Chapter 12: The Empire and the people

1. Chapter 12: The Empire and the people Justin Fang

2. Background • In recent years, the United States had begun to spread its influence around the continent by using the Monroe Doctrine as a justification. One such example was the Mexican-American War. • The idea of United States expansion was an ideology among those in the upper class such as military men, politicians, and businessmen. • The men who believed in expansionism were all connected to one another, even some had ties to President Theodore Roosevelt. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

3. Economic interests • The United States turned its eyes upon Cuba when they began to fight their own revolution against Spain. The United States already had economic interest Cuban prior to the war. • The U.S.S Maine was sunk in Havana harbor by a mysterious explosion. • The explosion gave President McKinley a reason for the United States to go to war against Spain. • Prior to the U.S intervention, the Teller Amendment was passed which stated that Cuba would remain independent, which was supported by anti- imperialists and business people. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

4. War against Spain • Not everyone was for the war. In fact, there were many outspoken critics of the war who expressed themselves in newspaper articles and journals. • The Spanish- American War lasted months after the United States emerged victorious. After the war had ended Secretary of State John Hay called it a “splendid little war.” • The Americans took over the Cuban resources. United Fruit and the American Tobacco Company both invested resources after the war. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

5. Aftermath of the war • Following the war, the U.S kept their word and did not annex Cuba, but Cuba was told the American army would not leave until the Platt Amendment passed. • The Platt Amendment gave the U.S “the right to intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty.” • Both Americans and Cubans felt betrayed due to the passage of the Platt Amendment. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

6. Aftermath of the war cont. • Though the United States did not gain Cuba, the States did gain several other territories. • The Hawaiian Islands were officially annexed during the July of 1898. • Wake Island, Guam, and the Philippines became American territories after the United States paid $20 million for them. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

7. Trouble brews in the Philippines • President McKinley said to a group of ministers that the United States must Christianize them. • The Filipinos revolted in February of 1899. The Filipinos were lead by Emilio Aguinaldo. • Aguinaldo wanted the Philippines to be independent but with U.S protection. The United States rejected it. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

8. Philippine- American War • McKinley said the Filipino rebels fired first, but American soldiers later testified that they had actually fired first. • During the years of the war, racism in the United States intensified. • The Filipinos, brown-skinned, spoke a foreign language, and looked strange to soldiers. • As a result of that, American soldiers were extremely brutal when dealing with the Filipinos. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

9. Opposition of the war • Many anti- imperialists were against the war and wrote articles against why they were against the war.One of those individuals was Mark Twain. • Twain wrote,” We have pacified some thousands of islanders and buried them; destroyed their field; burned their villages, and turned their widows and orphans out-of-doors; furnished heartbreak to exile to some dozens of disagreeable patriots; subjugated the remaining ten millions by Benevolent Assimilation, which is the pious new name of the musket; we have acquired property in the three hundred concubines and other slaves of our business partner, the Sultan of Sulu, and hoisted our protecting flag over that swag.” Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

10. Support for the War • Even though brutality in the Philippines was well-documented, there were still people for the war. • The Typographical Union was in favor of the war because if the Americans won, the English- language schools set up in the Philippines would help the printing market. • Multiple business industries saw profits in the Philippines, so must businesses were in favor of the war. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

11. Black opposition to the war • Henry M. Turner, a bishop of African Methodist Episcopal Church, called the war “an unholy war of conquest” and called the Filipinos “sable patriots.” • Due to most African- Americans being against the war, there were only four black regiments that were on duty in the Philippines. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

12. Black and Filipino relations • Most of the black soldiers got along with the native people and were angered by the white soldiers when they called the Filipinos niggers. • A large number of black soldiers began to desert the Americans forces and joined the Filipino rebel army. • One deserter wrote,” Our racial sympathies would naturally be with the Filipinos.” Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

13. The war at home • Following the war, black soldiers than returned home received mixed reactions from people. • Willard Gatewood in Smoked Yankees and the Struggle for Empire wrote about how black soldiers encamped at Tampa, Florida ran into racist people. • It is also documented in the book that the black soldiers were not rewarded with officers’ commissions and that white officers often commanded black regiments. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

14. Conclusion of the war • The war finally ended after 3 years when the United States emerging victorious. • With the victory, debate at home began o shift away from whether or no the U.S should be fitting the war in the first place to whether or not the States should annex the Philippines. Source: Zinn, 2003; A People’s History of the United States

15. References • Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1942-present. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.