War and Empire

In the 1890s the United States was occupied with settlements of the West since there were a lot of vacant lands to be discovered. Meanwhile, the idea of expansionism loomed in many people's minds. At the same time, many opposed this concept. Naval Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt supported expansionism since they knew this would ensure the United States would be a world power. The United States seemed to have empirical interests throughout the world.
Cuba which was under Spanish colonization was just beginning a revolution. …