Invasion of Cuba
Spain, along with other European world powers controlled
many other nations. Many times, these conquered people were forced into labor
in order for the European countries to obtain cheap natural resources. Although
cruel, European powers greatly benefited from these colonies. Without colonies
supplying cheap raw materials, countries such as Great Britain would not be
able to remain a world power. With much of the world already conquered by
European powers, Americans felt they must expand in order to compete with other
dominant nations.
Although
the western frontier was officially closed, many Americans sought after a new
frontier that would benefit America just as its previous frontiers. Turner's
thesis supported a frontier and argued that a frontier promotes American
progress. According to Albert Beveridges speech, March of the Flag, Americans
were "A history of soldiers who carried the flag across the
blazing deserts and through the ranks of hostile mountains, even to the gates
of sunset; a history of a multiplying people who overran a continent in half a
century." Since the United States was born, it had a frontier which
allowed it to rapidly become a powerful and respected country. Without a frontier,
many Americans feared American progress would slow down and America would
become less exceptional.
American
leaders quickly discovered a new frontier they could easily achieve. Cuba was a
large island near the United States, ruled by the ever weakening and cruel
Spanish empire that forced the natives into atrocious living conditions.
Invading Cuba would be effortless and end the native's suffering. In addition
to moral justice, this newly acquired land could act as a new frontier to
continue American Progress and maintain American exceptionalism. Since its
beginning, America was set apart by its abundant natural resources. However,
many countries did not possess the resources the United States had and followed
Ratzel's organic theory of conquering foreign land to accumulate large amounts
of resources for the mother country in order to maintain a strong nation. According
to Albert Beveridges, "In Cuba, alone, there are 15,000,000 acres of
forest un aquatinted with the axe. There are exhaustless mines of iron. . . .
There are millions of acres yet unexplored." Because the United States was
teeming with natural resources, simply
restricting small countries from controlling
colonies would give the United States an advantage. Spain was already
weakening and losing Cuba and the Philippines would further the decay of the
once powerful country.
Although
Cuba would remain independent from the United States, it would be a valuable
trading partner as well as containing a pivotal military base. This military
base, known as Guantanamo Bay, assisted America in controlling the Western
Hemisphere using the Rimland theory to control all major coastal areas in the
region. According to President McKinley, if the United States did not establish
a military presence in Cuba then "the lives
and liberty of our citizens are in constant danger and their property destroyed
and themselves ruined; where our trading vessels are liable to seizure and are
seized at our very door by warships of a foreign nation." In the Cuban constitution,
the Platt amendment states that America is allowed to intervene if Cuba makes
dissatisfactory political decisions. Americans agreed with Alfred Mahan that a
strong Navy was the only way to enforce the Monroe Doctrine and take care of
the Western Hemisphere and America's "little brothers". In order to
remain powerful, America must spread its wings of liberty and reserve lands for
its own use.
America's
need to compete with other world powers and the frenzy yellow journalism caused
among the public caused the United States to invade Cuba. While the United
States might have justified the invasion of Cuba with helping its natives, the
real reason was to benefit America. Cuban sovereignty was restricted by the
Platt amendment and Cubans were forced into adding it to their constitution by
the United States big stick https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/platt.
Americans understood new lands would increase American power and help them enforce
the Monroe Doctrine, however they did not understand that forcing a United
States presence in Cuba might have persuaded Cuba to look for a new "big
brother" who does not push them around such as the USSR.
