Chapter 22, Section 3

 Many Latin Americans worried that the United States wanted to dominate the Western hemisphere

 Secretary of State James G. Blaine set out to improve relation with Latin America  1889 he invited Latin American nations to a conference in Washington to improve relations and remove trade barriers  Pan-American Union: a group created to work together to solve the problems of the hemisphere.

 Latin American were still suspicious of the United States  They refused to open their borders to trade  Feared a flood of American imports would hurt their own industry

The Ever Faithful Isle  Cuba, unlike other Spanish colonies did not revolt against Spanish rule in the early 1800s.  1868 a violent revolution broke out in Cuba for ten years  Some Cuban revolutionaries like Jose Marti, fled to New York where they wrote about the Cuban struggle for Independence.

 1895 Marti returned to Cuba  Rebels launched a new fight against Spain  Rebels won control of more than half of the island

 In response Spain sent a new governor to Cuba, General Valeriano Weyler  Weyler used brutal tactics to crush the revolt  Half a million men were herded into detention camps  At least 100,000 died

 Cuba lay only 90 miles from southern Florida  American trade with Cuba was worth more than $100 million a year  Many American business leaders felt US involvement might hurt their trade  Other sympathized with the Cuban’s desire for freedom and wanted the government to react

 The press stirred up American feelings for Cuba  Pulitzer’s World and Hearst’s Journal competed to print grisly stories about Spanish cruelty  They both knew war with Spain would boost newspaper sales.

 Pulitzer and Hearst used yellow journalism to play on the emotions of readers.  President Cleveland wanted to avoid war with Spain  When William McKinley became president in 1897 he also tried to keep the country neutral

 1898 fight broke in Havana Cuba  President McKinley set the battleship Maine to Havana to protect American citizens and property

 An explosion on the Maine killed at least 260 of the 350 sailors  The real cause of the explosion has never been determined  American led by Pulitzer and Hearst clamored for war with Spain  April 22, 1898 Congress declared war with Spain

 Spanish -American War  Lasted only 4 months  Battlefront stretched from the Caribbean to the Philippine islands

 Commodore George Dewey received secret orders from Theodore Roosevelt to prepare to attack the Philippines  American bombarded the Spanish ships in Manila harbor and destroyed the Spanish fleet  American rejoiced at the news of Dewey’s victory  Local people had been fighting for independence in the Philippines just as in Cuba.  With help from Emilio Aguinaldo and rebels Americans captured Manila

 American troops landed in Cuba  Dressed in heavy wool uniforms in the tropical heat and eating spoiled food!  Rough Riders: First volunteer Cavalry regiment; Organized by Theodore Roosevelt

 Santiago was a key Cuban city  Roosevelt led the Rough Riders and joined black soldiers of the 9 th and 10 th regiments up San Juan Hill and Kettle  American troops took the hill

 Battle of San Juan Hill did not end the war  Santiago Bay: 2 days later American destroyed the Spanish fleet  troops claimed the island of Puerto Rico  American losses : 379 killed in battle but 5,000 died of other causes like yellow fever and malaria

 1898 in a peace treaty Spain agreed to grant Cuba its freedom  Spain also gave the US Puerto Rico and Guam  US paid $20 million for the Philippines  With the new area the dream of expansionist had come true, the United States had an empire

 When the war with Spain began American had promised to leave the government and control of Cuba to its people

 That promise was not kept  Many in Congress believed Cuba was not ready to run their own government  Business leaders opposed full independence because they wanted to protect their investments

 The United States allowed Cuba to write their own constitution  But, forced them to sign the Platt Agreement  Limited Cuba’s right to make treaties and borrow money  Allowed the US to intervene in Cuba  Gave the US control of a naval base at Guantanamo Bay  (Cuba was NOT truly independent)

 Foraker Act: the US set up a new government for Puerto Rico  Gave Puerto Ricans a limited say in their own affairs  1917 Puerto Ricans were made citizens of the United States  American set up schools improved health care and built roads on the island

 When the US took over their land after the was Filipinos felt betrayed  Emilio Aguinaldo and others renewed their fight for independence against the Americans  Aguinaldo accused the Americans of forgetting their own beginnings  The war dragged on for years

 1901 Aguinaldo was captured and the war was over  More than 4,000 American died in the Philippines  20,000 Filipino loses and another 200,000 civilians died  1902 US set up a government similar to the on e in the Puerto Rico  Filipinos were not made US citizens because they planned to give them independence  1946 Filipinos were allowed to govern themselves