Demand by Cuban patriots for independence from Spain and American intervention in Cuba caused a rift between the two countries American support of independence in Cuba ran high after the Ten Years War (1868 – 1878) and a failed revolt in 1895 Spanish military commander Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau instituted reconcentrado, or concentration camps in 1895 to quell guerilla activity, creating more American sympathizers A publication of a private letter (known as the de Lôme letter) where the Spanish minister at Washington expressed contempt for President McKinley In 1898, the Spanish sank the US battleship Maine on February 15 Because of the de Lôme letter and the sinking of the Maine, the United States declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898

The Spanish American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 The Spanish were defeated, and the Treaty of Paris practically dissolved the Spanish Empire as a whole Cuba was freed, but under US influence, and the debt Cuba had owed was passed over to Spain Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded over to the United States, and the Philippines was surrendered to the US for a payment of $20 million The victory in the Spanish American War led to the United States gaining international power, and substantial influence in Latin America and Southeast Asia

Hawaii ceded away the rights to Pearl Harbor and entered a free trade agreement with the United States under King Kalakaua Unsatisfied, the businessmen in America pushed forward the Bayonet Constitution, turning the king into little more than a figure head, while Kalakaua drove the kingdom into further debt Kalakaua died in 1891, and his sister Liliuokalani took the throne She sought to get rid of the Bayonet Constitution, which made several of the European and American businessmen, and they plotted to remove her from the throne The US minister to Hawaii was in on the conspiracy, and ordered a nearby naval to land troops on Honolulu supposedly to secure American life and safety on the island

On January 17, 1893, conspirators ran to the government building and claimed they were there for the annexation of Hawaii by the United States Liliuokalani gave up the thrown without bloodshed, even though she had hundreds of men at her disposal When President Grover Cleveland took charge of the US, he saw that the queen had been illegally overthrown and that most Hawaiians opposed the new government He ordered the US to retract its annexation of Hawaii, but this did not happen, and instead a Republic of Hawaii was established The country was never returned to a monarchy, despite their best efforts, because it became strategically advantageous in the Spanish American War in 1898 for fighting the Philippines Annexation

Passed in December of 1904 by President Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt was scared that European powers might try to invade the nation as a result of a conflict between Venezuela and its creditors in the Western Hemisphere Stated that if any of Venezuela’s creditors in the same continent in the United States violated any of the international creditors that the United States would be forced to intervene Addressed to Congress and was expanded in both 1904 and 1905 Monroe Doctrine was said to prevent European colonization of the Western Hemisphere while the Corollary encouraged American colonization Said to be America’s way of “policing” the Western Hemisphere

First situation to utilize the Roosevelt Corollary was in 1905 when the Dominican Republic was at risk of being colonized by European Powers due to debt. The United States seized the island until the conflict between Europe and the Dominican Republic was resolved The Corollary was not looked fondly upon, especially in Latin America “Speak softly and carry a big stick” – Teddy Roosevelt

Latin America: The Roosevelt Corollary was used as justification of United States intervention in Latin America Panama: Hay-Pauncefort Treaty was made stating that the United States could build a Central American Canal for travel and that all nations would charged the same to use it Panama was not independent but part of Colombia so the United States would have to negotiate with them for the land The 1903 Hay-Herran Treaty was made allowing the United States Congress but Colombia would not agree to it unless they were given more money Roosevelt was furious with the decision of Colombia and sent gunboats to Colombian shores. However, at the same time an uprising occurred in Panama and it declared its independence The United States was the first country to recognize Panama’s independence and the Hay-Bunuavarilla Treaty was made giving the United States a ten mile strip of land designated for the construction of the canal