1. Teller vs. Platt Henry M. Orville H.

2. Amendment = ? A·mend·ment (noun) a minor change in a document.
a change or addition to a legal or statutory document.

3. What were the Teller and Platt Amendments amending?

4. Teller Amendment . . . amended U.S. Congressional approval for war

5. McKinley’s Appeal for War April 11, 1898
After the USS Maine sunk, McKinley asked Congress to go to war:
“... to authorize and empower the President to take measures to secure a full and final termination of hostilities between the government of Spain and the people of Cuba “
“ to ensure in the island the establishment of a stable government, capable of maintaining order and observing its international obligations, insuring peace and tranquility and the security of its citizens as well as our own . . .
“ and to use the military and naval forces of the United States as may be necessary for these purposes.”

6. Congressional Response: WAR! April 19, 1898
Congress debated the President's request for a week, then said: YES!
They . . .
Recognized Cuban Independence.
Demanded Spain relinquish authority and withdraw from Cuba.
Permitted President McKinley to direct military to carry these resolutions into effect.

7. Teller Amendment April 20, 1898
Placed conditions on U.S. intervention in Cuba:
The U.S. could not annex Cuba.
Leave "control of the island to its people."
In short, the U.S. would help Cuba gain independence, then withdraw all troops from the country.

8. Spanish-American WAR

9. . . . to liberate Cuba

10. U.S. Defeated Spain
(in 4 months)
Liberating Cuba?

11. Pacific Acquisitions: Philippines, Guam, (Hawaii)

12. Caribbean Acquisitions: Puerto Rico

13. What about Cuba? Could Cuba be annexed? No. Not really.
The Teller Amendment!
The war had been fought to free Cubans from foreign rule.
Annexing Cuba, therefore, would constitute an obvious hypocrisy - one that the American people and anti-imperialists could not ignore.

14. So What Did America Do?

15. Did they leave Cuba?

16. No

17. American troops and delegates were stationed in Cuba . . . for 3 years

18. Cuba fell under the Governorship of General Leonard Wood

19. But What Did He Do?
Did he put them into concentration camps like Spain’s Valeriano Weyler?

20. W E Y L E R

21. No Leonard Wood oversaw the building of schools A sanitation system
Agricultural reforms
Urban renewal
Drained pools of standing water, eliminating mosquitos and yellow fever

23. Despite these reforms . . . Cubans still wanted independence
So they rebelled
Wanting the Americans out

24. With public pressure mounting in Cuba and at home in America . . .
U.S. and Cuban delegates began drafting a new constitution.
Congress agreed to remove U.S. troops, but only if Cuba accepted the Platt Amendment
Cuba agreed, so a new constitution was drafted, one that limited Cuba’s independence.

25. Platt Amendment. amended The Teller Amendment
Platt Amendment amended The Teller Amendment! (which had guaranteed Cuban independence)

26. Platt Amendment March 2, 1901

27. Made conditions for U.S withdrawal from Cuba.
Defined Cuban-U.S. relations to be an unequal one of U.S. dominance over Cuba.
Limited Cuba’s independence in the following ways . . .

28. Platt Amendment Conditions:
Restricted Cuba’s foreign policy and commercial relations (Cuba could not make treatises or take loans the U.S. felt detrimental to the island’s independence).
Diminished its territorial boundaries.
Demanded Cuba sell lands to the U.S. for coaling and naval stations (Guantanamo Bay).
Demanded the maintenance of sanitary conditions.

29. Why Did U.S restrict Cuban independence?
Responsible
Explicit Reasons?
Selfish
Implicit Reasons?
Establish trade monopoly
Seize land for naval and coaling bases
Seize resources and cash crops
Oppress and dominate people
Take over the world/create a world empire
Establish mutual prosperity through trade
Promote sanitation standards
Eliminate disease
Fiscal stability by restricting irresponsible borrowing
Political stability by avoiding potentially dangerous alliances
Military presence to protect trade and preserve peace and stability on the island

30. The Platt Amendment made Cuba a U.S
Protectorate

31. Implicit within this paternalistic relationship is the belief that Cuba was unable to care for itself responsibly
Why did America believe this?
Were they justified in believing this?
What prejudicial assumptions were being made?
What were the facts/empirical evidence used to justify their paternalism?
Did victory in war justify America’s control over the ‘colonial spoils’?

32. The U.S. nevertheless reneged on their deal

33. But Why? Because they were: Selfish? Hypocritical? Cruel? Evil?
Seeking the highest good for Cuba and themselves, trying to make the most out of a complicated situation?

34. You decide

35. Consider the Aftermath
Following the Platt amendment, the U.S. cut tariffs between the two countries - giving Cubans sugar preference in U.S. markets, and U.S. product preference in Cuban markets - producing much wealth on both sides.
Most of the Platt Amendment was repealed in 1934 as a part of FDR's "Good Neighbor policy" toward Latin America.
In 1940 the Cuban gov’t eliminated the Platt Amendment.
The long-term lease of Guantánamo Bay, however, continues, despite Castro’s protestations.