Theme 7 USA in the Caribbean

The USA in the Caribbean

In this theme we will cover the following topics;

 Factors that influenced the United States interest in the Caribbean

 Concepts that promoted US superiority
 The effects of United States rule on the Caribbean

Factors that influenced the United States interest in the

Caribbean up to 1985
Political Factors

The US wanted to create a situation which would safe guard the US against enemy attack. For this
reason the US constructed military bases and centers in the Caribbean.

 From around the beginning of the 20th Century, Britain became less able to maintain world wide control of
its empire, this in effect gave control of the Caribbean to the US who was better able to defend it.

 The Caribbean territories were of great importance to the US as members of the United Nations because
their support of the US helped make them a super power.

Ideological/ Humanitarian factors


Americans had missionary and humanitarian desires to spread some of the benefit of their civilization
(which they thought was superior to people in the Caribbean who they thought were backward). They
wanted to build schools and hospitals to eradicate diseases, to improve communication and government.

 The US saw itself as a champion of democracy especially since World War 1 and was interested in
establishing solid foundations in the western Hemisphere including the Caribbean.
 The US believed that it had to spread its influence in order to remain a world power and also to extend
America ideas and intuitions to other parts of the world.

Economic Factors

North Americans had developed trading and business interest in the region before 1776 and this interest
continued even through the navigational acts tended to restrict US trade interests. However once the
navigation laws were removed this stimulated US interest in the Caribbean.

.Concepts that promote US superiority

N.B. A concept is an idea or thought. Those concepts are also referred to as ideologies or paradigms
which are ways of thinking.

MANIFEST DESTINY

This concept came about in 1801 when Thomas Jefferson, the US President said that it was a natural
idea that the US would dominate the Americans including the Caribbean in wealth, power and territory.
The US government at this time and from then on promoted the idea that the US was culturally superior
and that the US was expected to dominate the Caribbean.

MONROE DOCTRINE

Overview

From the beginning of the 20th century the US government was pursuing a policy to become one of the
world super power. In 1823, the US president at the time, James Monroe stated very clearly an idea that
became known as the Monroe Doctrine. He said that America would resist any attempts by foreign
especially the Europeans to reclaim and recolonize any part of the American continent and the
Caribbean.

Details

The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed on the 2nd December 1823, outlined how the USA would deal with
other countries in the Americas (South Central America and the Caribbean). It was named after President
James Monroe (1758 -1831), the fifth president of the USA , who occupied office from 1817 to 1825.

The Monroe Doctrine had four basic points:

 The USA would would not interfere in the internal affairs of, or the wars between European powers.
 The USA recognizes and would not interfere with existing colonies and dependencies in the Western
hemisphere.
 The Western hemisphere was closed to future colonization.
 Any attempt by a European power to oppress or control any nation in the Western hemisphere would be
viewed as a hostile act against the USA.
 OTHER STRATEGIES

 Roosevelt Corollary - In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt added in 'Rossevelt Corollary' to the
Monroe Doctrine, which stated that in cases of flagrant and chronic wrongdoing by a Latin American
nation, the USA could intervene in the internal affairs of the nation.

 Dollar Diplomacy - Giving aid and soft loans to Caribbean countries in order to foster good relations and
get their leaders to give in to US policies. It was basically a way for the US to control events in the
Caribbean. The main feature of dollar diplomacy was intervention in the political and economic life of
neighbours. Haiti, Panama, Dominican Republic and Cuba were all affected. There were significant
economic investments in these countries by Americans so that governments claimed to be stabilizing the
counties to ensure economic progress when in fact it was really securing American interests. Between
1900 and 1930, the United States intervened in at least 5 Caribbean and Latin American countries. The
US government said that the reason for the interference was to make the governments in these countries
more stable but their real intention seemed to be to take control of their economies.

 Good Neighbour Policy - A policy of non- intervention and non- interference. and was geared towards
creating more positive, friendly relationships with the countries in South and Central America and the
Caribbean. This policy was announced in 1933. It described the policy as one where the US would not
intervene in the domestic affairs of other countries even when there was civil unrest in those
countries.The policy was introduced by President Franklin D Roosevelt. This policy was different to the
other US policies as the US would no longer interfere in other countries' affairs claiming to do so to help
bring stability to the countries. The policy was also different as the Americans would not be using their
military or economic influence to intimidate other countries.

Why was the Good Neighbour policy seen as being necessary at the time?

The policy was felt to be necessary as the United States was increasingly seen as being interventionist
and imperialist. The populations in other countries were bitter and US policies were being criticized. The
policy was a bid to re- establish the US as a friendly country in the region and one that did not interfere in
the local affairs in other countries. 

The term ' American imperialism' was coined as the Americans sought to establish themselves in the
Caribbean to get economic control. They used force and economic power to ensure this. There were
several countries that were literally taken over by the Americans in the 1930s. These included Cuba,
Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. They had also bought St Croix, St Thomas and St John for 25
million in 1917. The US were seen after that as modern day colonizers.

As the regional people became more sophisticated they grew to resent this intrusion by the Americans
and Caribbean governments began to object to the American presence. There were also Americans who
felt that these activities were wrong and illegal and also protested American intervention in Caribbean and
Latin American issues.
 US INTERVENTION POLICY

During the 18th Century the 2 main priorities were to:

 prevent European involvement in the Americas

 expand territory across North America.

During the 19th and 20th Centuries the priority was to control the Caribbean basin, including Central
America.

The effects of the United States rule on the Caribbean

Economic factors

In Cuba, public buildings were repaired a school system was properly developed. Tax collection was
improved and railways was requested.
 In the Dominican Republic road building started, health centers and clinics were built and water systems
were developed.
 In Puerto Rico, in the 1940s, Operation Bootstrap was a large programme to developed to large
programmed to develop industries.
 A Caribbean Commission was created during World War 2 aided the building of roads and improved food
production in the Caribbean.
 The United States government invested a lot of money into the sugar industry. Large plantations were
developed under American control.
 Other areas where money was invested were tobacco and banana cultivation, mining and railways
construction. Hotels were constructed by American investors.

Political factors

Military occupation of Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic resulted in stable democracy for some time
afterwards. However, democracy and stable government did not last long. There is still unrest to this day.
 Policies were put in place to put the Caribbean a main priority of the Americans. The following are some
of these policies; The Monroe Doctrine, The Roosevelt Corollary, The good neighbour policy and the
Alliance for progress.
 The presence of the US has helped promote the spread of democracy in the Caribbean especially by
opposing the laws set by rulers who took power by illegal means. In other words, the Us Presence
prevented the creation of authoritarian and militaristic leaders and groups. In the Dominican Republic for
instance, all senior officials were removed and replaced by US military officers.
 By the 1980's, the US opposition to communism and its demonstrated willingness to use force kept the
USSR from getting control of the Caribbean
 Social factors

A Virgin Island Company was developed in the Virgin Islands to help ease unemployment there.
 Volunteers from the US Peace Corps were sent to the Caribbean to work as teachers in some countries.
 Agricultural expansion created many jobs within the Caribbean to the extend that labourers migrated from
Puerto Rico to work in some West Indian islands.
 West Indians from the Lesser Antilles also left their countries to migrate to the United States. This
resulted in the 'brain drain' which is a condition that occurs when skilled educated persons have to work in
another country leaving their own country with a shortage of skilled people.
 Americans settled in Trinidad and built roads, ports, runways and settlements during World War 2 when
the island was used as a base.

Cultural factors

Many of the Caribbean workers on the Panama Canal brought back aspects of American culture to their
islands. These included modes of dress and speech that tried to affect the American accent. The
developing tourism industry also ensured that there were many opportunities for interaction with American
culture by Caribbean nationals.

Between the 1930s and 1940s, there was a wave of migration into the United State. People returning
from that country brought with them cultural influences of speech, dress, music and even food. The
establishment of military bases and the expansion of the oil industry in Trinidad also saw more American
influence as Americans began to live and exist alongside their Caribbean neighbours.

The era of the 1960s and the 1970s saw mixed reactions to the American impact on the Caribbean. The
increased economic activity made people reluctant to criticize the shortcomings. Fortunately, the fears
that American culture would dominate the region and make Caribbean traditions extinct did not
materialize. However, American culture with its various methods of dissemination did make deep inroads
the Caribbean psyche.
 The Nature and consequences of the Americans involvement in the Britsh Caribbean between
1939 and 1985

The United States pursued a good neighbour policy with nations in the region. The Roosevelt government
recognized that the American image abroad, but especially in the Caribbean and the rest of the Americas,
was tarnished. The years of the big stick policy and that of dollar diplomacy fast disappeared.

By 1985, The Americans had been involved in helping several countries in the region, economically .
Most Caribbean countries were democratic except for Cuba which was Communist.

In 1983, Grenada was invaded by American led forces as the legitimately elected government had been
thrown out. There was widespread criticism of the role that the Americans played although they were
invited in to fight against rebellious non democratic governments.

Positive and negative effects of the US presence in Trinidad

Positive effects

Local farming got a boost as additional food had to be grown for the soldiers
 Port facilities were improved to bring in military equipment
 Roads linking Chaguaramas, Maracas, Carlsen Field and Wallerfield were constructed which opened up
more areas for settlement.

Negative effects

 Hundreds of land owners were involuntarily removed from their land in Chaguaramas and other areas.It
was such a serious issue that in 1960, the Prime Minister Eric Williams led a protest march in 1960 for the
USA to return the land that they occupied in Trinidad to Trinidad and Tobago.
 For many years locals were unable to visit beaches in Trinidad as these areas were used as US bases.
 During the periods of the American presence, brothels were built which employed local prostitutes to cater
to the needs of the American soldiers.
Question and Answer

(a) Give 3 economic benefits of American intervention in the Caribbean region between 1900 and
1933.

Three economic benefits of the American intervention were; firstly that there was an increase in the
amount of American capital in the countries. The capital that was invested filtered through the countries.
Secondly, their intervention brought some stability to the region. The violence that often took place in
countries such as Haiti temporarily stopped when the Americans came. Thirdly, the American presence
was seen as a boost for other businesses to develop.

(b) Name 3 countries where the United States intervened during this time.

Three countries that the Americans intervened in during this period were Haiti, Nicaragua and the
Dominican Republic.

(c) What were the MAIN reasons for American intervention during this period?

The main reasons for American intervention were the following; fulfilling a role as regional policemen via
dollar diplomacy and big stick policy, protecting American capital and ensuring regional stability.

The Americans saw it as their role as regional policemen to preserve stability in this period. It was not
difficult as they were the strongest power in the region. They believed in the Monroe Doctrine and
Manifest Destiny that it was their rightful place to dominate the region.

The policies of big stick and dollar diplomacy were really tools used to put this plan into action. The threat
of violence by the Americans was able to ensure that civil disturbances in Caribbean countries did not get
violent.

The Americans wanted to ensure that their capital investments were protected in these countries. In the
period 1900- 1933 there were millions of American dollars invested in the region. Because they had a lot
of money invested in the region, the Americans believed that it was their right to interfere in the affairs in
the region.

The US government felt that it was important to American security that there was regional security. They
felt that their stability was tied up with Caribbean's stability as they had capital tied up in the Caribbean.

Related past paper questions

1. Name 2 British Caribbean territories in which the US set up military bases during World War 2.

2. Give 2 ways in which British Caribbean territories benefited from the US bases.

3. Give 3 ways in which the US affected economic growth in the British Caribbean between 1945 and
1985.
4. Explain how the US influenced the economy of the British Caribbean between 1945 and 1962.

US involvement in various Caribbean countries

US INVOLVEMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN

CUBA

American investors began to invest heavily in Cuba around 1870 and generally became very involved in
the country's economy. The war against Spain that was happening at this time meant loss for many
American investors because Cuba was a Spanish colony.

From 1901 to 1934 the Cuban constitution allowed for the US to legally intervene in Cuban domestic
affairs. Between 1934 and 1958, the US played no role in Cuban politics.

However, economic investments continued. Fidel Castro took power in 1959. The communist policies of
the Castro government were seen as horrible by the US. In 1961 it placed a wholesale trade embargo on
all kinds of shipments to Cuba. It remains in place today. N.B An embargo is an official ban on trade or
other commercial activity with a particular country).

PUERTO RICO

The end of Spanish rule in the Caribbean came with the giving of Puerto Rico to the United States. ( Cuba
also became an American protectorate but later became independent).

PANAMA

The building of the Panama Canal fostered America's keen interest in the country. The US government at
the time which was run by Theodore Roosevelt enabled the US to get the land that was to be made into
the canal. This was important to international onlookers as it displayed the 'big stick' policy of the US.

HAITI

Periodic instability in the country had contributed to economic downfall in Haiti. Between THE 1900s and
World War I, the Americans intervened in the country using military force and took over custom and
revenue collections on the island.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

America's imperialist policy in the Caribbean and surrounding region continued to be demonstrated in this
country. Military intervention after uprisings in this country led to American control.