chichejje

chichejje

Brendan Pham
Ms. Boyum
APUSH
5th period
2/9/15
Long Essay
#1 Analyze the extent to which the Spanish American war was a turning point in American foreign policy
The Spanish American war was an opening for American foreign policy. It marks America’s first engagement into foreign policy. Being the first military engagement outside of American’s border, America became interested in the Caribbean and into the western Pacific region. Due to the Spanish American War, it was a major reason why it was a turning point in American foreign policy.
After the Spanish American War, America gained a number of colonies from Spain, the Philippines, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guam and Puerto Rico. Not only that, America gain a large increase in the United States naval budget. However, America became involved in the Philippines, to be precise military involvement because it was to help give Filipinos their independence. It led to a three year war in the Philippines. The Spanish American war also help further accelerate overseas trade which could be called as dollar diplomacy.
All of these events led to Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which turned America into an international policemen in the western hemisphere and also passively asking Europeans to not continue their influence on the western hemisphere. Following that America started to assert themselves into the Latin America. For example Cuba, America sent in ship USS Maine to go to cuba and stay there. However it was mysteriously combusted and there was reasons to believe Cuba did it. Due to yellow journalism from the yellow press, it was a cry for actions. Popular opinion from America believe that Cuba was the reason for the death of USS Maine and the president was left without any choice but to start war with Cuba. To continue on, Roosevelt decided to send the Great White Fleet around the world and to Japan was to assert United States claims to the role of a major player in...