The Spanish-American War changed America’s view of expansion. It was a brief and intense war between America and Spain that lasted only from April until July of 1898. The war was not started by one thing in particular. Many events happened preceding the war. It all began with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894, which put restrictions on sugar imports to the United States. This hurt Cuba’s economy since it was based on producing and selling their sugar. At the time, Cuba was a Spanish colony. Angry citizens known as “insurrectos” began revolting. Spain then sent General Weyler to stabilize the situation in Cuba and put a lot of people in concentration camps. The United States became concerned having many businessmen with investment interests in Cuba. The American public was stirred into an anti-Spain frenzy by the yellow journalism of men like Hearst and Pulitzer. President Grover Cleveland did not declare war. Not long after President McKinley came into office, he was criticizing Spain’s “uncivilized and inhuman” conduct. By this time, Weyler had left Cuba. McKinley sent the USS Maine on a “friendly” mission to Cuba. The ship was to wait, ready to rescue any U.S. citizens endangered by the conflict in Cuba. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine mysteriously blew up, killing 266 sailors and sinking the ship. McKinley gave the OK for war and by April, both the US and Spain had declared war. The Spanish-American War was called “a splendid little war” because the war only lasted 10 weeks and only 460 soldiers were killed. It was a complete victory for the United States, and we made considerable territorial gains at Spanish expense. The war had many effects on American society. It gave the United States, for the first time, an overseas Empire. We acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. It also helped the men of the northern and southern United States to unite behind a common cause - the war bred camaraderie and the grudges of the Civil War really began to fade with the Spanish-American War. In addition, the war scuttled an early effort to resolve international conflict by arbitration, it set back the women's suffrage movement, and it served as a foundation for widespread U.S. adventurism and occupation overseas. American expansion into Latin America was the authority of the U.S. to govern the island of Cuba until they established a stable government of their own. McKinley assigned General Leonard Wood to oversee this process. Wood conducted municipal elections and also arranged for the election of delegates to a constitutional convention. They adopted a constitution modeled after America’s constitution and included provisions for future relations with the U.S. The American military government also built roads and schools, and established order in rural areas of the island. There was also a public health campaign that wiped out yellow fever. By May 1902, the Cubans finally had their independence.

Theodore Roosevelt became known as a “trust buster” while in office by forcing the great railroad combination in the Northwest to break apart. As President, he saw himself a representative of all the people, including farmers, laborers, white-collar workers, and businessmen. Therefore, he was focused on bringing big business under stronger regulation so that he could effectively serve all the people he represented. He wanted to regulate rather than dissolve most trusts. Efforts continued over the years to reduce the control of big business over the American economy and workers. Earlier Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act to maintain economic independence and to eliminate restraints on trade and competition. This act came in to play during Roosevelt’s “trust busting” activities. This was not a term Roosevelt favored. He believed the offending corporations needed to be regulated, not destroyed. Many of his critics failed to note the difference. While promoting social and governmental reforms, Theodore Roosevelt revised the Sherman Antitrust Act by breaking apart some of the nation’s largest corporations at that time such as the railroad and steel industry. I don’t feel like he deserved that reputation since William Howard Taft busted 90 trusts in one term and Roosevelt only busted 44 in two terms as president. The only reason he got stuck with that reputation is because he was the first “trust-buster”. Theodore Roosevelt was known as being a naturalist and a sportsman. He vigorously sided with the conservationists. Legislative effort was devoted to changing the way America used its land, especially in the West. The Newlands Act of 1902 placed the federal government in an activist role in the areas of water management and reclamation. The president, with the aid and encouragement of Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot, worked to preserve more than 170 million acres, mostly in the West, in the forms on national parks and monuments. Roosevelt’s stance on labor can be best described by his “square deal.” This was a plan to make things fair for both the business and the employees. He didn’t want businesses abusing their laborers. One example is when he intervened in a coal miner’s strike. The workers wanted a raise and an eight-hour workday, but the company refused. So 140,000 workers went on strike. Roosevelt stepped in and a while after he got the laborers to go back to work, the company awarded them with a raise and a cut in their hours.

Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt each served as president during the Great Depression. The president in office when America entered the Great Depression was Herbert Hoover. Many people say that he was actually to blame for the depression, but I don’t think that one person is to blame. However, there is really no comparison of the two in their efforts to try to get the country out of this hard time. Hoover made many attempts, but all efforts failed. He relied on volunteer work, cutting taxes, and adopting a few federal public works projects. He also loaned money to financial institutions to save them from bankruptcy. Although he did favor aid to businesses, he opposed direct relief and massive public works that would help millions of people who were unemployed. Franklin D. Roosevelt (or FDR), on the contrary, came into office with a plan. He called this plan the “New Deal.” He closed banks letting only the strong ones reopen, established the Tennessee Valley Authority; which provided jobs and raised living standards, created the National Recovery Administration, and established so many other efforts to bring America out of the Great Depression. Many called him a hero. The legacy of FDR’s “New Deal” still exists today. It was the New Deal that brought our country out the Great Depression. There were the three R’s of the New Deal; relief, recovery, and reform. It also changed American’s attitudes towards the government because the government gave people the opportunity to have jobs again after losing them in the Great Depression. People realized that it wasn’t good to let the economy just run itself, and appreciated the federal government stepping in to help. The New Deal provided multiple efforts of relief. The most important ones were the WPA, or Works Progress Administration, the CWA, or Civil Works Administration, and FERA, or Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Each one of these programs had an impact on the nation that aided in helping the people and the badly scarred economy. They also lifted the spirits and morals of the people. In addition, the lasting effects of the New Deal programs are still felt today, which proves that the relief and works progress programs were extremely beneficial to America. Roosevelt was determined to directly relieve the suffering of the American people. In his inaugural speech he said, " I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people". He meant that, as president, he promised a new America that would help the people and preserve their morale. I believe that the programs of the New Deal are definitely still evident in our society. The FDIC and Social Security Administration are probably the most common and most well known.

Bibliography

1. Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, Williams, Gross, Brands, Roberts. America Past and Present, Brief 7th Edition. United States: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007. Print. 2. http://www.conservapedia.com/Spanish-American_War 3. http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/depression/section5.rhtml 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/ 5. http://www.u-s-history.com