US Economic Imperialism US Economic Imperialism in Latin Americain Latin America

By Amy KeechBy Amy Keech

Pros and Cons of Pros and Cons of ImperialismImperialism

AdvantagesAdvantages With US help, Latin American With US help, Latin American

governments were able to maintain governments were able to maintain stability and remain out of debt.stability and remain out of debt.

The Panama Canal was built, which The Panama Canal was built, which sped and decreased the cost of sped and decreased the cost of shipping between the Atlantic and shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.Pacific Oceans.

Latin American nations helped supply Latin American nations helped supply industrial countries with raw materials industrial countries with raw materials to be manufactured.to be manufactured.

Most Latin American nations Most Latin American nations technically remained independent, technically remained independent, and were never truly controlled by the and were never truly controlled by the United States.United States.

DisadvantagesDisadvantages The US unofficially occupied nations The US unofficially occupied nations

like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Haiti throughout the Nicaragua and Haiti throughout the early 1900s and exercised their early 1900s and exercised their influence.influence.

While foreign influence brought While foreign influence brought sanitation and material progress, their sanitation and material progress, their was little effort to stabilize Latin was little effort to stabilize Latin American governments to allow them American governments to allow them to function on their own.to function on their own.

The Monroe Doctrine kept European The Monroe Doctrine kept European powers from influencing Latin powers from influencing Latin American states, which would have American states, which would have further globalized trade networks and further globalized trade networks and trade relationships.trade relationships.

Overall…Overall…

In general, foreign influence in Latin In general, foreign influence in Latin America was beneficial because it America was beneficial because it allowed for trade relationships between allowed for trade relationships between industrial countries and suppliers of raw industrial countries and suppliers of raw materials. While the influence was materials. While the influence was sometimes forceful, it allowed for global sometimes forceful, it allowed for global trade networks and increased the rate of trade networks and increased the rate of manufacturing in industrial nations.manufacturing in industrial nations.

Nations InvolvedNations Involved

According to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, European According to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, European interference in Latin America would be viewed as interference in Latin America would be viewed as an act of aggression by the US. Therefore, only an act of aggression by the US. Therefore, only the US economically imperialized Latin American the US economically imperialized Latin American countries such as:countries such as:

Cuba: occupied from 1906-1909, 1912, 1917-1922Cuba: occupied from 1906-1909, 1912, 1917-1922 Dominican Republic: occupied from 1904-1907, 1916Dominican Republic: occupied from 1904-1907, 1916 Nicaragua and Honduras: occupied in 1912Nicaragua and Honduras: occupied in 1912 Haiti: occupied in 1915Haiti: occupied in 1915 Columbia: interfered in for the building of the Panama Canal from Columbia: interfered in for the building of the Panama Canal from

1904-19141904-1914

US Influence in Latin AmericaUS Influence in Latin America

What’s happened since What’s happened since then?then?

Since the mid-1800’s when the United Since the mid-1800’s when the United States began to exercise its influence in States began to exercise its influence in Latin America, Latin American states Latin America, Latin American states have, in general, remained economically have, in general, remained economically unstable. Many still have not unstable. Many still have not industrialized fully and are viewed only as industrialized fully and are viewed only as a source of raw materials for modern a source of raw materials for modern nations and their manufacturing nations and their manufacturing industries.industries.