Cuban-American relations since the dawn of the 20th Century

The Law backing up the motives: THE PLATT AMENDMENT

After the Spanish American War, attitudes towards Cuba in the United States were somewhat mixed. Some wanted to annex the country and some wanted to make it independent. The US decided to establish a military government to rule Cuba for a while. After that, another Cuban Government would take over. Written by Elihu Root, Secretary of War, the Platt Amendment was introduced into the Senate by Orville Platt.It was passed in Washington, and reluctantly accepted by the Cuban Constitutional Convention, which saw it as the only way to sovereignty. The Platt Amendment did several things. It gave the United States Guantanamo Bay as a naval base and allowed the US to enter Cuba if it felt things were out of control. This would be used to insure the country's government and remained friendly to the US and that American companies wouldn't be hurt by some sudden change. Copyright (c) 1998 by Team 18355 (library.thinkquest.org/18355)

The Cuban-American mood since 1899. Many Amricans wanted to Cuba to be annexed to the USA.

The good, the bad and the worthy: Governor LEONARD WOOD

Leonard Wood was born in Winchester, New Hampshire, on October 9, 1860. In 1884 after receiving his M.D. from Harvard he joined the Army Medical Corps. He served as a surgeon in the US Army during operations carried out against the Native Americans, and later the White House Physician during the office term of President Glover Cleveland.

Leonard Wood was born in Winchester, New Hampshire, on October 9, 1860. In 1884 after receiving his M.D. from Harvard he joined the Army Medical Corps. He served as a surgeon in the US Army during operations carried out against the Native Americans, and later the White House Physician during the office of President Glover Cleveland. During that time he became Theodore Roosevelt, with whom he became very good friends. During the Spanish-American War they both were sent to fight. Wood was first in command of the group known as the Rough Riders. It was a volunteer army that Roosevelt , next in charge, made famous. After the Spanish had been defeated, the Americans took over Cuba. Leonard Wood served as the military ruler of Santiago for a year, then governed all of Cuba from 1899 to 1902. He was quite successful at his job, and somewhat will-liked in Cuba. Eventually a Cuban government took over the job. Wood later became governor of Moro province in the Philippines, where his troops were involved in several bloody attacks from opposition movements. During the beginning of the first World  War, Wood strongly encouraged America to be prepared for war. Wood narrowly lost the Republican presidential nomination of 1920 to Warren Harding. He returned to the Philippines, running the islands from 1921 to 1927. Again he crushed independence movements, and was disliked there. Wood died on August 7, 1927 .