Since Columbus landed in the Bahamas, the Caribbean has played an important role in the Western Hemisphere. Valuable trading goods like sugar and indigo as well as the promise of treasure had lured Spain, Britain, France, and various European powers into the area, and recurring struggles caused the territories to change hands frequently.
The US had taken an interest in the Caribbean as early as the colonial period, during which trading routes necessitated that American ships travel through on their way to the rest of the world. During the early years of our nation, European control remained a threat, prompting the US to issue the Monroe Doctrine, effectively prohibiting European colonization of countries in Central and South America. The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 stemmed from the desire to limit British control in Central America. In the twentieth century, American influence was expanded with the acquisition of Puerto Rico and the Platt Amendment of 1901, giving America control over Cuba.
The construction of the Panama Canal greatly increased American presence in the Caribbean area. Driven by the need to travel and ship goods between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Theodore Roosevelt oversaw the realization of the canal in 1903, but this was the result of a long and circuitous path. Fifty years before its construction, the US and Britain negotiated the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, which determined that the canal would be owned by both countries and constructed through Nicaragua. However, this project never went beyond the planning stage. Later, in the 1880s, the French began work on a canal, but were driven away by the working conditions and the variety of tropical diseases of the area. Finally, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901 allowed the US full ownership of a canal through Panama. Colombian Foreign Minister Tomas Herran signed an agreement with the US to build the canal, but the financial terms were unacceptable to its congress, and the offer was rejected. Roosevelt subsequently dispatched warships to Panama City and to the Colombian city of Colon to support the Panamanian independence movement. They won their independence in late 1903 and immediately appointed Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a Frenchman who had been involved with the earlier French attempt at the canal, as an envoy. he negotiated the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty of 1903, which provided the US with a strip of land for the canal in exchange for a $10 million payment and a $250,000 annual payment. Completed in 1914, it was hailed as a major foreign policy achievement at the time.
The US continues to be interested in Caribbean affairs, especially because of its close proximity to the American mainland. There is a constant threat that hostile forces may gain bases or areas of operation in the area, which is virtually our backyard. There are many American citizens living in or visiting the Caribbean, important materials like manganese and bauxite, goods like bananas and coffee, and investments tying us to the region. The geography and climate of the Caribbean also increase its military importance to the US, as it provides access to South America and has a good climate for military training and maintenance.
Currently, there is also a growing attraction of Americans to the Caribbean, as it promises relaxing beaches, pure waters, and warm weather. The amount of American visitors to the islands is growing rapidly, especially among retired people. New facilities being developed to accommodate the host of tourists are increasing the American investment in the area.
The US is sympathetic to Caribbean people’s desires to control their own lives, and the peaceful development of democratic governments is important to American interests. In recent years, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Guyana have gained their independence, and other countries have either become internally autonomous or constitutionally equal to the country that owns them. Throughout the region, however, political change remains a sensitive topic. The people believe they are entitled to decide their own destinies, while they are well aware of American power seemingly looming on the horizon. There is still widespread resentment towards white influence and control. However, the US is aware of this sensitivity, and has been sympathetic towards political development and towards the Caribbean peoples in their quest for independence.
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I was very intrigued at the end when you mentioned how the constant intervention of Americans in the Caribbean has left behind a wave of resentment and hate towards the United States. In fact, the Caribbean is not the only place where we can find resentment towards the United States. Throughout all of Latin America we can see that people are still upset at the fact that the time and time again the United States has intervened and done things its way. This is why I would also like to learn more about the current relationship between the United States and the Caribbean, particularly Cuba. In recent days we have heard about the growing relationships between these two nations, but I would have to ask if there was anything that could still get in the way of complete reconciliation.
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The American government seems to have grown into a very imperialist force, trying to force other neighbouring nations into its sphere of influence as you had shown with your article. Very well written, and very organised. As somebody who has lived in Latin America, the presence of American culture is very much present, and the people seem to be divided, usually having people support American influence, and others not so much. It is very interesting connecting this to my personal life. As shown with Pope Francis, Obama and Castro, it's never too late to make up relations with ancient foes. The Cuban and American alliance is just a beginning for both countries to cooperate together. Do you think this is a good start for both American nations?
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