In April 1898, the United States of America declared war on Spain. It lasted less than four months but resulted in the American victory and the completely new vision of the American position in the world. The 1898 Treaty of Paris brought Americans Puerto Rico, Philippines, Guam, the control over Cuba, and the expansion of U.S. power in both Americas. However, the official justifications for the beginning of the war seem to be contradictory with the main principles of the American foreign policies. This paper aims to discuss events preceding Spanish-American war. How did the United States justify its invasion of Cuba in 1898?
In 1895, the Cubans started the Cuban War of Independence, and Americans gave strong support to Cuban rebels by reasons of the interests American businessmen had in the Cuban market. In January 1898, during disorders in Havana, the United States decided to send there the USS Maine to show American concern and to protect American citizens. However, less than in a month, the USS Maine exploded and sank. This event was the starting point for the increase of the American disaffection towards Spain. After the sinking of the USS Maine, Americans started an active propaganda against the Spaniards. For example, one of the most famous songs of those days, Awake United States!, contains the following lines, “How proudly sailed the warship Maine, a Nation's pride, without a stain! A wreck she lies, her sailors slain. By Trecherous butchers, paid by Spain!” (“Awake United States!”) The song praises the deceased crew of the ship and literally enlivens the ship setting it to the woman suffered from the evil Spanish. The anti-Spanish public sentiment was the preparation of the American society to the following war. The sinking of the American warship and the death of the crew who had done nothing except the protection of the American nation was shown as the mortal offence, and it was obvious that the United States could not leave it without an answer.
In his War Message to Congress, McKinley stated four main reasons for the American invasion of Cuba. The first of them referred to the protection of humanity. McKinley called for the end “to the barbarities, bloodshed, starvation, and horrible miseries” that the Spaniards settled in Cuba and that oppressed human rights what definitely contradicted main American values (“President’s McKinley’s State of the Union Address”). The second reason implied to providing this protection to American citizens in Cuba. Next, McKinley mentioned the possibilities of “the very serious injury to the commerce, trade, and business of our people, and by the wanton destruction of property and devastation of the island” (“President’s McKinley’s State of the Union Address”). Thus, the Spaniards threatened not only to human rights and human lives but also to their belongings, and, what is more important, to American business connections with Cuba, existed and possible. The last and the most important reason was the possible Spanish threat to the American peace. Mass unrests in the neighborhood country and the danger Spain brought to Cuban Americans and their businesses and property could spill over to the United States any time.
Indeed, mentioned by McKinley reasons for the American invasion of Cuba seem to be feasible and important. However, in reality, they contradicted the Monroe Doctrine, one of the main American documents that determined foreign policies of the United States. The Monroe Doctrine was adopted in 1823 and established rules regarding American meddling in the affairs of other countries in Americas. According to the Monroe Doctrine, “With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered, and shall not interfere. But with the governments who have declared their independence, and maintained it . . . we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them” (“Monroe Doctrine”). Thus, the Monroe Doctrine proclaimed American nonintervention to the affairs between European powers and their colonies. Despite the desire to obtain freedom and the Cuban War of Independence, in 1898, Cuba still continued to be a Spanish colony, and, according to the Monroe Doctrine, the United States of America had no right to interfere in their conflict. However, they did and justified their intervention with the necessity to protect American citizens living in Cuba. Maybe, the contradiction of the Spanish-American war with the Monroe Doctrine was the main reason for the need in strong pre-war anti-Spanish campaigns and for the accentuation of the American desire to eliminate the possible threat Spain could bring to the United States.
After the end of the Spanish-American war, future Senator of Indiana Albert Beveridge stated, “In Cuba, alone, there are 15,000,000 acres of forest unacquainted with the axe. There are exhaustless mines of iron There are millions of acres yet unexplored” (“March of the Flag”). The sinking of the USS Maine is considered to be the official reason for the Spanish-American War, but his words highlight that the possible real reasons for the Cuban invasion might refer to the economic interests of the United States. As the official justifications for the war contradicted with one of the main American documents, the Monroe Doctrine, they were mostly based on emotions and American national identity and pride. Newspapers, posters, and songs cried for justice and revenge for the killing of honest Americans who wanted to protect their nation. The Spanish-American war passed under the battle cry of liberty. As Beveridge said, “As our commerce spreads, the flag of liberty will circle the globe Fellow Americans, we are God's chosen people” (“March of the Flag”). The 1898 war brought the United States the completely new role in the world.
Works Cited
Beveridge, Albert J. “March of the Flag.” Historical Thinking Matters. Historical Thinking Matters, n. d. Web. Accessed 25 Jun 2016.
Lamb, Marie Elizabeth. “Awake United States!” Historical Thinking Matters. Historical Thinking Matters, n. d. Web. Accessed 25 Jun 2016.
“Monroe Doctrine.” Historical Thinking Matters. Historical Thinking Matters, n. d. Web. Accessed 25 Jun 2016.
“President’s McKinley’s State of the Union Address.” Historical Thinking Matters. Historical Thinking Matters, n. d. Web. Accessed 25 Jun 2016.
