At the dawn of the twentieth century, United States foreign policy would begin to take a decisive turn, which would ultimately catapult and establish the country as one of the great world powers, in addition to setting a standard of future international engagement throughout the twentieth century. Prior to 1896, the United States had a largely none interventionist and insular approach when it came to foreign policy and international relations. While there were moments of engagement up to this time, coupled with watershed foreign policy directives (such as the Monroe Doctrine and its subsequent application), the United States had a tendency to mind its own business and only get involved in global politics when events threatened to directly affect the country's security. All this, though, would change by the late 1890's. When William McKinley took the office of president in 1897, a gradual change in the mindset of the United States populace, which had been fermenting since the end of the Civil War, was about to reach it's realization. While there were still many voices which supported inward looking policy and a non-involvement stance when it came to the international arena, the pendulum had swung toward a populace which viewed itself and it's country with a great sense of pride and self-importance, which would soon be exercised. When rebellion against Spanish rule again flared up in Cuba in 1895 (largely due to the detrimental economic effects of US tariff policies concerning imported Cuban sugar), many clamored for the United States to become involved. McKinley, though, did not want to entangle the country in any international disputes and thus acted cautiously. Even with the sinking of the US naval vessel, the Maine, in 1898 and negative remarks made by the Spanish minister to Washington, which referred to McKinley as "weak and a bidder for the admiration of the