POLITICAL CARTOON ANALYSIS:::: PUERTO RICO By: Nick O’Connell and Brandon Armitt APUSH Block #5 October, 2014

CARTOON::: SCHOOL BEGINS

CARTOON ANALYSIS  Representations:  1. Uncle Sam: United States is the “Benevolent” Dominator  2. Forward Students: Ignorant Savages [Latin American Countries] Whom Which the United States has the Devine Task to Govern/Bring to Stability  3. Rear Students: Grateful States [Arizona, California, New Mexico, Etc.] Whom Which the United States has Transformed into Stable, Thriving States  4. Chalk-Board Content: Ideals Behind Imperialism -> Advance World Civilization Through Increase in Power  5. African American Cleaner: African American’s Still the Forgotten Inferior Race  Symbolism:  Cartoon is Symbolic of the United State’s Ideas that they Would Control Territories Until they can Govern Themselves/Establish Secure Progression  Excuse to Expand Power Across Breadth of Western Hemisphere

HISTORICAL CONTEXT  Time Period: 1898 [Treaty of Paris] – 1917 [Wilson’s New Freedom]  Presidents:  Initial: William McKinley [1898]  Final: Woodrow Wilson [1917]

CAUSES OF INTERACTION  The Spanish-American War [1898]  Treaty of Paris [Peace Treaty] – December 10, 1898  Recognition of Cuban Independence  U.S. Acquisition of Puerto Rico & Guam  Purchase of Philippines from Spain  Controversy Surrounding the Treaty – Could America Handle International Territory in Which Population was of a Different Race & Culture?  Reasons for Acquiring Puerto Rico:  Increase World Dominance [Politically & Economically]  Strategic Naval & Marine Base [ Refueling / Restocking]

EFFECTS OF INTERACTION  Large Debate over Imperialism  Formation of the Anti-Imperialist League  Insular Cases: Debate over Whether Constitutional Rights Followed the U.S. Flag  Anti-Imperialists: Yes  Imperialists: No  Result: Extension of Rights not Automatic, Power of Decision Belongs to Congress  Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom & Moral Diplomacy:  Demonstrate U.S. Respect Towards Other Nations’ Rights  Congress in 1917 Granted U.S. Citizenship to the Inhabitants of Puerto Rico  Limited Self-Government

VALUE OF SOURCE  Imperialistic Power of United States to Spread for Economic and Political Gains  United States Believed they had Devine Right to Govern Inferior Countries  America Still Contained its Prejudice Towards African Americans  Way of Thinking: American-Centric Ideals  What Will Most Benefit America?

LIMITATIONS OF SOURCE  Source Depicts America as the “Almighty” World Power  Value Lost as it Degrades African Americans, Asians, & Other Past-Inferior Races  African Americans: Still Viewed as Lowest-Class  Cartoon:Cleaning the Windows  Asians: Prohibited from Entering Country [Chinese Exclusion Act]  Cartoon:Placed by the Door Symbolizing Inability to Enter America  Limitation: America Helped Struggling Nations Such as Puerto Rico Achieve Independence & Stability

ESSENTIAL QUESTION  To What Extent was US Territorial Expansion a Proper and Legitimate Policy for the United States to Follow at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century?  Justified as it Enabled the United States to Become a World Super-Power in all Spheres of Society [Politically, Militarily, Economically]  Expansion Allowed for the Acquisition of Lands that Benefitted Naval & Marine Operations  Manifest Destiny Called for Expansion  Assist Other Countries Revolutions/Desire for Independence