U.S. & Latin America: Colonialism, Independence, and 20th Century Policies

16th Century in the Americas

The era of European imperialism and colonization (1500s-1700s).

Main Powers

Spain, Portugal, France, and later Britain.

Motives for Colonization

God - Spread Christianity; Gold - Gain wealth and resources; Glory - Expand national prestige.

Impact on Latin America

Native populations decimated by disease and warfare; Encomienda system: Spanish forced labor of Indigenous people; Blending of Indigenous, African, and European cultures created 'Latin America.'

French and British Presence

France settled in the Caribbean and parts of North America; Britain focused on the 13 colonies and the Caribbean.

U.S. Independence

1776 rebellion against British control and taxation, inspiring other colonies across the Americas to seek independence.

Legacy of U.S. Independence

U.S. became the model for republican government in the Western Hemisphere.

Haiti's Independence

1804 slave revolt led by Toussaint L'Ouverture against French rule, resulting in the first free Black republic in the world.

Significance of Haiti's Independence

Terrified colonial powers; showed that enslaved people could defeat empires.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 acquisition from France, doubling U.S. territory.

Florida Acquisition

1819 taken from Spain through military and diplomatic pressure.

Texas Annexation

1845 incorporation of territory previously part of Mexico into the U.S.

Mexican Cession

1848 acquisition of CA, NM, AZ, NV, UT, and parts of CO/WY after the Mexican-American War.

Alaska Purchase

1867 acquisition bought from Russia.

Spanish-American War

1898 conflict resulting in U.S. gaining Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines; Cuba became a U.S. protectorate.

Monroe Doctrine

1823 policy by President James Monroe stating no new European colonization in the Americas and that any European interference in the Western Hemisphere is a threat to U.S. security.

Purpose of the Monroe Doctrine

Establish U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Manifest Destiny

1840s belief that the U.S. was destined by God to expand westward across North America.

The Manifest Destiny (Belief that the U.S. was destined by God to expand westward across North America) was coined by who?

John L. O'Sullivan.

Core Ideas of Manifest Destiny

The U.S. is morally and racially superior; Expansion = progress, liberty, and civilization.

Result of Manifest Destiny

Justified westward expansion and Native displacement; Led directly to conflicts like the Mexican-American War.

Mexican-American War

A conflict from 1846 to 1848 caused by U.S. annexation of Texas, military provocation along the border, and the ideology of Manifest Destiny.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, resulting in the U.S. gaining vast southwestern territories.

Roosevelt Corollary

A policy established in 1904 allowing the U.S. to intervene in Latin America to maintain order and prevent European interference.

Platt Amendment

A 1901-1902 amendment that limited Cuba's sovereignty, allowing the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs and establish a naval base at Guantánamo Bay.

Dollar Diplomacy

A policy under President Taft (1909-1913) aimed at using economic power to control Latin America instead of military force.

U.S. annexation of Texas

The incorporation of Texas into the United States, which Mexico still claimed, leading to conflict.

Internal weakness of Mexico

A significant factor that contributed to Mexico's heavy losses during the Mexican-American War.

U.S. strength

The military and economic power of the United States that played a crucial role in its victory in the Mexican-American War.

Intervention in Latin America

The act of the U.S. intervening in Latin American countries to maintain order and protect its interests.

Dominican Republic (1905)

An example of Roosevelt Corollary application where the U.S. took control of customs and debt payments.

Cuba's sovereignty

Severely limited by the Platt Amendment, which allowed U.S. intervention in Cuban affairs.

Anti-U.S. sentiment in Latin America

A reaction sparked by U.S. policies like the Platt Amendment, perceived as imperialistic.

Economic imperialism

The term used by Latin American nations to describe U.S. influence through Dollar Diplomacy.

Guantánamo Bay

The naval base gained by the U.S. in Cuba as a result of the Platt Amendment.

Venezuelan Debt Crisis

The 1902-03 crisis that led to the establishment of the Roosevelt Corollary.

U.S. banks in Latin America

Encouraged to invest in unstable nations as part of Dollar Diplomacy.

Marines in Nicaragua

Sent to suppress rebellions as part of U.S. intervention under Dollar Diplomacy.

Policeman of the Western Hemisphere

The role the U.S. assumed as a result of the Roosevelt Corollary.

Post-colonial era

The period following colonial rule, during which the Monroe Doctrine was established.

Core Purpose of Monroe Doctrine

To keep European powers out of the Americas.

Control Cuba indirectly

The aim of the Platt Amendment following the Spanish-American War.