International Involvement

International Involvement

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US History 1865 to 1945/120

September 16, 2010
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International Involvement

International involvement of the United States became a relevant policy in the late 1800's and early 1900's, with Theodore Roosevelt asserting his interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine with what are now referred to as the Roosevelt Corollary. The Monroe Doctrine which was originally written into policy to stop the spread of European influence into Latin America in the 1820's was used by both President McKinley in the Spanish American War, where the US intervened in the ten week war with Spain over Cuban independence in 1898. In 1903 backed by the Roosevelt administration, the country of Panama received their independence from Colombia, which led the way for the building of the Panama Cannel in 1904.

The Spanish American War
The United States declared war with Spain on April 25, 1898 following the sinking of the US battle ship USS Main in Havana harbor. Officially, the war was over the independence of Cuba, but the interests of the United States in sugar had begun almost a decade before. At the time of the war, America had more than 50 million dollars invested in Cuba and annual trade, most of it was in sugar. President McKinley was pushed into the war when General Valeriano Weyler started implementing the Spanish policy of "Reconcentration" which placed the country of Cuba under martial law (Hispanic Division Library of Congress, n.d.).
On February 15, the U.S.S. Main was sunk in the harbor of Havana, on March 28 the official inquire by the U.S. Naval Courts finds the sinking of the Main was the result of due to a mine. On April 21, the U.S. commences a blockade of Cuba under the orders of President McKinley. The fighting in Cuba did not start until June of the same year. When the Marines landed and captured Guantánamo Bay. In July 1898 the Rough Riders les by Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, went up...