Game of Empires: The Spanish-American War and the Influence of American Imperialism

Previously, the Spanish-American war has been used as a starting point for the development of American imperialism. However, after the rise of the United States as a great industrial power, due to domestic economic developments and worldwide industrialisation, the United States started looking outward. This thesis investigates the extent to which American imperialism is to be regarded as an incentive for the United States to engage in the Spanish-American war. It discusses the concept of American imperialism, the development of the United States during an era of global transformation, the special relationship between Cuba and the United States prior to the war, the influence of (yellow) journalism on the war, and the outcome of the war. Although it is generally agreed that the United States started their imperialistic policy only after the war, statistics on the commerce between the United States and Cuba compared to other countries indicate a special relationship between the two. An analysis on articles from contemporary newspapers and speeches and messages of President McKinley offer new insights on the connection between American imperialism and the Spanish-American war. This thesis concludes that the United States was eager to climb the international hierarchical ladder and did so by engaging in the Spanish-American war. Instead of the Spanish-American war being the beginning of American imperialism, American imperialism was the cause of the war. The United States acquired overseas territory by exercising control, both military and economically.