrupt ways of life. President McKinley’s foreign policy towards the Philippines stated that “they would soon have anarchy and misrule…there was nothing left to do but take them all, educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize them” (Doc. A).

acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. They declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. As a result Spain lost its control over the remains of its overseas empire. This war increase the idea of imperialist by gaining more power, crops, and land. Some could say that WWI was a war on imperialism, I would have to agree. The Europeans in the late 19th century increase to safeguard their access to markets and by return seizing military control on underdeveloped countries. To this day some would say the United States is still imperialistic but in a more economical way than the 19th century. Some would argue that the war on Iraq was to protect the oil supply the American economy depends on. Others world argue that we control a certain territories a specific level of power to give an influence

The Spanish-American War of 1898 could be seen as the pivotal point in foreign policy as it marks America’s first engagement with a foreign enemy in the dawning age of modern warfare however, one could also argue that the idea had always existed in American politics.

One hundred years ago, in 1898, the United States was fighting the Spanish-American War. The victory over Spain made the United States a colonial power. The Spanish colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, as well as the formerly independent nation of Hawaii, became American possessions.

The Spanish war gave the United States an empire. At the end of the Spanish war the United States took Spanish colonies such as Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and many other islands. The creation of the American Empire leads to the end of the Spanish Empire. The United States wanted to build up the countries so that markets would open up and purchase American goods and to improve the American economy.

The Spanish-American War was truly a defining moment in U.S. History. After the U.S. defeated the Spanish, it gained control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Also by defeating them, they proved to the rest of the world that they were a nation who could hold their own. It had finally seemed that the U.S was a dominant world power.

The United States has inflicted imperialism on the island of Cuba. This happened on April 25, 1898 after the U.S declared war on Spain for sinking the Battleship Maine in Havana Harbour on February 15, 1898. But before then The United States owned massive amounts of businesses in Cuba. Such as, Cuban sugar, tobacco, and iron industries. There was a very tight bond between the U.S and Cuba.

As the United States transformed physically from industrialization and competition to secure international markets a new political global hierarchy in the Imperial Age began to form. World power at this time was often accumulated by Nations dominated by the Anglo Saxon races. This power often came at the expense of minorities in non-industrialized Nations. The forceful acquisition of territories by more advanced Nations often resulted from racists theories of white superiority. Notions of white superiority evolved from philosophies like Social Darwinism and were used to support the White Man’s burden or duty to civilize less developed peoples. America in an effort to compete with European Nations on the Global stage obtained several territories from its victory in the Spanish America War. The acquisition of the Philippines in particular, sparked competing interpretations of the definition liberty and its proper administration in these new U.S. Territories. As well as, ignited debates among intellectuals, politicians and the American people over the role America’s foreign policy should embrace in the World Stage. Ultimately, Imperialists championed American foreign policy that restricted the liberty of inferior races, propelling America to embrace its duty to civilize the world as a Global Power. At the same time, anti-imperialists pursued foreign policy measures to expand liberty for native peoples in U.S. Territories insisting imperialism violated America’s founding

The Spanish-American war was big for the Americans. America eventually won Spain's remaining overseas territories and acquired a colonial empire. Acquiring vast amounts of land had several important implications for the U.S. military. Aware that America’s new possessions placed them on an international stage rife with economic and imperialistic competition. With more land also meant more area to defend, the U.S military sought to increase its forces. Over the next two decades saw unprecedented accelerated military change and development.

1.The Spanish-American War was fought in 1898. It was a very short war and had very little deaths compared to the previous wars and battles. The Spanish-American War only lasted one hundred and thirteen days. Even though the Spanish American war was a short war, it had many of very useful world-changing outcomes. The conflict began when the Cubans wanted independence from Spain. Spain would not give Cubans their independence. The Cubans go tired of begging so eventually, the United States got involved, and it was an all-out war against Spain. Toward the end of the nineteenth-century, tensions were high between Spain and Cuba. Jose Marti wanted independence from Spain and the only way they believed they could do it was by declaring war in 1895. Many of Americans supported the Cubans who were struggling for freedom because lots of Americans were or still are in their shoes or knew who it felt to not have freedom. The newspaper journalists played a huge part at the beginning of the Spanish American War as well as during the war. The journalists published various articles talking bad about the Spanish government and published exaggerated stories of how the government was treating their citizens in Spain. One publisher wrote a letter to the ambassador in Spain expressing how he felt about him. He said that the ambassador was a weak leader, and he did not know anything about politics. The letter started up Americans aggressive nationalism. Not too long after that incident, an

Some people say america was the land of freedom I feel that the american imperialism had a negative effect on the natives In the Spanish-American War of 1898 the United States seized the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific, emerging for the first time as a world power. * As in Cuba, Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines had given rise to a national liberation struggle. Immediately after the U.S. naval bombardment of Manila on May 1, 1898, in which the Spanish fleet was destroyed, Admiral Dewey sent a gunboat to fetch the exiled Filipino revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo from Hong Kong. The United States wanted Aguinaldo to lead a renewed revolt against Spain to prosecute the war before U.S. troops could arrive.

Through the Spanish-American War the United States gained control of the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba became an American protectorate. The United States gave Spain $20 million for the Philippines. Guam and Puerto Rico became territories and were controlled by the United States and Cuba became an American protectorate.

     Although President McKinley tried to avoid a war with Spain it seemed to be inevitable. The trouble began with journalism exploiting Spanish atrocities. Then, a battleship blew up and was falsely identified as a Spanish attack. The U.S. first took hold of a Spanish colony (the Philippines) which it later used as a stepping stone to trade with other countries. Then, they fought battles in Cuba (another Spanish colony) and conquered that along with Puerto Rico. By winning the Spanish-American War the U.S. gained a position as an imperialist country.

Should the United States become an empire? Or were foreign interventions and the taking of foreign land antithetical to its founding father’s ideals? The United States history of international politics involvement can be seen as far back as the eighteenth century. The Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars (1898-1902) marked a critical turning point in American involvement in international politics abroad. The war with Spain, and the conflict in the Philippines, expanded its ability and strength of its global reach. The U.S. would become increasingly involved in international politics over the next two decades.