AMERICAN HISTORY

 US expands its power in Latin America after the Spanish-American War  President McKinley set up military governments in Puerto Rico and Cuba  YELLOW FEVER IN CUBA  Leonard Wood appointed Governor of Cuba  Scientists make significant progress eliminating yellow fever  85% of people that became infected died

 US Army Doctors Walter Reed and William C. Gorgas studied the problem  Cuban doctor Carlos Juan Finlay thought that mosquitoes spread yellow fever  They drained all ponds with standing water  Within 6 months yellow fever had almost been wiped out in Havana, Cuba  US CONTROL OVER CUBA  Gov. Wood oversaw the writing of a new Cuban constitution in 1901

 US had passed the Teller Amendment (US would not take over Cuba) but we were concerned some other country would try  US forced Cuba to include the Platt Amendment in its constitution  PLATT AMENDMENT—limited Cuba’s ability to sign treaties with other nations  It also gave the USA the right to intervene in Cuban Affairs  Required Cuba to lease land to the USA for naval and coaling stations  This led to the establishment of Guantanamo Bay.

 Platt Amendment made Cuba a US PROTECTORATE (a country under the protection of another country)  The amendment was eventually repealed but the lease on Guantanamo Bay is still in force  GOVERNING PUERTO RICO  Puerto Rico governed as a territory  Foraker Act of 1900—US would appoint a governor and the upper house of the legislature  Puerto Rico would choose the lower house

 1917 law grants US citizenship to Puerto Ricans and allows them to choose all representatives  1952—Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing commonwealth  Today Puerto Rico has power over most of its domestic affairs  The US government still controls interstate trade, immigration, and military affairs—just like it does for US states

 People dreamed about a faster way to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans  1880s—French company attempts to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama (part of Columbia at the time)  Many obstacles prevented completion  The company went bankrupt and abandoned the project

 U.S. INTEREST IN A CANAL  1902—US bought the rights to the French canal property and equipment.  Sec. of State John Hay entered negotiations with Columbia to gain permanent use of the strip of land that would hold the canal.  1903—Treaty drafted but Columbia’s senate would not ratify it

 PANAMA’S REVOLUTION  President Roosevelt had a great interest in building a canal  Panamanian revolutionaries were trying to break free from Columbia  Roosevelt supported the revolution and it began on November 2, 1903  Nov. 3—Panama declares its independence  A new treaty with Panama gave the US complete and unending sovereignty over a 10-mile wide canal zone

 BUILDING THE PANAMA CANAL  American work on the canal began in May 1904  Harsh working conditions, shortages of material and labor hampered construction  Serious outbreak of yellow fever occurred  Roosevelt appointed John F. Stevens as chief engineer  Stevens tackled the technical issues with Col. Dr. William Gorgas focused on sanitation

 In addition to yellow fever, malaria was a growing problem  People could get malaria multiple times while they became immune to yellow fever  Eliminating mosquitoes required draining swamps, clearing vegetation, spreading oil on standing ponds  Spiders, ants, and lizards were introduced to feed on the adult mosquitoes  1913—malaria was almost eliminated

 1907—John F. Stevens resigned; Lt. Col. George Goethals continued the mammoth task of coordinating construction  60 giant steam shovels; 44,000 workers—many from the British West Indies  August 1914—SS Ancon became the first ship to officially pass through the Panama Canal

 Monroe Doctrine proclaimed in 1823 that the western hemisphere was off-limits to colonization by European countries  Late 1800s—Europeans and Americans invested large sums of money in Latin America  Wealth of laborers, consumers, and raw materials  Most money came from high-interest bank loans that countries had trouble repaying  1904—Dominican Republic was unable to repay European lenders

 Americans feared Europeans would try to collect  President Roosevelt issued the ROOSEVELT COROLLARY  “Chronic wrongdoing…in the western hemisphere…may force the USA, however reluctantly…to the exercise of an international police power.”  “Speak softly and carry a big stick”  Roosevelt hoped to avoid military conflict  Roosevelt Corollary helped stabilize the region

 During the presidency of William H. Taft, US influence in Latin American deepened  Taft believed in DOLLAR DIPLOMACY—a policy of promoting American economic interests in other countries and using economic power to achieve American policy goals  Taft suggested that America buy out European loans  1914—America had invested $1.6 billion in Latin America

 Dollar diplomacy caused resentment.  Nicaragua—American banks made loans to the government and became heavily involved in the economy  1912-President Taft sent troops to quell an uprising  1913—President Woodrow Wilson rejected dollar diplomacy in favor of moral diplomacy  The use of persuasion and American ideals to advance the nation’s interests

WWilson sends troops to Haiti (1915) and Dominican Republic (1916) to stop civil unrest BBoth cases Marines occupied these countries for years TTHE END