At its heart, the Platt Amendment is a bunch of rules—seven of them, to be exact—meant to do two things: keep Cuba in line and keep the U.S. involved in the island.
The U.S. wanted to keep a close eye on Cuba because of how close it was (and still is) to America, and it also wanted to take part in Cuba's natural resources. Remember that thanks to the Teller Amendment America could not legally take over Cuba as a territory (like they did with Puerto Rico, for example), so the rules laid out in the Platt Amendment served to get America as close as possible and still stay on the good side of the law (and the eyes of the world).
Questions About Rules & Order
- Were the rules laid out in the Platt Amendment harsh, lenient, or somewhere in the middle? And from whose perspective?
- Were America's rules for Cuba fair, given the history of the island and the early 1900s mindset of imperialism?
- Which rule or rules most impacted the development of Cuba as a new nation? Why?
- Which rule or rules seem out of place or strange compared to the others? Why?
Chew on This
The Platt Amendment's rules were more than just for keeping order; they were meant to restrict Cuba in nearly everything, tying the country to the U.S. like a territory.
The Platt Amendment's rules helped Cuba develop as a new nation by offering U.S. protection and guidance.