NEED URGENT HELP WITH HISTORY ESSAY

HIS 134: Modern Latin America

The War of 1898 and the Rise of the US

XM 4.1

Why did the Caribbean islands (except Haiti) not go through wars of independence at the same time as the rest of the Latin American mainland (e.g. Mexico, Venezuela) from 1810-1825?

Independence happened very differently in the Caribbean

• Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) – a massive war for freedom from slavery and then independence from France. The second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the US

• Dominican Republic – occupied by Haiti for 22 years (1822-1844) to prevent reinstatement of European Empire and slavery. Dominicans became independent in 1844 from Haiti. Briefly reoccupied by Spain 1861-1865. Independent from 1865 onward.

• Puerto Rico – part of Spanish empire until 1898. Became a US territory in 1898 as result of the War of 1898.

• Most English islands remained part of the UK until the 1960s

Dates of independence in Caribbean basin

Cuban independence occurred much later than continental Latin America (1898). What difference do you think that would make for the course or outcome of the war?

Cuban Wars of Independence from Spain took place in 3 stages. By the time of the final stage, the US was becoming a much stronger player in the Western Hemisphere

• 1868-78 - the “10 years war.” Starts with the “Grito de Yara” (a call to arms) in eastern Cuba

• 1879-80 - the “Little War”

• 1895-98 - final War of Independence

• The last war ended with US intervention in 1898

Role of race & slavery in Cuban independence movement

• Cuba had many slaves on sugar plantations

• First independence leaders proposed a gradual form of abolition of slavery

• But soon declared that any slaves who joined them to fight would be freed

• Soon many slaves are fleeing to rebel lines, hoping to fight & win freedom

Role of race & slavery

• Over time, the Cuban rebels fighting Spain became more and more diverse

• In 1868, slavery was still legal in Cuba

• Initial Cuban rebels only demanded Independence from Spain, with some calls for gradual abolition

• But over time, they began to call for immediate abolition as well.

Role of race & slavery • Also, the Cuban troops were racially integrated

• Not just the common soldiers • Officers and generals were also black. They presided over

mixed-race troops (black, white and mulato rebel soldiers)

• Spain depicted it as a struggle for black supremacy to try to scare white Cubans

• But Spain eventually decreed gradual abolition in 1878 (free womb law)

Spanish cartoon against the Cuban war of Independence. The caption reads, “How the whites would look in Cuba if the blacks won.”

Cuba’s Final War of Independence

• Period of 1879-1895 peaceful, but pro-Independence forces continued to organize

• Race was becoming a more central issue for them

• Pro-Independence writers now start to praise the racially- integrated rebel troops

• Start to describe a future Independent Cuban nation as a racial brotherhood

• Call for racial unity among patriots

Independence Leaders & Race

Jose Marti was important leader who argued for a racially- inclusive future nation:

“There can be no racism in Cuba because there are no races.”

“Cuban is more than black, more than mulato, more than white.”

US Enters the Cuban War for Independence against Spain

• US government uses accidental explosion of the boat Maine as justification to enter the war against Spain. Claim it is Spanish sabotage.

• Slogan: “Remember the Maine! To Hell with Spain!”

• “Yellow” journalism (tabloid newspapers) demand war with Spain, stir up public pro-war sentiment

Explosion of the USS Maine, 1898

US Enters the Cuban War for Independence against Spain

1898: “Spanish-American War” begins • US easily defeats Spain • US occupies Cuba militarily from 1898-1902, and

exercises huge influence on Cuba through the 1930s • US also takes over other Spanish colonies:

Philippines (which got Independence in 1950) and Puerto Rico (a US territory to the present)

• In retrospect, we can see it as the beginning of a new era of US imperialism in the Caribbean region (1900-1930)

Should we consider the US to be “an empire” in this period? Why or why not?

How do you think Latin Americans interpreted the US increasing involvement in the region in the second half of the 19th century?

Many people in Latin America and the Caribbean saw the US as an imperialist aggressor and feared its expansion

Primary documents on US foreign policy

Monroe Document (1823)

• How do you interpret this document?

Platt Amendment (1901):

• How do you interpret this document?

Roosevelt Corollary:

• How does this describe the role of the US in the Western Hemisphere?

• How do you compare it to the Monroe Doctrine (1823)? How does it relate to the Platt Amendment?

US Newspaper Political Cartoons about 1898 Take a few minutes to examine the political cartoons taped on the wall. How would you characterize these cartoons? What is their message?

They are also available in the section of Primary Documents on our Classes page

Review Essay #1 Assignment Sheet (Classes)

Political cartoon, Boston Globe, 1898