The Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine Caused the United States to Invade Cuba in 1898

Paper 1 Disagree: U.S. Acted in Self Interests
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Paper 1 Disagree: U.S. Acted in Self Interests
America invaded Cuba in 1898 after a Maine that was sent near the country exploded. Critical to the debate is the fact that some historians believe that the explosion of the Maine explains why America invaded Cuba. On the contrary, some historians believe that America’s invasion of Cuba was offset by a trail of events including the explosion of the Maine. It is notable that the latter explanation as to why America invaded Cuba does not deny the fact that the explosion under discussion contributed to America’s invasion of Cuba. Based on the two arguments, I inscribe to the opinion that America did not invade Cuba because of the Maine Explosion. Instead, America invaded Cuba because the Country had economic and political interests in Cuba. The explosion of the Maine was only a reason for America to invade Cuba because they always wanted to.
To begin with, the political unrest in Cuba was the main reason why America invaded the country. As evidenced, Mirza (2010) argues that Cuba, which was under the Spanish rule, had rebelled against Spain severally. As a Result, Spain responded by sending a savage general Weyler to thwart the rebellions. Critical to the discussion is the fact that the general lived up to his reputation and controlled the rebellion. Specifically, the general controlled the rebellion by setting up concentration camps for imprisoning a large fraction of the population. It is notable that the concentration camps had unsanitary and harsh conditions that caused the deaths of several Cubans. Consequently, some Americans started calling for action because they were outraged by the atrocities in Cuba. However, the then American president Grover Cleveland vowed not to invade Cuba even if the Congress directed so.
As mentioned earlier, America invaded Cuba because America had economic interests in the country. According to Offner (1998), Cuba had grown into an important producer of tobacco and sugar cane in the later years of the 19th century. The author further asserts that the number of American investments in the country rose rapidly in the country. Specifically, Offner (1998) reveals that North Americans had invested up to 50 million dollars in the country. Further, commerce between the island and the mainland exceeded 100 million dollars by 1893. Simply put, Cuba was an important source of raw materials such as tobacco, sugar cane, and minerals. For instance, Pomakoy (2011) reveals that America impor...