Economic: desire for new markets, demand for raw materials
Military: desire to establish military presence overseas to protect economic interests abroad
Cultural: belief in cultural superiority leads to idea that imperialism is a way to spread democracy and improve the lives of “inferior” people- very racist ideology
Humanitarian: Americans sympathized with the oppressed people of some of the places that were imperialized by European countries
Platt Amendment: gives USA right to intervene in Cuban affairs anytime there is a threat to “life, property, and individual liberty”
Cuba has to lease Guantanamo Bay to USA for naval base
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