The Impact of the American Civil War in Latin America
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The Impact of The American Civil War in Latin America Isabel Spafford No War Exists in a Vacuum ò Whole world watching – would this war be the end of the model democracy? ò Foreign policy was crucial in the outcome of the civil war. The Confederacy couldn’t become an autonomous country without foreign recognition. ò Southern states wanted to buy Cuba ò With the US busy in the war, Europe moved back into Latin America. (Mexico, Dominican Republic) ò Abolition of slavery affected countries where slavery still existed (Brazil) Before the Civil War even started, conflicts in the USA were affecting Latin America… The Ostend Manifesto Cuba: 1850s ò Slavery still existed in Cuba ò The recent Haitian rebellion made Spain consider abolishing slavery in Cuba ò Southerners didn’t want a free nation so close to the American South ò Southerners wanted to expand to Cuba, creating 3 new slave states Narciso Lopez ò Venezuelan born Spanish general ò He wanted to free Cuba from Spain ò He led many filibustering expeditions against Spain: ò September 1849 ò May 1850 ò August 1851 ò He was captured and killed publicly in 1851 Southern Filibusters ò In 1851, volunteers and paid soldiers from Kentucky and Louisiana traveled to Cuba on a filibuster expedition ò Southerners supported Lopez’ dream of annexing Cuba into the United States ò Many Cubans wanted to be free from Spain, but they were afraid of a slave uprising ò Becoming a Confederate state provided a solution to this problem ò However, these efforts eventually came to nothing ò Southerners turned their hope to the purchasing Cuba from Spain Origin of the Ostend Manifesto ò Southern democrats pressured Pierce administration to buy Cuba ò 1854: Secretary of State William Marcy (without President Pierces knowledge) instructed British, French, and Spanish diplomats (James Buchanan, John Mason, and Pierre Soulé) to meet and write a document ò They met in Ostend, Belgium to create the document Purpose of the Ostend Manifesto ò “We have arrived at the conclusion, and are thoroughly convinced, that an immediate and earnest effort ought to be made by the government of the United States to purchase Cuba from Spain at any price for which it can be obtained” Ostend Manifesto, paragraph 3 ò The purpose of the document is to convince the USA and Spain that annexing Cuba would be beneficial to both sides Value of the Ostend Manifesto ò “The system of immigration and labor, lately organized within its limits, and the tyranny and oppression which characterize its immediate rulers, threaten an insurrection at every moment which may result in direful consequences to the American people. Cuba has thus become an unceasing danger, and a permanent cause of anxiety and alarm.” Ostend Manifesto, paragraphs 17/18 ò The Ostend Manifesto reveals Southern fears towards Cuba as a foreign nation: What would happen if Spain abolished slavery within Cuba, and it became a country for slaves to escape to? What if Spain decided to go to war with the US, would a colony so close to the US pose a threat? While the south wanted Cuba for a number of reasons, fear was clearly among them. Value of the Ostend Manifesto ò “Should this question be answered in affirmative, then, by every law, human and divine, we shall be justified in wresting it from Spain, if we possess the power” Ostend Manifesto, paragraph 46 ò The Ostend Manifesto shows the expansion-hungry character of the American south, explaining why nations feared US expansionism. Not only does the document state that the US wants to expand to Cuba, it threatens war with Spain if they don’t cooperate Limitations of Ostend Manifesto ò “The undersigned, in compliance with the wish expressed by the President in the several confidential dispatches you have addressed to us…” Ostend Manifesto, paragraph 1 ò While they claim to be in compliance with the President’s wishes, the confidential communication the three men have had with the Secretary of State was unknown to the President. The “wishes expressed” are those of Secretary of State Marcy and, more specifically, the southern democrats who pressured him into expressing those wishes. Limitations of Ostend Manifesto ò “There has been a full and unreserved interchange of views and sentiments between us, which we are most happy to inform you has resulted in a cordial coincidence of opinion.” Ostend Manifesto, paragraph 2 ò The document, which claims to express the views of the American people, in fact expresses the “cordial coincidence of opinion” between three men who, while from America, live thousands of miles away in Europe, far closer to Spain than to Cuba and the US. Aftermath of the Ostend Manifesto ò When Franklin Pierce, who had not supported or even known about the Ostend Manifest, became aware of it, he immediately repudiated the document ò The document offended those inside and outside the Union ò Marcy eventually rejected the manifesto, and Soulé, the spanish ambassador, resigned ò The Ostend Manifesto revealed conflicts within the Union long before the civil war, and how those internal conflicts were not solely internal Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=F2x6sIPsKc “The Foreign War Panacea” William H. Seward: Foreign Relations During the Civil War ² Frontrunner for republican presidential candidate in the election of 1860, but because of his extreme antislavery stance Lincoln became president ² March 5, 1861 – implemented as Secretary of State ² Attempted to resolve Secession Crisis (1861) ² Instrumental in Foreign policy during civil war ² Prevented European recognition of the Confederacy ² Opposed European occupation of Latin America/Caribbean during war, unable to act until after the war Important from Spanish Prime Minister Santo Domingo Leopoldo O’Donell warned that “making ò March 18, 1861 – Spain the contending parties took back the Dominican in America forget their Republic internal discords, might lead them to group ò Pedro Santana, leader of the Dominican Republic, themselves under the welcomed back Spain Monroe Doctrine, a principle accepted ò Clear violation of the without reserve by the Monroe Doctrine slave states no less than by those where free ò Spain took a risk by acting before the Civil War had labor prevails.” officially started in the US Seward’s Last “We must Change the Desperate Act question before the ò Seward was convinced a Public from one upon foreign war with Spain could mend the splitting country Slavery, or about Slavery for a question ò April 1 1861: Seward sent a letter to President Lincoln, upon Union of “Some Thoughts for the Disunion. In other Presidents Consideration,” words, from what expressing his wishes would be regarded as a ò He was promptly shut down Party question to one of – Lincoln could see, as Patriotism of Union…” Seward could not, that the southern states were no Seward, Some Thoughts longer loyal to the Union, for the President’s and a desperate call to war Consideration, paragraph with Spain would only further aggravate an already 4 distressed nation Spain’s Retreat ò In June of 1865, Spain finally left the Dominican Republic for good ò The USA, returning victorious from the Civil War, was once again a threat ò Spain had struggled 4 years against Dominican guerrilla warfare ò The Spanish left Santo Domingo, burning the barracks as they left. Once the war started, the effects on Latin America became only more entangled… Pre-Civil War Mexico ò Ignacio Comonfort ousted in 1858 ò 1861 – President Benito Juarez ò Ley Juarez and Ley Lerdo ò Tried to break up land owned in bulk to create a stronger middle class ò Barred church/indigenous villages from owning land ò In reality, land passed to large landowners/capitalists ò 1857 –Three Years War (Conservatives vs. Liberals) ò By 1860, liberals had effectively won the war We proclaim ideas and forget realities. How can a hungry, naked, miserable population practice popular government? How can we condemn slavery in words, while the lot of most of our fellow citizens is more grievous than that of the black slaves of Cuba of the United States? - Ponciano Arriaga, radical delegate in Mexico French Occupation of Mexico ² European Powers (Britain, Spain, France) disagreed with liberals in Mexico ² Seward offered to lend Mexico money to pay off Europeans; Congress shut down the offer ² Juarez declared a two year moratorium ² October 31, 1861: Britain, France, and Spain sign a tripartite treaty banding together to collect debts, promising not to have any effect in Mexico’s internal affairs or acquire territory ² Louis Napoleon Bonaparte had more ambitious plans. Mexican conservatives had convinced Napoleon that Mexico wanted a Monarchy ² May 5, 1862: Mexicans, with inadequate weaponry, held back French Army ² 1864: Napoleon III placed Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, Archduke of Austria, on the Mexican throne Maximilian ò June 10, 1864 – crowned emperor of Mexico ò He believed he was voted in by the Mexican people ò Upheld Juarez’ reforms, angering conservatives ò Liberals didn’t trust him ò Juarez and liberal rebels continuously tried to overthrow Maximilian using guerilla warfare Maximilian ò 1865: US Civil War ends, Seward insisted France leaves Mexico ò Because of conflicts in France, Napoleon agreed to leave ò June 19, 1867: Maximilian and his top generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía were killed by a “Juarista” firing squad at Querétaro ò Benito Juarez is reinstated as president “The Triumph of Juárez” by José Clemente Orozco Confederate Foreign Policy in Mexico John T. Pickett ò May, 1861: Confederate Secretary of State Robert Toombs sent General John T. Pickett to Mexico to: ò Open a permanent embassy ò Obtain recognition in Mexico ò Form a treaty of peace and business between The Confederacy and Mexico ò Mention the similarities between The Confederacy and Mexico, both economic and social (the similarity between slavery and peonage) ò Tell the Mexican government that the Confederacy might return land taken from Mexico in return for amity John T.