dec 13, 1898 - Treaty of Paris (Dec 1898)

Description:

US easily got control of remove Pacific Island Guam - captured early in conflict w/ Span; Span ceded Puerto Rico to US as payment for war cost; Last part of Spain’s new world empire → 1st territory annexed to US w/o promise of statehood; US investment in Puerto Rico & imm to US makes the getting of PR most heavy responsibility;

Prob of Philippine - lots of area, ethnically diverse 7 mill ppl; McKinley thought he couldn’t give Philippines back to Span misrule esp after fighting war to free Cuba, couldn’t turn back on country; McKinley saw all choices as bad. McKinley later said that he took Philippines to civilize them & Christianize them;

Signing of Treaty of Paris started most impassioned foreign policy debates in US history; Opponents to annexation of Philippines - would destroy US’s commitments to self-determination & anticolonialism

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