The Story of
Latin America
Imperialism
Group 6
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2
Key Terms
Foraker Act - 1900 Act providing a civil government for Puerto Rico; a main goal of the act
was to prepare Puerto Rico for free trade with the US. It gave most power in Puerto Rico to
US-appointed officials.
Platt Amendment - 1901 amendment to the Cuban constitution by which the US was allowed
certain concessions, including the right to indefinitely maintain Guantanamo naval base in
Cuba.
USS Maine - American warship sent to patrol Cuban waters at the beginning of 1898. When
the ship mysteriously exploded on February 15, 1898, it gave the US a final reason to go to
war, even though the cause of the explosion is still debated today.
Yellow journalism - The type of sensationalist (sometimes fictitious) journalism practiced by
newspapermen such as Hearst and Pulitzer in order to boost circulation.
Protectorate - A country or territory with its own internal government but under the control of
an outside power
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What?
Spanish-American War, the Panama Canal
project, Monroe Doctrine, Dollar Imperialism,
and the Roosevelt Corollary, Haiti, Puerto Rico
4
WHY?
Many Caribbean and Latin American were in
revolutions and political unrest
A lot of the Latin American regions were in
deep debt
“Non-colonial imperial expansion”
Can insert in laws that will allow American
businesses to have an advantage.
5
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was an
armed military conflict between Spain
and the United States that took place
between April and August 1898, fourt
months) over the issues of the liberation
of Cuba.
Treaty of Paris ended the war
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Cause of Spanish-American
War
American demand for a
compromise in Cubans
struggle for independence
was rejected by Spain
Economic Reason
Monroe Doctrine
Expansionist feelings
Yellow Journalism
Maine
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Maine
8
Yellow Journalism
9
10
Results of the Spanish American War
America’s involvement increases in Asia
and South America
Cuba gains independence
America is recognized as a world power
11
Consequences on
America
America successfully controlled and handled
the “splendid little war"
Ensured a constant U.S. military presence in
the Caribbean and Central America for
decades
Treaty of Paris gave United States control over
Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam
12
After Spanish American
War
U.S. sets up an military government in Cuba
U.s. fears that other imperialist nations might
try to take control of CUba after SpanishAmerican War
Platt Amendment
U.s. Withdraws troop but maintains a base.
13
Imperialism of Cuba
General John Brooks becomes leader of the
occupation government
Newly promoted General Leonard Wood,
former leader of the Rough Riders becomes
leader of the second occupation government
14
The Good
Wood’s main goal was to improve Cuban life
He modernized education, agriculture,
government, healthcare, and so forth
Wood also had Havana's harbor deepened, in
preparation for a higher volume of trade with the
US.
Wood followed Dr. Walter Reed’s advice and
destroys many swamps, marshes; reduces
frequency of yellow fever cases
15
The Bad
Wood set up structure in place so that AfroCubans would be kept out of politics
Raised resentment
16
The UGLY
The Teller Amendment was a promise to
withdraw entirely from Cuba after the Spanish
American War
U.S.: honored promise but forced Cubans to
write the Platt Amendment into their
constitution
Platt Amendment gave U.S. a Cuban base
(Guantanama)
Cubans: resented that the U,S. had left a
military base
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Latin American (Cuban)
Viewpoint
Resented U.S. intervention
Resented military government
Resented U.S. preventing it to become truly
independent
America’s control of the Dominican Republic’s
customhouses helped bring short-term financial
security to the nation.
18
Platt Amendment
Treaty between the United States and Cuba
embodying the provisions defining the future
relations of the United States with CUba
contained in the act of Congress”
Limits Cuba’s ability to sign treaties with other
nations and gave U,.S. right to intervene in
CUban affairs
Cuban becomes protectorate of U.s.
19
“Dollar Diplomacy”
William Howard Taft believed in economic
expansion, and so therefore introduced "dollar
diplomacy."
The “dollar diplomacy” was to advance and
protect American businesses in other
countries.
The term is also used historically by Latin
Americans to show their disapproval of the
role that the U.S. government and U.S.
corporations have played in using economic,
diplomatic and military power to open up
foreign markets.
20
Monroe Doctrine
The era of
colonization had
ended
Threat of European
powers to the
Western
Hemisphere
America would
avoid affairs with
Europe
21
Roosevelt Corollary
“Big Stick” Policy
Roosevelt adds the
Roosevelt Corollary to
the Monroe Doctrine
Roosevelt warns that
disorder in Latin America
might “force the U.S. to
exercise of an
international police
power
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23
American View
Use economic power
to achieve policy goals
Undermine the
chances of European
interference in
America’s imperialism
in Latin America
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Latin American Debts
Latin America, and many of the “Banana
Repulic” began owing heavy debts to
European powers such as Germany and
England
German warships sank two Venezuelan
vessels and bombarded a Venezuelan town
Threatened America’s security
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International Policemen
Venezuela failed to pay debts
Europe retaliates
Dispute settled by Roosevelt
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Puerto Rico
President McKinley wants to restore order and
protect American Investments
Puerto Rico, which became an American
protectorate under the Treaty of Paris, was
very poor.
US troops were welcomed in 1898, and the
Puerto Ricans greatest hopes were for
increased rights and a better economy.
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The Good
Puerto Rico's experience under US rule was
more positive than that of the Philippines.
In 1900, Congress passed the Foraker Act,
which set up a civil government for the Puerto
Ricans, and gave the Puerto Ricans some
amount of self-government.
The US went right on working to Americanize
Puerto Rico, importing institutions, language,
political systems, and the like.
28
The Bad
However, most power still belonged to officials
appointed by the US government, a fact which
angered many Puerto Rican natives.
29
The UGLAY
However, U.S. was always vague over Puerto
Rico’s political future
Resistance movement, led by Luis Munoz
Rivera
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The HAPPY
Gradually, the US granted more
and more concessions to the
Puerto Ricans
1917, Puerto Ricans were made
US citizens, with full citizens'
rights.
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Panama Canal
People wanted a faster way to travel back and forth from the
Atlantic to Pacific and vise versa
U.S. buys right to canal and tries to sign treaty with Columbia
to build canal
Columbia refuses to sign treaties
Panamanian revolutionaries want to break off from
Columbian; Teddy ecnourages them
Teddy supports revolution
Nation of Panama signs treaty to give U.S. control over the
Canal zone and permission to build the Panama Canal
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American Viewpoint
Good deal; the Panama canal cut the original
journey of about 13,000 miles into half the
length of the journey
They collected about $340 million a year at the
Panama Canal tollgate
33
Latin America (Panama)
Viewpoint
Panama took control of the canal on
December 31, 1991
Happy because Latin America had become a
cross world of world trade.
34
Haiti
The U.S. government's official reason for
invading was to protect human rights and
restore democracy.
This interest in Haiti was part of the larger
Caribbean plan, which in turn was part of the
broader effort by the U.S. to become an
imperialist power capable of challenging its
European rivals.
America wanted to stop its rivals, particularly
Germany, from acquiring more influence.
35
Consequences of Haiti
being Imperialized
America wrote and imposed a
convention giving the U.S. the right
to police the country and take
control of public finances.
36
Consequences of Haitian
(The Good)
Successful maintenance of foreign debt
repayment was in fact probably the only
"positive" achievement of the nineteen-year
occupation
Learned how to build prisons
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Feelings of Haitians
Expressed
(The Bad)
Majority of Haitians were against the
occupations and opposed
Nationalist sentiments (“Indigenist,”
“Haitianist,” or “”Africanist”
Black nationalism
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Feelings of Haitians
Expressed
(The UGLY)
Rebellions in which Haitians were crushed
America raises taxes and “postpones”
elections of a hated president due to a
economic recession cause by the coffee
market
Haitians rebel furiously and burn down marine
homes
39
U.S. pulls out..after 200
years
U.s. agrees to pull out on
conditions
U.S. government would maintain
supervision of Haitian finances
40
U.S. Empire
Pledging that it was fighting a war against
empire with anti- imperialist statements like
the Teller Amendment, the US somehow
emerged from this originally anti-imperialist
war with an empire of its own.
dualism in American foreign policy; U.S.’s not
imperialism actions always help U.S. foreign
policies
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U.S. Empire
As a further result of the war, US national
pride soared, and nationalism and jingoism
peaked. The US took a first successful step
onto the world stage.
Finally, the Spanish-American War offered a
sign that the US really was a union again. For
the first time since the Civil War divided the
country, Northern and Southern soldiers had
fought on the same side against a common
enemy.
42
Consequences for Latin
America
had a few brief moments where it was not in a
complete revolution
rose the distrust and fear of people living in
latin America as America kept failing to bring
peace to the region.
43
Latin America
Was imperialized by America
Was modernized in education
Resented America’s constant military
intervention
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Bibliography
“Remember the Maine.” 14 Jan 2009 <http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/remember.html>.
“The Press and Spanish-American Relations in 1898.” 14 Jan 2009 <http://www.humboldt.edu/~jcb10/spanwar.shtml>.
“SparkNotes: The Spanish American War (1898-1901): Important Terms, People, and Events.” 14 Jan 2009
<http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/spanishamerican/terms.html>.
“The Panama Canal.” 14 Jan 2009 <http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/joining.html>.
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