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Difficulty: MediumImperialism and the Spanish-American War

"Article III. That the government of Cuba consents that the United States may exercise 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, and for discharging the obligations with respect to Cuba imposed by the treaty of Paris on the United States, now to be assumed and undertaken by the government of Cuba."
��� Platt Amendment, 1901

The provisions outlined in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following developments in United States foreign policy?

  1. The effort to secure political and economic influence in the Caribbean while avoiding direct colonial annexationAnswer
  2. B
    The immediate mobilization of United States military forces in response to the sinking of the Lusitania
  3. C
    The establishment of a mutual military alliance to defend Cuban sovereignty against European encroachment
  4. D
    A shift toward absolute isolationism and the complete withdrawal of the United States from Western Hemisphere affairs

Answer

The effort to secure political and economic influence in the Caribbean while avoiding direct colonial annexation
The correct answer is correct because the Platt Amendment established a protectorate relationship over Cuba. This allowed the United States to intervene militarily and dictate Cuban foreign relations, securing economic and strategic interests in the Caribbean without the political complications of formal colonial annexation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the core policy being described.
The excerpt shows that the United States reserved the right to intervene in Cuban affairs to protect Cuban independence and maintain order.
This establishes the legal mechanism of the Platt Amendment, which allowed the United States to exercise control over Cuba.
2
Place the document within its historical context of the post-Spanish-American War era.
Having defeated Spain, the United States wanted to secure its strategic and economic interests in Cuba without directly violating the Teller Amendment, which prohibited formal annexation.
This explains the motivation behind creating a protectorate rather than a formal colony.
3
Evaluate the options to identify which trend in foreign policy is best represented by this arrangement.
The arrangement represents a policy of indirect imperialism, where the United States asserted hegemony over Cuba while maintaining its nominal independence.
This directly matches the option describing the effort to secure influence without direct colonial annexation.

Key Concept

The Platt Amendment and the nature of United States imperialism after the Spanish-American War
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Topics

Imperialism and the Spanish-American War

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