After the Spanish American War, Americans were convinced that Cubans could not govern themselves. The Platt Amendment was then used to allow the U.S. to basically completely control Cuba trade and government. The U.S. then used Cuba for economic purposes by dominating their various industries, imports, and exports.

The Treaty of Paris was most generous to the winners. The United States received the Philippines and the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico. Cuba became independent, and Spain was awarded $20 million dollars for its losses. The treaty prompted a heated debate in the United States.

The Treaty of Paris ending the Spanish-American War was signed on December 10, 1898. In it, Spain renounced all claim to Cuba, ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States and transferred sovereignty over the Philippines to the United States for $20 million.

On February 15, 1898, a mysterious explosion sank the battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor, triggering a war between the United States and Spain. The Maine had come to Cuba to protect American citizens while Cuban revolutionaries were fighting to win independence from Spain.

What happened as a result of U.S. imperialism in Cuba, the Philippines, and Hawaii? The United States helped Cuba win independence from Spain. Through the Platt Amendment, the United States retained a great deal of control over Cuban affairs and obtained the use of land for a naval base.

During the four years that the U.S. occupied Cuba, they improved the infrastructure, established a postal system, created schools, and eliminated yellow fever. In 1902, Cuba was granted independence by the U.S., but the island’s leaders continued to cater to the desires of Uncle Sam.

Representatives of Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty in Paris on December 10, 1898, which established the independence of Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and allowed the victorious power to purchase the Philippines Islands from Spain for $20 million.

Three factors fueled American Imperialism.

• Economic competition among industrial nations.
• Political and military competition, including the creation of a strong naval force.
• A belief in the racial and cultural superiority of people of Anglo-Saxon descent.

The U.S. foreign policy at this time was guided by two goals. The first goal was to keep the United States free of foreign alliances and out of foreign conflicts. The second was to expand the United States across the North American continent.

This major Imperialism occurred during the late 19th Century and early 20th century. It had more negative effects in the modern world today then positive effects. A positive effect is seen in document one called “Modern Progressive Nations,” it shows how the larger nations gave to the smaller colonies.

Imperialism is by no means ever justified for one country to intervene in affairs of another country because it demonstrates the aspiring imperialistic nation’s political, economic and social corruption. In America’s race to imperialism, the United States government never lost sight of another goal of theirs: money.

Americans justified imperialistic behavior by: Claiming that it was their responsibility. Americans and Europeans both claimed that it was their responsibility as superior races to uplift, civilize and Christianize native peoples. This was known as the White Mans Burden and was based upon the ideas of social Darwinism.

How was religion used to justify imperialism? Religion played a big role in imperialism. It helped to spread Christianity and democracy to “civilize the world’s ‘inferior peoples’ “. The American imperialists’ beliefs disagreed with that.

European missionaries wanted to spread Christianity and teach it to less educated and wealthy people in Africa as one cause for imperialism – They mainly saw it as their duty to be carried out and it is commonly referred to as “The White Man’s Burden”, taken from Rudyard Kipling’s poem.

The three types of imperialism are colonies, protectorates, and spheres of influence.

If Africa wasn’t colonized, the continent would consist of some organized states in North Africa/Red Sea, city-states in West and East Africa, and decentralized agricultural tribes in Central and Southern Africa. With no Europeans to blunt their expansion, the Zulu and their cousins take over all of South Africa.

If colonisation never happened, everything that we know or do will never exist. Without colonisation, cultures will not mingle, technological advancement will never occur, the Industrial Revolution itself will not happen.

If Europeans never colonized and invaded America, the native nations and tribes would continue to interact in trade. Eventually, trade with East Asia and Europe would introduce new technologies and animals into the continent and tribes would quickly grow into nations.

Ethiopia

The top ten wealthiest African countries are:

• Nigeria – $514.05 billion.
• Egypt – $394.28 billion.
• South Africa – $329.53 billion.
• Algeria – $151.46 billion.
• Morocco – $124 billion.
• Kenya – $106.04 billion.
• Ethiopia – $93.97 billion.
• Ghana – $74.26 billion.

Many countries celebrate Independence Day to rejoice that they are no longer under colonial rule. Very few countries have never been either a colonizing power or become colonized. They include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Thailand, China, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Ethiopia.

Western Sahara is still colonized because it is rich in natural resources that became a sort of curse to the Saharawi people, and free stolen goods to those countries and governments exploiting it in complicity with Morocco. And the list of the guilty plunderers of this African country is huge.

There are two African countries never colonized: Liberia and Ethiopia. Yes, these African countries never colonized. But we live in 2020; this colonialism is still going on in some African countries. Today, Somalia, one of the African countries colonized by France, is divided among Britain, France, and Italy.

Though colonialism is generally considered to be a relic of the past, nearly 2 million people in 16 “non-self-governing territories” across the globe still live under virtual colonial rule.

The oldest modern European founded city on the African continent is Cape Town, which was founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, as a halfway stop for passing European ships sailing to the east.