Was the Spanish-American War really necessary? List the alternatives to war available to McKinley in 1898 and explain why he rejected them in favor of a war policy.
Consider each of the following as a cause of war in 1898:
public opinion
yellow journalism
business interests
strategic interests
Which do you consider the key cause of war? Why?
Write your definition of imperialism. Then use this definition to argue that the conduct of American foreign relations between 1890 and 1900 was or was not imperialistic.
Why is it not entirely true that the United States remained isolated from world events in the late nineteenth century? Describe some specific instances of American involvement beyond its own shores between 1865 and 1900.
Which president do you think most skillfully conducted American foreign policy in the 1890s, McKinley or Cleveland? Why?
Had you lived at the time, would you have been in favor of war with Spain? Why or why not?
Had you lived at the time, would you have been in favor of American occupation and acquisition of the Philippines? Why or why not?
Assess the wisdom of
the Teller Amendment.
the Platt Amendment.
decisions rendered in the insular cases.
Assess the American military performance in the Spanish-American War. Why did the United States win and Spain lose the war?
What do you consider the most important domestic and foreign policy consequences of the Spanish-American War? Why?
Rank the following in terms of their ability to explain American interest in "imperialism" at the end of the nineteenth century:
racial theories b. international rivalry c. trading interests d. religious humanitarianism Justify your ranking.
The text’s authors claim that "America did not start the [Spanish-American War] with imperialistic motives, but [because of the war], it wound up with imperial and colonial fruits in its grasp." Do you agree with this version of American actions in 1898? Why or why not?