History of the Americas

U.S. Intervention in Latin America (1898-1933)

*Spanish-American War established the United States as an Imperial Power*

**US intervened militarily in 9 Caribbean nations 34 times**

Country / When / Why / Result
Venezuela / o  1895-1896 / o  British blockade of Venezuela over boundary dispute with British Guiana / o  Pres. Cleveland & staff claim US hegemony over Great Britain in Latin America
o  British submitted the dispute to arbitration; Venezuelan gov’t uninformed of arbitration and did not participate
o  End British Military predominance in Lat Am = signed Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901 & withdrew fleet from Caribbean in 1906
Cuba
Modern
p. 360-361 / o  1898-1902/3
o  1906-1909
o  1912-1917
o  1917-1922 / o  Protect $50 Million investments – stop chronic instability
o  Spanish-American War
o  Ostend Manifesto= Purchase Cuba from Spain for $120 million
o  US Declared War on Spain & Invaded Cuba - Protectorate / o  Conducted war & peace w/ Spain w/o consulting the Cubans
o  Platt Amendment (1901) added to the Cuban Constitution in 1902 = Protectorate
o  US occupied Cuba for 5 years
o  US Naval bases established in Cuba
Dominican Republic
Modern
p. 302-303 / o  1916-1924
o  1965 / o  US Marines occupied in 1916
“Dollar Diplomacy”
o  22,000 Marines deployed =
o  downfall of the OAS
o  b/c afraid of “another Cuba” / o  National Guard created to fight Guerilla Warfare
o  US troops – strengthened infrastructure – Upgrade Educational System – Control Public finances
o  1922 = Creation of the Provisional Gov’t
o  Rise of Rafael Leonida Trujillo – Ruthless Dictator (1930-1961)
Guatemala Modern
p. 351 / o  1953 / o  Guatemala seized land from UFCO & didn’t offer enough $ / o  Dulles brothers claimed Guatemala was “soft on Communism”
o  Eisenhower sent covert operation to overthrow the government
Haiti Modern
p. 297 / o  1915-1934 / o  “Dollar Diplomacy”
o  Protect US interests / o  Abolished Army – Replaced with National Police Force
o  US took over financial Administration & management of the country
o  *Pres. Stenio Vincent
Honduras Modern
p. 340-341 / o  1980s / o  US Contra War against Sandinistas / o  US used Honduras to launch attacks on Nicaragua = airfields, supply dumps, & base camps
o  = US military & National Guard
Nicaragua Modern
p. 333-335 / o  1912-1933 / o  “Dollar Diplomacy”
o  US put down Revolution in 1912
o  Protect US interests – Pres. Taft sent in the Marines / o  US Marines kept in Managua until 1925 to protect Americans
o  Protectorate of the US
o  *Sandino
Mexico Modern
p. 230 / o  1914
o  1916 / o  Pres. Wilson did not want to recognize Huerta’s government
o  Pancho Villa invaded the US / o  Sent the Marines to occupy Veracruz = succeeded in overthrowing Huerta
Gen Pershing sent to crush Pancho Villa – was unable to locate Villa
Panama Modern
p. 328 / o  1903 Revolution / o  “Big Stick” diplomacy
o  Columbian Gov’t would not grant Canal treaty to US
o  War of the Thousand Days (1899-1903) / o  Pres. Roosevelt supported 1903 Revolution to establish independent Panama = US recognized Panama
o  US annexation (not a territory, leased) for Panama Canal = treaty b/t US Herran and French representative of Panama
o  Canal was built 1904-1914
Puerto Rico Modern
p. 308 / o  1898 / o  Spanish-American War
o  Retaliation for sinking the US Maine in Cuba
*1st act of Colonial Expansion / o  Puerto Rico became part of the US = COLONY
o  1917 – granted US citizenship
o  1952 – Commonwealth of the US
o  “Operation Bootstrap” – industrialization of Puerto Rico = massive unemployment & immigration to US

·  Modern Latin America Skidmore/Smith

o  Cuba – p. 259-266

o  Lat Am – p. 355-364

·  A History of Latin America Keen

o  Ch. 17 – Cuba p. 424-429 –Cuba/Spanish American War

o  Ch. 20 – US & Latin American Relations p.521-536