I. U.S. expansionism and foreign policy
From the beginning of the 19th century to the rest of the century, the United States was in a state of continuous expansion, with early territorial expansion including the purchase of land in Louisiana and the annexation of Florida.
In the mid-19th century, the United States moved westward toward the Pacific Ocean, joining territories such as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, and these territorial expansions contributed to the growth of the U.S. economy and population.
The economic expansion of the United States was mainly achieved through overseas trade and investment, first expanding trade with European countries and then turning to Asia, South America, and Africa, which provided the United States with more raw materials and markets, and promoted its industrialization.
Since the War of Independence, the United States had emphasized the importance of democracy and freedom, and this concept had been expanded as expansion took place, believing that territorial and economic expansion could be better achieved by promoting democracy and freedom.
The United States became a new nation-state in the mid-19th century, unlike Europe, and the United States developed its own unique culture, including English, religion, music, movies, etc.
American cultural influence also began to expand in the mid-19th century.
In the mid-19th century, the United States began to see its expansion as a mission on the grounds of a "community of common destiny", which led to American expansion into the Pacific Islands and Latin America. After that, the United States continued its westward expansion, occupying the Philippines and making it a colony.
At the beginning of the 20th century, as the U.S. economy and military power grew, the United States began to play a more active role on the world stage.
They participated in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, and used force to resolve disputes between countries, followed by U.S. military operations in Vietnam, the Middle East, and elsewhere to address terrorism.
The economic benefits of U.S. expansion were evident in terms of territory and trade, which provided the raw materials and markets the United States needed, promoted its industrialization and development, and expansionism allowed American culture, including movies, music, clothing, etc., to spread around the world, becoming a role model and standard worldwide.
As expansion progressed, the United States gradually increased its influence in the international community, becoming a world-class power, participating in major international affairs and influencing the entire international community.
After World War II, the United States realized that the reconstruction of Europe was important to maintain regional stability and prevent Soviet expansion, so it launched the "Marshall Plan".
Providing financial aid and material support to European countries, in the process of containing the Soviet Union, the United States chose to deploy a large number of troops in Europe, Asia and other places to maintain military presence and influence.
Valuing the role of international organizations, the United States supports and actively participates in organizations such as the United Nations to address global issues and realize multilateralism policies, and in order to expand the influence of free market economies and democratic institutions, the United States has begun to actively develop trade, investment and cooperative relations with other countries.
The United States regards human rights and democracy as important foreign policy, supports and promotes the implementation of these values by other countries, and in the aftermath of 911, the United States regards terrorism as the greatest threat to national security and world stability, and the United States launched a counterterrorism strategy to seek and eliminate terrorism.
Trump made "America First" his presidential campaign promise and began implementing this policy after taking office, focusing on domestic problems rather than interfering too much in external affairs.
The administration advocates unilateral policies to reduce U.S. cooperation and participation in international affairs, and has introduced a series of economic protectionist measures, including strengthening trade protection and restricting immigration, to promote U.S. economic growth.
The Spanish colonization of Cuba and the resulting rebellion
Spanish colonization of Cuba began with the arrival of Columbus in 1492, and in the following centuries, Spain colonized and administered Cuba.
In Cuba, Spain has introduced a plantation economy, using slave labour in large quantities for the cultivation and export of tobacco, coffee, sugar cane and other crops, making Cuba an important source of economic benefits.
The introduction of a centralized system of political and administrative management headed by a Governor who has absolute powers in the areas of justice, military and taxation has made Cuba a highly centralized society.
In addition, Spain established a tight religious institution in Cuba, strengthening the legitimacy of its rule and control over the local population through missionary propaganda and indoctrination.
However, Spain's colonial rule of Cuba also faced some problems and challenges, the most important of which was the Rebellion, which was the main form of opposition of the Cuban people to colonial rule, which gradually escalated at the end of the 19th century and eventually led to the defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American War of 1898 and the independence of Cuba.
In addition, Spanish colonial rule in Cuba was also affected by natural disasters such as termites and yellow fever, which exacerbated Cuba's economic difficulties and social unrest.
During Spanish colonial rule, the Cuban people staged numerous revolts and rebellions in order to gain independence and get rid of colonial rule.
The first rebellion took place in 1868, led by Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, known as the "Congo War".
The war lasted for 10 years, during which the Cuban army was suppressed by the Spanish army, but some troops continued the guerrilla war, after which the national consciousness of the Cuban people was further strengthened.
The second rebellion was launched in 1895, led by José Martí, and became known as the "Marti Rebellion".
The rebellion spread rapidly and gained widespread support, with the Spanish government sending a large number of troops to suppress it, but the Cuban guerrillas persisted in resisting.
In this rebellion, the casualties of the Cuban army and the civilian population have been very heavy. This rebellion eventually led to U.S. intervention in Spain and the outbreak of the Spanish-American War.
In addition to these two more famous rebellions, there were other rebellions and rebellions during Spanish colonial rule, sometimes by peasants or slaves, and sometimes led by intellectuals.
In either form, these rebellions reflected the Cuban people's dissatisfaction and resistance to Spanish colonial rule and contributed to the Cuban independence movement.
In the late nineteenth century, the intensification of Spanish colonial rule in Cuba, the major changes in the political system and economic structure, the establishment of a centralized administrative system and the development of the economy did not meet the needs of the Cuban people, who were deeply dissatisfied with poverty, inequality, exploitation and oppression.
In this situation, various movements and organizations against Spanish colonial rule emerged in Cuba, and the "Congo War" broke out between 1868 and 1878, which was the beginning of the Cuban independence movement. Although the war was lost, it also demonstrated the determination of the Cuban people to pursue freedom and independence.
In 1895, there was another independence movement in Cuba, known as the "Martí Rebellion".
The brutal suppression of the rebellion by the Spanish government, which resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Cubans, attracted the attention of the international community, and the United States later intervened in the Cuban War of Independence, which eventually led to the Spanish-American War.
Third, the background and reasons for the involvement of the United States in Cuba
By the end of the 19th century, the United States had become one of the global powers and was important to Cuba's economic interests. U.S. economic control of Cuba has made Cuba an important U.S. dependency.
The Cuban independence movement poses a direct threat to the economic impact of the United States, because once Cuba achieves independence, it could weaken or even undermine United States economic control in the region.
Cuba is a very important part of the North American island region, and if Cuba achieves independence, it will change the geopolitical pattern of the North American island region, which will also threaten the influence of the United States, and will also encourage nationalist movements in other Latin American countries, which in turn will undermine the political and economic influence of the United States throughout Latin America.
There are also anti-colonialism and pro-Cuban independence political forces in the United States that will exert pressure on the United States Government to take action in support of the Cuban independence movement.
Cuba is located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea and controls the entire Caribbean region, a location that is important to the United States because of its critical trade and commercial interests in the region.
U.S. control of the region protects not only its trade, shipping and commercial interests, but also its national security.
By the end of the 19th century, the United States had become one of the world's largest industrial and commercial powers, and it needed new markets to expand its exports and economic influence, and Cuba was very important to the U.S. economy because it was an important supplier of sugar and tobacco to the United States.
In addition, U.S. economic control over Cuba has made Cuba an important target for U.S. businessmen and investors, and the United States therefore needs to defend its commercial and economic interests in Cuba.
In order to protect its economic and commercial interests in Cuba, the United States has controlled the Cuban economy through a series of laws and policies.
These policies include tariffs, import quotas and price controls on Cuban sugar, restrictions on Cuban loans and investments and recognition of Cuba's territorial integrity, which would enable the United States to exercise stricter economic control over Cuba.
Therefore, the economic and commercial control of Cuba by the United States is also an important reason for the United States involvement in Cuba.
Beginning in late April 1898, the United States Navy began a blockade of the Cuban coastline, preventing Spain from importing supplies and soldiers, and this blockade forced part of the Spanish Navy fleet to retreat to the Philippines.
On May 1, 1898, the U.S. Navy defeated the Spanish Navy on Manila Bay, and the U.S. Army began a series of battles in the Philippines, where the United States achieved many victories and finally occupied the Philippines on June 12.
After the victory in the Philippine campaign, the U.S. Army began its offensive into southern Cuba, culminating in the defeat of Spanish forces near the city of Santiago on July 17, after which the United States took control of the eastern and western coastlines of Cuba and declared an armistice on August 12.
In these battles, the American army and navy showed great superiority, and the United States had much higher industrial, military, and material support than Spain, which suffered from various difficulties, including lack of resources and internal conflicts.
In the end, the United States won all major battles, proving its military and economic prowess as an emerging power.
IV. The Results and Impact of the Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was a brief but historically significant war. In this war, the United States won a decisive victory and signed the Treaty of Paris with Spain on December 10, 1898.
The United States was ahead of Spain in industry and technology, and had more modern and powerful military equipment, such as new light machine guns, rifles, smokeless gunpowder, etc., while the Spanish Navy's old and weak fleet did not provide much support at critical times.
U.S. commanders have a higher level of culture, can use modern war theories and tactics, and are excellent in leadership and management, and they have a more developed economic system, which allows them to provide more material and human resources.
The transparency and efficiency of the U.S. political system has made its foreign-related policies more robust and pragmatic, and it has also used the moralization and purge of journalism to gain more popular support after winning the war.
The main content of the Paris Treaty, Spain recognized Cuba's independence, the United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines and other territories, both sides recognized the United States military occupation of Cuba, Spain ceded the United States to use the northeast island of Guam, and paid the United States $20 million in compensation.
Through the Spanish-American War, the United States became a power with global influence, while also establishing its position of authority in economic, political and military terms, and since then, its influence on world politics, economy, culture and science has grown.
With the help of the Spanish-American War, the United States acquired territories and colonies such as Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam, further expanding its territory and sphere of influence, and the acquisition of these territories and colonies brought new resources and markets to the United States and extended its domination to the world.
The Spanish-American War promoted the rethinking and reflection of national, political, economic and social issues in Latin American countries, promoted Latin American countries to independence and modernization from colonies, and at the same time, the United States became one of the most important political, economic and cultural influences in Latin America.
At the end of the war, the United States occupied the Philippines and imposed nearly five decades of colonial rule, during which time the Filipino people experienced many injustices and oppression, and the Philippines suffered severe economic and political damage.
The Spanish-American War also had a profound impact on the U.S. homeland, especially in U.S. foreign and domestic policy, after which the U.S. began to intervene more aggressively in the world's affairs, while also promoting modernization and economic prosperity on the U.S. homeland.