Why Did the United States Invade Cuba?

Why Did the US Invade Cuba?

On February 15, 1898 the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Cuba's Havana harbor, which subsequently the United States blamed the Spaniards for the.  Sparking President McKinley, he declared war against the Spaniards later that April.  The United States did not just fight the war on Cuban soil, it was also fought in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.  The United States invaded Cuba so that they would gain independence, therefore, they would be less inclined to cause destruction in any way to the United States.

Although, there was a silver lining to the invasion, which was the Teller Amendment, it meant the United States would also benefit from their natural resources and gain money from winning the war.  The Teller Amendment stated that the United States "hereby disclaims any disposition of intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island except for pacification thereof, and asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people."  The Teller Amendment was overrode in February of 1901 by the Platt Amendment.  The Platt Amendment allowed the United States to "the right to intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty..."  To this day, there is still uncertainty and no definite answer of the cause for the United States to invade Cuba.

The reason for the invasion seems to be because of what happened with the USS Maine but in reality it was all propaganda.  Propaganda is biased information designed to shape public opinion and behavior.  Propaganda was used in the newspapers to make it seem like the reason for the invasion was to win independence for Cuba and create an ally, but in reality it was for economical and political gain.  The United States would benefit majorly from Cuba's natural resources like sugar, fruits, and tobacco which were exported all over the world and it would do wonders for our economy as all those products were very valuable at the time.  Another tactic used by the newspapers was called yellow journalism.  Yellow journals such as the New York Journal and the New York World thrived solely on yellow articles.  According to PBS, the articles were "designed to tug at the heartstrings of Americans".  The articles would describe "the situation in Cuba--female prisoners, executions, valiant rebels fighting, and starving women and children" in the "re-concentration camps".  By far the biggest piece of yellow journalism was the explosion of the USS Maine because all the writer's pointed fingers at the Spaniards.

There were many movements towards independence that had been brewing from the Cubans for quite a while before the explosion of the USS Maine.  By wining the Cubans freedom, President McKinley and America could count on them as a close ally.  This ties in with the fact that President McKinley might have wanted to protect the United States from the rebels and the Spaniards so by invading Cuba, he was killing two birds with one stone.

By gaining an ally from Cuba and keeping the Spaniards away, President McKinley accomplished his goals of protecting the United States and making economical and political advances.  Although the cause of the invasion has been disputed for over a hundred years, the only reason to invade would be strictly for political and economic advantages.