Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War Christine A. Ma-ata Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of Technology Mr. Artchil Daug Philosophy of History

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Abstract

The significance of Spanish-American war is, it is the stepping stone of achieving the independence of Cuba and Philippines from Spain. In a relation to Karl Marxs philosophy the Spanish-American war was a product of economic interest towards an imperial base for commercial and ideological expansion throughout the world. The Americans help Spains colonized country with personal interest to the natural resources and used that help to cover their motive to the country. In achieving their goal to make their economy grow, they encounter revolts and anti-imperialist. The Spanish-American war was the cause of the decline of Spains control to their colonize countries which America took advantage for imperialism and commercialism.

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Introduction Did you hear about Spanish-American war? Well it was started when Cuban people revolt against the Spaniards. Spain misrules the Cuban government and people revolted them. Americans feel sympathy to the Cubans and decided to free them from Spain refused because

they rather see Cuba sunk in the ocean than transferred to another power. It was then the start of the conflict between Spain and America. Americans have interest to Cuba but they couldnt penetrate to the island because of its colonizer---Spain. Spanish-American war was important to the world history because it express the corruption, abuse of power, misrule of Spain and also the greediness of once nation in order to be a powerful country. Was the Americans trying to be a Hero, kind and trying to help the Spains colonize country without any personal interest. Were they used that help to cover their personal motive to the country. What are the possible consequences that they encounter in order to achieve their goal to make their economy grow. Marx philosophy fits in this event because it tackles about economy, where America tried to be a mediator of two countries in order to interfere and control the event and used it as an advantage to achieve their goal to increase their economy and be able to trade in the foreign markets. They conquered land in order to widen their territory as well as they get the interest which means they control the government and control the people. They get all the countrys resources and everything as if they owned it. ---------------------------------historical materialism-------------------------------------

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The Spanish-American war was a product of economic purpose where America has interest in Cuba but couldnt penetrate because of Spain. They use the revolt of the Cuban to Spanish government in order to interfere and show how pity they was to the Cuban people but the interior motive was to claim Cuba as a part of America and an annexation to their plan to make the island an military base of America and also to use the natural resources in addition to their economic needs. I will tackle about how Americans interfere to the problem of Cuba from Spain. There motive in helping Cuba and the result of their conflict with Spain and to their economy. There possible problems that they will encounter from the conflict of Spain and the undertaking of Cuba and other colonies of Spain. I will no longer discuss how Spain experience economic decline and how they penetrated in Cuba.

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McKinleys Time---Spanish American War It was McKinleys time when American-Spanish war occurred. America wants to be a mediator of the two countries. They set conditions to Spain in order to maintain a peace negotiation and in able to free Cuba from their hands. But Spain refused to it, they rather see

Cuba sunk into the ocean than transferred it to another power.(Divine, 1990 p. 357) McKinley renewed the mediator offer, which Spaniards refused again. America felt sorry to the Cubans because Spain continued to exploit the Cubans resources and violate their rights as well. But their feelings towards Cuba didnt go beyond vague expression of support. They even resisted strong provocation to Spain. Showing how pity they was but didnt realized that they were also one of the cause of the sufferings of Cubans. They implied American tariff policy which Cubas principal export was sugar, goes to United States instead of Spain. Showing as if they care to them hides their motive to the island. (Current, Williams, Friedel, 1979 p. 581) Before Spanish-American war occurred, America experienced civil war where their place was devastated and their economy started to decrease. So they started to focused in reconstructing their government. Building factories and farms multiplied, producing more goods than the domestic market could consume. Then they realized that it is too much to the needs of the nation, so they started to think why not they go overseas in order to trade their surplus product to foreign markets and be able to increase their financial status. Political leaders began to argue about the importance of foreign markets to continue economic growth. The idea of imperialistic expansion was in the air, and great powers measured their greatness by the colonies they acquired. So America presume that in order to achieve that power they must explore the world and do whatever it takes in commercialism.(Muzzey, 1978)

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The Issue of Dupuy de Lome and the explosion of Maine

Then an issue came out from Dupuy de Lome were he said that the president of America was a weak man and a bidder for admiration of crowd (Blum, Catton, Morgan, 1963 p. 503) an because he was foreigner, the Americans took it as an insult to their nation and the conflict between Spain and America get even worse. Moreover, the Americas battleship Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor where more than two hundred lives lost. The ship had been ordered to Cuban seas in a reason of a friendly visit but the true intention was to protect American lives and property against possible attacks of Spain. Americans conclude that Spain was responsible of the explosion. The Planning of annexation of Cuba The Cuban affair with United States would be a great help in expanding their territory to Hawaii, which Americans want Hawaii to be their annex. In order to do that, they must penetrate to Cuba. But Roosevelt opposed to the issue of using Cuba for their plan to annex Hawaii. He was in between expansionists and justice for Cuba. He said that, I dont want to see that we are engaged merely in a land grabbing war. And added, the craven fear and brutal selfishness of the mere money-getters.(Bernard, Dallek, Davis,1985, p. 651). He even doubted the annexation in Cuba and think that the Cuban people wouldnt want to be colonized with another colonizer.

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The Declaring of War to Spain

America couldnt interfere Cuba easily but not until the war against Spain declared. In year 1896, the issue of Cuba had given away to domestic problems of free silver and tariff, and in the same year the leader of Cuban revolutionaries died and that drive Cubans to outburst of protest all over the country. Because they have suffered enough to the ruling of Spaniards, being hostile to them makes them outburst in protest. And because of that situation, spontaneous meeting held which businessmen joined and patriots and humanitarians in demanding to end the brutality of Spanish rule. Though Spain was suffering economic decline they still refused to give up the island. (Leckie, 1968) Until the day came when America reaches her limit and prepared for battle of Spain. Gathering eighteen thousand troops, though theyre not well trained, they succeeded to land Cuba and were compromised to invade the place. In this war, so many lives lost, including the Cuban people and naval ships destroyed. When Spaniards realized the impact of the war to their country and to the innocent people who was involved in it, they have no choice but to give up and sign the peace protocol. (Goodwin, 1974) On the other hand, when Spain signs the peace protocol and the American declare Cuba as an independent nation. American expresss that they were no intention of annexing Cuba. That did it not for conquest nor for empire but for humanitys sake. But within a year these expressions of high-mindedness had been cast to the winds. The Result of War and the True intention of America Because of Spains economic stability their control to the colonized country are also declining. So America sees it as an advantage to conquered land. Like in Cuba, many expansionist and businessmen agreed to retain in the Philippines, at this time the island is also a

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colonized country of Spain, helping the country to be free from Spaniards. And an opportunity as a temporary way on the route to Asian markets. The American senate came to argue about the annexation of the Philippines because of the chance to engage in Asian markets. The anti-imperialist argued strenuously that political dominion was not commercially necessary and that both the constitution and declaration of independence forbade it. Under the declaration, Senator George F. Hoar told his colleagues, you cannot govern a foreign territory, a foreign people, another than your own. You cannot subjugate them and govern them against their will, because you think it is for their good (Bernard, Dallek, Davis, 1985, p.653). But the logic of expansion work against the antiimperialist. The shallow of benevolence of America revealed when Philippines realized the intension of giving independence from Spaniards was only a show. It was clear that the Americans trying to be a hero and save the victims of Spaniards, but took the place of a colonizer. They think that the Philippines and other country that under the Spaniards was a perfect place for their plan of expanding their territory and for economic purposes. Like in the Philippines where it was near in Asia mainland took an advantage to trade in their products in the Asian markets. After the war of America and Spain, American government encounter many anti-imperialist, they opposed to the decision of incorporating dark-skinned and unschooled people. They said that it was a charge of betraying the cherished principles of the declaration of independence and their country abandoned their moral law. As Charles Eliot Nortor say:

We believe that America had something better to offer to mankind than those aims she is now pursuing, and we mourn her desertion of her ideals which were neither selfish nor limited in their

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application, but which are worth and validity. She has lost her unique position as a potential leader in the program of civilization, and has taken up her place simply as one of the grasping and selfish nation of the present day. (Bernard, Dallek, David, 1985 p. 655)

Also they encountered revolts from the Philippines but after three years of experiencing war, America established a civil government under Williams Howard Taft.

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Conclusion

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The Spanish-American war occurred in McKinleys term. Where Spaniards misrule their colonized countries like Cuba. In Spain encounter revolts in their administration of Cubans. But because they were in power they continue to exploit and violate human rights of the Cubans not only the Cubans but also to the other countries that were colonized by Spain. That was the time when America interfere from the brutality of Spaniards and became a mediator of the two countries. America offered a peace negotiation to Spain but Spaniards refused to it. So America help Cubans to overthrow Spaniards out of their country and giving independence to them but later on reveal their motive to the island. Showing sympathy and helping Cuba and other countries under Spain like Philippines, gives an opportunity to the Americans to control the event and used the situation as an advantage to pursue their goal to have an expansion of territory and inable to trade their products in the markets and to increase their economy as well. Therefore American-Spanish war was a product of economic interest of America towards an imperial base for commercial and ideological expansion throughout the world.

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Reference Bernard, B. Dallek, D., (1985) President McKinleys Wonderful Experience pp.651-659

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Blum J.M., Cantton B, Morgan E., (1963) The national experience; A History of United states. Empire Beyond the Seas (pp. 502-507) Harcourt and Brace