Why the United States Went to War against Spain in 1898 - Essay Example

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History and Political Science Essay At the time of the Spanish American War the United s went from relative isolation to increased global involvement because of the pivotal role it played in Cuba’s struggle for independence, its subsequent acquisition of the Philippines and Puerto Rico of which the former’s possession drove U.S interests farther into the western Pacific Ocean, moreover the United States moved on from its isolationist policy in world affairs gradually because of the heightened understanding that German military successes in Europe and rise of Japanese Imperialism in Asia around the period leading up to World War II were a signal that the Western Hemisphere might be targeted as well, which is why many Americans realized that it was important for their country to safeguard its interests on the global stage and to fight the impending threat even if it meant facing hostilities, lastly the most monumental factor contributing to the increased global involvement of the U.S from relative isolation was the unconditional surrender of Germany to the U.S, marking the end of World War II. The initial consequence of this increased global involvement resulted in a psychological and cultural impact on the American society that established a sense of supremacy in the minds of the general population about their country’s standing in the world. Another consequence of America’s increased global involvement was the economic development that was observed as a result of its emergence and ultimate dominance on the international stage during the period between the Spanish American War and World War II. The reason why the United States went to war against Spain in 1898 was because from its early days, policymakers in the country believed that Cuba’s geographic location was of monumental significance to the United States. Moreover, Spain’s loss of the majority of its lands in Central and South America led some of the politicians to suppose that France or Great Britain may take sweeping action to take control of Cuba and cause a great measure of problems for the United States. As Cuba became an important producer of tobacco and sugar cane, North American investment in the island saw a tremendous increase; the great degree of these economic relations by 1895 between the two countries was becoming more and more significant, as the U.S became an importer of 90% of Cuba’s sugar produce1. 30 years before the Spanish American war broke out, the Cubans had begun fighting for independence2, and this quest for freedom reached its climax in the year of 1895 when General Maximo Gomez, with his inadequate militia rose against a powerful Spanish army. The persistence of the Cuban insurgents came as a surprise to the Spanish opponents, who vowed to answer with a much ruthless response, killing about one fourth of the island’s population by 1898. As the Spanish government carried out its bloody campaign to repress the Cuban uprising, secretary of state, Richard Olney faced rising public demands to intervene in the matter to which the U.S made it clear to Spain that with the onset of war between the two nations, the United States considered its interests in Cuba being in danger. The event which ultimately triggered the Spanish American War occurred on February 15th 1898 when USS Maine, a US navy battleship blew up Havana harbor, killing 266 people. The US media heavily speculated that this act had been performed on the part of the Spain and even though diplomatic intermediaries from both sides intervened to resolve the issue, Congress went on to declare Cuba independent upon President McKinley’s request, demanding Spain’s withdrawal from the island and empowering the US president to engage in a war with Spain if it refused to recognize Cuba’s independence. When Cuban nationalists had first cried for independence, their determination to seek their goal had been evident but the lack of personnel and resources on their part could never have compensated for the military supplies of the mighty Spanish hence, from 1897-1989 no one had been able to predict if the Cuban-Spanish war would indeed come to an end, however, with the US intervention and the eventual defeat of Spanish fleets, United States and Spain signed what came to be known as the ‘Treaty of Paris’, of which’s clauses required Spain to surrender control of Cuba and cede Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines and parts of West Indies to the United States. The implications of the treaty as asserted by historians and analysts are such that it indicated towards the end of Spanish rule in America and with the strategically important colonies it had conquered, signaled the beginning of an era in which the United States rose to be recognized as a world superpower. The Treaty of Paris allowed the United States to acquire former Spanish territories such as Puerto Rico and the Philippines, expanding its colonial acquisition and permitting it to develop its global involvement. Puerto Rico’s location at the north east of the Caribbean Sea had always been integral, as it had helped Spain make use of it as a major military post in wars fought against various European opponents. Therefore, it would be correct to assert that Puerto Rico along with Cuba remained one of Spain’s only existing colonies in the New World3. Puerto Rico’s entrance into the list of U.S colonies served the United States in a number of ways, but it’s its military importance that acted as the most significant, which is reflected by the premise that Puerto Rico served as a US base for the Caribbean Sea. Unlike, the cession of Puerto Rico, the U.S acquired the Philippines upon the payment of $20 million to Spain4. As this paper documents the rise of the United States in the global arena from relative isolation, it also discusses how this rise signaled towards the formation of a United States that now many refer to as a world superpower. In his deliverance, the 25th president of the United States reflected his ideology after the Treaty of Paris was signed. Mckinley discussed how the war had thrust upon the United States and new responsibilities written in higher command must now be conducted as a great nation for the sake of the civilization. The president also recognized the great trading opportunities that the acquisition of Philipines had brought, to which he demanded that the U.S must not be indifferent, in fact, it is a duty upon America to explore every legitimate approach through which its trading opportunities can be enlarged, he emphasized5, this suggests that the United States was on its way to pursuing a path which was very different from the course that it had been following prior to the Spanish American war, which was a period that the country spent in relative obscurity in the global view of things. As early as 1904, the introduction of the Roosevelt Corollary as an addition to the Monroe Doctrine, suggested that the American government realized the looming threat the Western Hemisphere faced from strong European nations of a possible interference in the affairs of the region. The realization of this impending threat and the consequent action that was taken by the government in form of the Roosevelt Corollary is suggestive of this. The U.S, upon the bankruptcy of the Dominican Republic in 1904 feared that Germany and other countries might interfere in the affairs of the nation to compulsorily collect their debts6. The significance of this event is that it allowed the U.S to maintain its interests by making it clear that it would not let the affairs of the smaller countries surrounding its border become jeopardized, hence, representing its standing that it would definitely interfere should such a situation arise. The United States’ fear of a possible threat posed by the strong powers of Europe remained in shadow for many years and was finally displayed during the period leading up to World War II to which the United States became tied to in its stance against Fascism. Therefore, it was one of the most fundamental reasons why the U.S decided that it was time that the country moved on from its position of isolationism and into an international role, it was primarily important to do so, so that the U.S interests could both be represented and safeguarded in the global scenario which was being dominated by Germany and Japan in their respective continents at the time. This part of the paper will analyze the implications of the unconditional surrender signed by Germany in 1945 to the United States and the allied powers which signaled towards an end to World War II and its impact on and response from U.S society and the international community. As the global fraternity joined its efforts against Germany and its allies, the consequence of war left each society to deal with its own situation. For the United States, however, the impact of war was such that food supplies, clothing and gas had to be rationed by the government to avoid public outburst over the shortage of basic necessities. However, in a more optimistic light the war changed the social status of women; cultural icons such as Rosie the Riveter are a representation of how women stood up to the challenge of war and contributed to their country in a testing time. America’s response to World War II was an incredible display of an idle economy’s mobilization as government expenditure and consumption increased in the aftermath of war, along with the creation of millions of jobs and a rise in industrial productivity. The war also invented new technologies and an interest in the development of human skills. In overall summation, the U.S society behaved in a positive manner in the post-war situation by exercising tremendous strength. The international community came together under the banner of increased cooperation as the United Nations replaced the League of Nations, consisting of the allied countries on the Security Council. After the war the U.S assumed its place as a superpower on the global stage as the only nation possessing nuclear power, while emerging with a vow to grow even stronger after the war. America’s place as a leader in global affairs with an increased international presence had indeed become more evident and undisputable. The consequence of America’s victory over Spain in the Spanish American war and more importantly in such a convincing fashion was the turning point of America’s emergence as a participant on the world stage and the consequence of this was a deep-rooted psychological impact, an impact which seemed to reinforce prior ideologies such as that of ‘Manifest Destiny’ championed by influential columnist John L. Sullivan and utilized by the Democrats to rationalize the war with Mexico. In his article titled “The Great Nation of Futurity” the writer explained that America’s basis has been created in the establishment of an untried political system that sets it apart from the past and only creates a basis for a future, in his own words the columnist presents the certainty that many Americans of the time secretly if not openly believed in - the belief that “….we may confidently assume that our country is destined to be the great nation of futurity”7. Many historians believe that the US expansion of its colonies was an extension of ‘Manifest Destiny’ which is merely another word veiled behind the idea of American Imperialism and having a similar origin. The foundations that were laid for the American Anti-Imperialist League soon after the U.S occupation of Puerto Rico and Philippine Island, indicate that there was a disagreement within the American society about the ideology behind Manifest Destiny as the platform of the party suggested that such a tenet that advocated supremacy rivaled with the foundations of the creation of an America that campaign for liberty and equality while Imperialism only wishes for military precedence, the league invited the American people to ponder over rather than rejoice the acquisition of the Philippines by reminding them about the severe bloodshed of the Filipinos that it had resulted in8. The premise of the league’s agenda was the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. The late nineteenth century accounted for a great deal of innovative developments in technology and business-related procedures that had a lasting positive impact on America’s economy. By 1900, corporations like Carnegie Steel, were emerging on the world map to become the largest in their respective industries9. This boom in the steel industry in America was also experienced by oil, sugar, tobacco, salt and meatpacking industries. Whether, this economic fortification was a result of a new found confidence on the world stage and the emergence of the United States as a force to be reckoned with is a highly subjective issue but one which remains interesting to debate on. Rosenberg in this regard presents her theory of liberal-developmentalism, combining the American historical experience with its actual development, it provides the idea that every nation now strives to replicate America’s success10, which means that the existence of the trend of Americanization is something that also supplements the perception that the American cultural and economic expansion, since the late nineteenth century, has come a long way. References: "Platform of the American Anti­lmperialist League," in Speeches, Correspondence, ard Political Papers of Carl Schurz, vol. 6, ed. Frederick Bancroft (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1913), p. 77, note 1. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1899antiimp.asp "Treaty of Peace Between the United States and Spain; December 10, 1898". Yale. Bras, Marisabel.”The Changing of the Guard: Puerto Rico in 1898” http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/bras.html Hernandez, Jose M. . “Cuba in 1989” http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/hernandez.html John L. O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny, 1839 ."The Great Nation of Futurity," The United States Democratic Review, Volume 6, Issue 23, pp. 426-430 https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/osulliva.htm Offner, John. Spring 1998.“Why Did the United States Fight Spain in 1898?”.OAH Magazine of History Vol. 12, No. 3, The War of 1898, pp. 19-23 Rosenberg, Emily S., and Eric Foner. 1982. Spreading the American dream: American economic and cultural expansion, 1890-1945. New York: Hill and Wang. Samuel,Paul Boyer,Clark, Clifford, Kett, Joseph F.,Salisbury, Neal , Sitkoff, Harvard, .“The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People “.2008 Houghton Miffling page 539 Theodore Roosevelt, “The Roosevelt Corollary (1904).” http://www.pinzler.com/ushistory/corollarysupp.html William McKinley. “The Acquisition of the Philippines” https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/mkinly3.htm Read More