1. Alfred Thayer Mahan - Alfred Thayer Mahan was an author and strategist for the United States Navy. He graduated the Naval Academy in 1859 and would go on to head the Newport Naval Academy. As an author, he wrote many influential books, including The Influence of Sea Power Upon History 1660-1783. In this book, Mahan explained that if a nation held “Sea Power”, or naval dominance, it would also have global dominance. In his analysis, Mahan theorized that growing industrial development would create excess goods for which new markets needed to be found. These markets would undoubtedly be in distant ports across large bodies of water and to ensure the safety of merchant ships a strong naval guardian and escort would be paramount (Divine 610). …show more content…
Nevertheless, he secured $50 million for defense appropriations and prepared a declaration of war after Spain was unwilling to agree to terms that would give Cuba its independence. On April 25th, 1898 Congress passed a declaration of war and the President signed it, beginning the “Splendid Little War” (Divine 613). The start of the Spanish-American War would begin the expansion of the American Empire. After getting Cuba’s independence, the U.S. would claim Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines among other …show more content…
Spearheaded by the efforts of President Teddy Roosevelt, the canal was built so travel time and distance between the opposing American coasts could be drastically shortened. Its construction was approved with the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty negotiated with Great Britain in 1901. Colombia, which controlled the area, was given an offer of $10 million plus an additional $250,000 annually for a 99-year lease but refused it, wanting more money and claiming it infringed on their sovereignty (Divine 691). Roosevelt, angered by Colombia’s defiance, backed Panamanian rebels who would quickly declare independence in late 1903 with the aid of the U.S. Navy (Divine 692). The same lease offer was now tendered to the newly found Republic of Panama and they accepted after the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed in 1903; the treaty would give the U.S. control of a 10-mile wide canal zone across the Isthmus of Panama (Divine
The Spanish American War started in 1898 and lasted about four months. Although the war might have seemed focused on freeing Cuba from Spain and gaining independence for Cuba and the Philippines, it was actually stimulated by nationalism and commercialism. Commercialism was a major factor when declaring war because the United States depended on Cuba and the Philippines for trade and business with other countries, especially in Asia and Latin America. Another major factor for the war was that the United States wanted to spread its Anglo-Saxon culture around the world and emerge as a world-wide power. Other minor motives for the war include the United States coming to the aid of the Cubans in their revolt against Spain and the feeling that the United States had the right to go into the Philippines because it had a superior culture.
Over the course of the Spanish-American war , the obvious need for a canal came apparent.The canal would stregthen the navy, and it would make easier defense of the islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The problem of where to build the canal came into play. Congress rejected Nicaragua and Panama was an unwilling part of this project. The course of the building was shifted to Colu...
For 113 days during the summer of 1898, the United States was at war with Spain. Neither the president of the United States, nor his cabinet, nor the the queen of Spain, nor her ministers wanted the war wanted the war. It happened eventhough they made their best efforts to prevent it. It happened because of ambition, miscalculation, and stupidity; and it happened because of kindness, wit, and resourcefulness. It also happened because some were indifferent to the suffering of the world’s wretched and others were not (O’Toole 17). By winning the war the United States proved the the rest of the world and to itself that it could and would fight against foreign nations. For many years, world power had been concentrated in the countries in Europe. Nations such as Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain had the most influence in global affairs. But a shift in power was gradually taking place as the United States matured. The young nation gained wealth and strength. Its population grew immensely, and many people believed it would become a major world power (Bachrach, 11) Spain was one of the many European countries that had territory in the United States. Spain controlled mostly some islands off the coast of Central America. The most important of these were Cuba and Puerto Rico. The United States was led to believe that the Spanish mosgoverned and abused the people of these islands. In fact, Spain did overtax and mistreat the Cubans, who rebelled in 1868 and again in 1895. Thus, the American people felt sympathetic toward the Cuban independence movement. In addition, Spain had frequently interfered with trade between its colonies and the United States. Even though the United States had been a trading partner with Cuba since the seventeenth century, Spain sometimes tried to completely stop their trade with Cuba. In Spain doing so, this sometimes caused damage to U.S. commercial interests. The United States highly disagreed with Spain’s right to interfere with this trade relationship. (Bachrach, 12) The United States was also concerned that other trading and commercial interests were threatened by the number of ships and soldiers Spain kept in the area. If the United States had to fight a war with Canada or Mexico, these Spanish forces could quickly mobilize against the United States.
The Spanish-American War was the brief conflict that the United States waged against Spain in 1898. The war had grown out of the Cuban struggle for independence, and whose other causes included American imperialism and the sinking of the U.S warship Maine. The actual hostilities in the war lasted four months, from April 25 to August 12, 1898. Most of the fighting occurred in or near the Spanish colonial possessions of Cuba and the Philippines, nearly halfway around the world form each other. In both battlegrounds, the decisive military event was the complete destruction of a Spanish naval squadron by a vastly superior U.S. fleet. These victories, after brief resistance, brought about the surrender of the Spanish to U.S. military forces as indicated by a peace treaty signed between the two countries on December 10, 1898, in Paris, France. In the end, the Americans had minimal casualties, while the Spanish suffered immense fatalities and damage to their naval resources (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Gray, Colin S. The Leverage of Sea Power. The Free Press: New York, NY. 1992.
5) When Teddy Roosevelt wanted to build the Panama Canal, Panama was part of Colombia. Colombia refused to sign a treaty with the US allowing us to build the canal because they wanted more money. Roosevelt encouraged Panamanian leaders to revolt and sent a battleship to help them. Once Panama was separate, they signed a treaty with the US agreeing to let us build the canal. Roosevelt actually created a country.
...more of an imperialistic nation, which was Roosevelt?s goal all along. In 1977, the United States signed a treaty with Panama stating that the U.S. would end its control beginning in the year 2000, and Panama would resume the operation and defense of the Panama Canal. Therefore, presently, the Panama Canal is neutral, but is still very important due to the U.S. We still have a say on what happens to and goes on around the canal, and if something were to happen to stop the flow of the ships through the canal, the United States would be allowed to step in and take care of the problem. Over the last ten years, nearly $100 million have been spent on repairing and widening the canal. Through all the thinking, planning, hard labor, and toiling put into the Panama Canal, the canal became arguably the most important canal ever and one of the greatest engineering feats ever.
One argument backing U.S. imperialism is by naval strategist, Alfred Thayer Mahan. At this time, Great Britain had the strongest sea power. Mahan states that America’s navy must be as strong to compete in trade and war. Expansion would aid exports, and more naval power would grant the ability to overcome obstacles such as a dispute between the U.S. and another country. Most importantly, Mahan states that the world is in struggle and the U.S. must protect itself to survive.
...t and a definite departure took place in the early twentieth century from traditional expansionist tactics. Alfred T. Mahan wrote in his definitive work, The Interest of America in Sea Power, that the United States would expand in the Pacific on the back of a powerful navy. He outlined the need for harbors and docks in key fortifications, an exceptionally powerful offensive navy, and a dominance of the American west coast. In the time of old expansionism, the chief concerns were Native Americans and mountain ranges. Clearly the differences were undeniable.
The United States went to war with Spain in 1898 after the U.S.S. Maine exploded in the Havana harbor, next to Cuba. The U.S.S. Maine was a battle ship that arrived to Cuba in January, and was sent to protect America’s interest and to show Spain that America had force. When the U.S.S. Maine exploded on February 15, “Yellow Journalism”, which was newspapers that exaggerated the truth in the United States, used propaganda to appeal to many American’s emotions and how distraught they should be from the attack. Since Americans were now emotionally attached to what was going on in Cuba, many Americans wanted to go to war. The “ Yellow Journalism” brought the American opinion to a war fever pitch, so President William McKinley asked congress and declared war on April 25, 1898. The United States entered the Spanish American War when they were violently attacked and to help Cuba gain its independence.
towards Spain on April 25, 1898. On the day war was declared, Spain issued that the United States add the Teller Amendment, which declared, "the right to intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty..." (Teller Amendment). The actual fighting began on May 1, in the Philippines Islands at the Battle of Manila Bay where Commodore George Dewey reportedly said, "You may fire when ready, Gridley," and the Spanish fleet under Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo was
...y and exposure to the existence of the Indian Ocean trade circuit evoked a significant colonialist response. The Europeans utilized their comparative advantage in maritime technology and firepower to subject the Indian Ocean to witness political takeover and exploitation of land, people and pre-established trade networks, in order to fulfill the primary objective of satisfying the needs and wants of the European economy. Through the accumulation of gross profits, the Europeans became a dominant economic and political force worldwide. European greed and desire for wealth was defended through the justifications of economic trade benefits, political/national competitiveness, exploration and religion. These justifications were merely for the purpose of legitimizing their barbaric and inhumane (colonialist) activities that were carried out in the Indian Ocean region.
The Spanish American war had a complex beginning. By the 1890’s, Cuba had unsuccessfully battled Spain for its independence for many years. Due to the US’s economic interests in Cuba, the US government sought to stabilize the situation. The United States and Cuba negotiated an agreement that Cuba would become self-governing on January 1, 1898. But
...States and Columbia over the Panama Canal, a planned "revolt" breaks out in Panama, led by Philipe Baneau-Varilla. This "revolt" gives the United States a reason to bring their military into Latin America, as the troops are sent in to Panama to maintain order. Panama gained their independence from Columbia thanks to the aid of the United States, and they helped the America complete the Panama Canal, which was finished in 1913.
The Spanish American War, also known as “The Splendid Little War,” was a short-lived conflict between the United States and Spain in 1898. This war was a pretext for the Philippines War. During this time period Spain had control over several territories within the Caribbean because they were still a colonial power. Although Spain had control of the territories of Cuba and the Philippines, the inhabitants began to grow more and more rebellious as time passed. With the tension building between Spain and its territories, the United States was in a position to become their ally and help them fight to win their independence and gain territory within the Caribbean and Pacific at the same time. United States involvement is said to have risen from the Spanish policies in Cuba, but to an even greater extent, the efforts of U.S. expansionists brought the United States involvement about.