Chapter 17 Section 2
The Spanish-American War
Arbitration
• The settlement of a
dispute by a person or
panel chosen to listen
to both sides and come
to a decision
– The U.S. forced Britain to
agree to arbitration over
disputed territory in the
Western Hemisphere,
rather than use their
military
Yellow Journalism
• Sensational news
coverage emphasizing
crime and scandal
– Newspapers were
publishing exaggerated
reports about the events
of the Cuban rebellion in
order to get more
readers
• Told stories of Valeriano
“the Butcher” Weyler and
barbed wire
concentration camps
Jingoism
• An intense burst of
national pride and the
desire for an aggressive
foreign policy
• The U.S. was ready to
flex its military muscle
How did Yellow journalism and jingoism
influence Americans’ views of the Cuban
rebellion?
• Strengthened American
sympathy for the Cuban
rebels
• Nationalism and a
demand for U.S.
intervention began to
build
Steps to War
• De Lome LetterInsulted President
McKinley-angered the
American people
• Explosion of the USS
Maine in Havana
Harbor
– We assumed the Spanish
did it
• Decades later we discover
it was an internal boiler
explosion…oops
What did Secretary of State John Hay mean
when he called America’s war with Spain a
“splendid little war”?
• The war was short and
victorious
• American deaths in
battle were few
• America gained access
to a great deal of new
territory
What were the terms of the Treaty of
Paris?
• Spain recognized Cuban
independence
• Spain gave the
Philippines, Puerto Rico,
and Guam to the U.S.
for $20million
Platt Amendment
• The Cuban government
could not enter any
foreign agreements,
must allow the U.S. to
establish a naval base
on the island, and must
give the U.S. the right to
intervene whenever
necessary
How did U.S. policies, such as the Platt
Amendment, secure control over it’s newly
acquired territories?
• Platt Amendment made
Cuba into an American
“satellite”
• The Treaty of Paris
made the Philippines,
Guam, and Puerto
American possessions
What methods did the United States use to
gain land and influence in the Pacific
region?
• The U.S. used warfare
(Spanish-American War
and Filipino War)
• Annexation
• Treaties
• Military and political
pressure
Sphere of Influence
• Areas of economic and
political control in China
– Russia, Germany, Britain,
France, and Japan were
all seeking one
Open Door Policy
• The U.S. was
afraid of being
left out
• The Open Door
Policy would give
all nations equal
opportunity in
China (free trade)
– Many Chinese
resented any
foreign influence
of any kind
As you read, complete this chart
listing the effects of U.S. foreign
policy on other nations after the
Spanish-American War.
Philippines
• Annexed by the U.S.
after Spanish-American
War. U.S. soldiers
remain there. Fighting
between U.S. and
Philippines occurs. U.S.
occupation continues
until 1946.
Cuba
• President McKinley installed a
military government to protect
American business interests.
• Cuba drafted a constitution in
1900 that did not allow for
U.S. involvement.
• The U.S. government only
agreed to remove its troops if
Cuba included the Platt
Amendment.
• The Platt Amendment
remained in place until 1934.
It allowed for U.S. naval bases
on the island and intervention
whenever necessary.
Puerto Rico
• Did not become
independent like Cuba
• U.S. kept a military govmt
there until 1900
• Foraker Act-U.S. military
left, but established a
govmt under American
control
• Would give more control
over time to the Puerto
Rican people
• Eventually gave Puerto
Ricans American
citizenship
Hawaii
• Hawaii became
increasingly important
to United States
business interests.
• Hawaii also leased
Pearl Harbor to the
United States as a
fueling and repair
station for naval vessels.
• In 1898, Congress
approved the
annexation of Hawaii.
China
• China’s huge population
and its vast markets
became very important to
American trade.
• President McKinley’s
Secretary of State, John
Hay, wrote notes to the
major European powers
trying to persuade them
to keep an “open door”
to China.
• He wanted to ensure
through his Open Door
Policy that the United
States would have equal
access to China’s millions
of consumers.