Why, and with What Consequences, Did US Relations with the States of Central Am?

Mexican civil war (1861)

• Mexican conservatisms fought against Liberals. Liberals came out victorious in January 1861.
• France, Spain and Britain launched joint attacks on the Mexican gulf. France remained because they wanted to colonise Mexico.
• USA gave Mexico firearms and manpower to fight the French troops, on the basis of the Monroe Doctrine.

Max of Austria (1864)

• Was accepted as Emperor of Mexico in 1864.
• Mexico city fell to liberal forces in early 1867.
• USA disliked that Mexico chose a monarch, and that he was of European blood.

Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)

• Main reason for the revolution was that the people did not want to follow the old ways of the Spanish colonial.
• USA wanted to support the revolution so they sent Marine troops down to Mexico in 1914.

Pancho Villa

• Was a Mexican revolutionary who was accused of killing Americans. In January 1916 he executed 16 Americans at Santa Isabel. March 1916 he led a band of Guerrillas and raided Columbus, killing 17 Americans.
• US troops killed 50 Mexicans on US soil and 70 Mexicans on Mexican soil in response to the Santa Isabel killings.
• March 15th, US launched a search for Villa. This intrusion caused Diplomatic issues between the two countries, which led to an attack on Pershing's troops. This resulted in more Mexicans being killed.

Before the Spanish-American War

• As USA grew as a naval and commercial power they became more interested in Cuba.
• Cuba was badly ruled by Spain in 1868, Cubans revolted against their rulers, demanding independence.
• Cuba had an 'anti-colonial' background and a lot of US investment felt sympathy for Cuban rebels.
• During Spanish occupation, traders in Cuba and the US colonies established illegal trading contracts to obtain commodities needed in colonies. And migrants could avoid paying foreign taxes on imports from Great Britain.
• The sugar market collapse resulted in the loss of revenue and drove Cuban sugar mills into bankruptcy. The US then poured capital back into Cuba by purchasing sugar mills and garnering a stake in the Cuban economy.
• When the trade between US and Cuba surpassed the amount between Spain and Cuba, Spain once again closed Cuban ports.
• Jefferson felt that while Cuba was economically and strategically important to the US, it could not be obtained peacefully, The alternative to war was a free and independent Cuba.

After the Spanish-American War

• Prior to the war, Congress passed the Teller Amendment, which stated that US could not annex Cuba and control of the island was to be left to its own people.
• Victory over Spain led to a change in opinion by Americans, who believed that Cubans were still not ready to govern themselves. This belief was really a justification for their concern that US commercial interests might not be allowed to develop if Cuba were to be self-governed.
• The Platt Amendment 1901: Congress passed this amendment, which was to govern US-Cuban relations until 1934.
• Cuba became a Republic in 1902, but a lot of control still lay with the US.
• Another treaty was passed in 1903, Cuba was asked to give up lands, the presence of the US army in Cuba persuaded its people to agree to the Treaty.
• This treaty posed a new political system on Cuba, and made its economy heavily dependent on the USA.
• Large amounts of Cuban land were taken by the US, and many US businesses moved to Cuba.
• The Cuban economy started to develop on the lines of how the US wanted it to.
• There was political instability in Cuba until the Platt Amendment expired in 1934.

• The Monroe Doctrine- 1823:

There should be no European involvement in the Western Hemisphere.

• The Roosevelt Corollary- 1904:

The USA can use force in the Western hemisphere to 'maintain order'.

• Moral Diplomacy- 1918:

Roosevelt enforced this. It stated that all nations should have a democratic government and promoted Self Determination for all countries.

• Good Neighbour Policy- Late 1920s:

Enforced by Hoover and continued by FDR. This was the concept of Isolationism, where the USA kept to themselves and did not get involved in international matters.

• The Banana Wars were a series of occupations, police actions and interventions involving the US in Central America and the Caribbean.
• This period started with the Spanish-American war in 1898 and the subsequent Treaty of Paris (1898), which gave the US control over Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
• Reasons for these Banana Wars were economic in nature.
• Arose from the connections between these interventions and the preservation of US commercial interests in the region.
• Prominently, the United Fruit Company had significant financial stakes in production of bananas, tobacco, sugar cane throughout the Caribbean, Central America and Northern South America.
• The US was also advancing its political interests, maintaining a sphere of influence and controlling the Panama Canal- critically important to global trade and naval power.
• Military interventions were carried out by the US Marine Corps.
• After the Treaty of Paris, the US conducted military interventions in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Panama

• The US had always wanted to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• In the 1860s, President William Seward attempted to discuss canal plans with Colombia but they were not interested.
• USA with French aid, encouraged Panama to gain independence from Colombia, and in doing so gained a strip of Panama land. This land would be used to build the Panama canal.
• On the basis of the Roosevelt Corollary, Roosevelt sanctioned US armed intervention when it was felt necessary to prevent financial and/or political collapse.

Dominican Republic

• In 1905, Roosevelt send US Marines to the Dominican Republic, allegedly to prevent European powers from taking action to collect debts owed to them.
• The more likely reason was the protection of massive US businesses and investment.
• The US was running the economy.
• The Marines returned in 1916 and stayed there until 1924.
• The US-Marine trained dictator allowed US business interests to dominate the economy.

Nicaragua and Haiti

• There was high level of US investment in Nicaragua; therefore USA would enforce the Monroe Doctrine and Roosevelt Corollary on Nicaragua as well.
• A US protectorate was announced in 1912, and the Marines and US fleet moved into Nicaragua.
• USA managed the economy.
• A pro-American dictator was installed and American businesses continued to thrive.
• US Marines moved into Haiti in 1915, and stayed until 1934.
• A protectorate was proclaimed and a series of brutal pro-American dictators ran the country.