Preview

What Was The Spanish American Isolationism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
553 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Was The Spanish American Isolationism
The Spanish-American War Throughout history, the United States assumed an isolation policy towards foreign Affairs. However, with the United States' cooperation in the Spanish-American war, the American's view shifted to incorporate international trade and foreign empires. In fact, the viewpoint of Americans transformed in the 19th century with the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and the transformation of the American nation towards foreign empires. Thus, through the Spanish-American War, the United States shifted its opinion from an isolation policy to enthusiasm for imperialism.
In 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out as an attempt to free Cuba from Spanish oppression. The war erupted over the outrage of the immoral treatment of Cuban revolutionaries who launched a fight for independence against Spain. The Spanish herded the Cubans into unsanitary concentration camps, filthy with disease, causing many deaths. As a result, America was pressured to join the war. In truth, the United States had selfish reasons to collaborate with the Cubans. First, Americans wanted the enforcement of the
…show more content…
Subsequent to the war the United States transformed its ideology when the open door policy enticed the nation to acquire foreign rule. Hence the Spanish-American war was a great way to expand to foreign nations. Although, through the Treaty of Paris the United States gained much land, for example; Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam, it did come with a substantial price of twenty-million dollars for the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the mid 1800’s the US took control over all land belonging to Mexico, and southern parts of Oregon. The US then progressed to control land from coast to coast. Before the 1820’s, American pioneers had began to settle and even build homes as far as the Mississippi River. Just ten years later, movement into the West expanded into Missouri, Mississippi, Iowa, and Arkansas. Even though the Spanish-American war was short, it was one of the most popular in US history.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    spanish american war

    • 1042 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Spanish-American War served to end Spain’s colonial power in the western hemisphere. In the time leading up to the war there was three years of turmoil in Cuba, where Cuban revolutionaries were locked in battle with the Spanish in an attempt to gain independence from their mother country (history.state.gov 1). For most of the Cuban revolution the US, particularly due to president McKinley’s distaste for war, had opted to steer clear of involving itself in the conflict (Sparknotes [1] 1). However, with the growing tide of public outcry and the explosion of the USS Maine president McKinley finally buckled and sent his approval for a declaration of war with Spain, which was passed on April 11, 1898 (Sparknotes [1] 1). Had I been a senator in 1898 I would have supported the declaration of war for multiple reasons, including the ones above. I would have also supported our annexation of Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba and the Philippines In this essay I will explain why.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thus, there were many changes to American foreign policy due to international events that occurred between 1898 and 1920. America started to lean towards a Big-Stick foreign policy. One example of this is Panama winning independence from Colombia. America wanted to build a canal through the isthmus of Panama, but Colombia was asking for more than America was willing to give.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United Sates loved the idea of being free and having an independent government and so decided to help the Cubans and their struggle, as it resembled the revolutionary war America had gone through with Britain. On February 15, 1898, the American ship U.S.S. Maine was docked at the Cuban harbor of Havana when two explosions suddenly tore the ship to pieces and killed around 250 people. The tragedy immediately was blamed on Spain mainly because of newspaper propaganda by Pulitzer and after the angry outcry of American citizens was heard, President McKinley finally declared war against Spain. The United States won and now controlled the Philippines and various islands in the Caribbean. Along with a victory, U.S. isolationism ended and the world could see that the United States was not to be reckoned with. Unfortunately in 1901, President McKinley was assassinated and vice president Teddy Roosevelt stepped up to take his…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Treaty of Paris singed on December 10th 1898 renounced all of Spain’s claims to Cuba, gave the United States Guam and Puerto Rico and transferred over the Philippians to America for 20 million dollars.5 At first President McKinley was skeptical about getting involved in the Philippians but eventually agreed because the public favored the idea to much for him to deny.4 Having this land gave the United States a leg up over other nations now having land across the world they could use for various purposes such as setting up military bases and eventually brought in a wave of American…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Spanish American War is one of the most prominent wars in U.S. history. The war began on April 21, 1898 due to many different reasons. The real questions is, for what reasons did the U.S. get involved in this war? Well, the Spanish American War began due to the fight for Cuban independence, Yellow Journalism, the Spanish governor’s response to Cuban rebels, the De Lôme letter, and the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine.…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Platt Amendment bound Cuba to the United States and forced it to have limited relations, just as the Monroe Doctrine stated for us to do. The Rebellion in the Philippines was put down and showed America’s military prowess. The Roosevelt Corollary was there to seal the deal. America named itself as the “police” without any input or objections by the countries it was enforcing. America paying off those countries debts financial bound them to America.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Spanish-American war arose in 1898 mainly as a result of the oppression of the Cuban people by the Spanish, and the conflict that started due to that. The U.S, concerned with the rebellions taking place, decided to get involved. Because of the war, the colonial rule of the Spanish was ended in the United States. In addition to this, the U.S gained new territories.…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The subject of American imperialism spans much of history starting from the early nineteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century American religious imperialism was at an all-time high. The reasoning for this peak of religious imperialism and the effects of it varied depending on the country or region that the United States had focused their attention towards. Many historians focus on the events of the War of 1898, formerly called the Spanish-American War, which involved Cuba breaking away from the control of the Spanish empire while fighting for independence. The involvement of the United States into the war of 1898 started with concerns for the Cuban population expressed through political actions towards Spain, instead of beginning…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although economic interests were very important to the United States as they enacted tariffs and taxes on, for example, Hawaii and any incoming good from other countries, in fact, political and strategic advantages prevailed in the creation of foreign policies as the US went to wars with Mexico and even Spain in the Mexican War and the Spanish American War to gain land and new allies and annexed new lands such as Alaska and Hawaii, along with the people on those lands to increase the American influence. Being an imperialist country at the time, the United States reached out to these other nations, whether friend or foe and placed themselves firmly in the world as a country that was willing to fight for what it wanted and speak little threats.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    As a result of the Spanish-American War, Spain lost its control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines Islands, Guam, Midway Island, and other islands. The U.S. also became allies with Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The Spanish-American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10,…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    I agree most with Harold Evans. He holds the idea that the United States joined the war to see Spain’s removal from the Caribbean. This is reasonable for the American idea’s that were held in the Monroe Doctrine. There, the U.S. expressed its ideal for a lack of European involvement in the Western Hemisphere. Thus, by winning the Spanish-American war, the U.S. continued this concept.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Spanish American War

    • 901 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Spanish American war of 1898 was as the turning point for the United States becoming a world power. This war was caused by the conflict between Spain and the United States over Cuba. The United States first began its interest in purchasing Cuba before the start of the war. Because of this, the Americans bought some sugar lands in Cuba and invested in other products for trade. Conflict grew between Spain and the United States when General Valeriano Weyler began the policy of Reconcentration in Cuba. This placed the entire country of Cuba under the martial law in February 1896. The United States was overly upset by this and demanded that Spain stop their actions to end the Cuban Crisis. If Spain did not did not agree, the United States stated that they would step in and war would begin. Events took a fast course after the explosion of the U.S.S. Main on February 15th.…

    • 901 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Spanish American War

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Many historians state that the Spanish American war allowed the USA to expand its sphere of influence through strategic and economic gains. The link to political driven conflict appears in the abundance of amendments and doctrines created allowing the USA to intervene in Cuba in order to remove the Spanish, who were in violation of the ‘Monroe Doctrine’. The Spanish-American war is controversial due to the idea that the Americans had blamed the sinking of the U.S Maine on the Spanish in order to create a catalyst for war, this can be further noted in the yellow journalism propaganda that painted the Spanish as malicious antagonists. The use of propaganda features heavily in political conflict, hence the suggestion that the Spanish-American war was politically driven. On the other hand the war did allow for the expansion of trade due to overproduction in America, which suggests a connection to trade driven conflict. Overall the Spanish-American war may be seen as the most internationally political conflict, due to the antagonising of the Spanish and intimidation of Cuba. Trade may have been used as an excuse to expand America during its age of Imperialism and desire to obtain Manifest Destiny. This quote by President Mckinley; ‘We owe it to our citizens in Cuba to afford them protection...The right to intervene may be justified by the very serious injury to the commerce, trade, and business of our people.’ summarises my point that America was looking for a way to justify expansion through trade. Therefore this would make the Spanish-American war politically driven and agree with the…

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Spanish-American War was a war fought to protect economic interests, under disguise as American sympathy for the Cubans under Spanish rule. During the late 19th century, an influx of immigrants, crowded cities, and a growing unemployment rate brought economic uncertainty among many Americans. Imperialism provided the solution. According to Senator Albert Beveridge of Indiana, “American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has written our policy for us; the trade of the world must and shall be ours.”…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays