Question

Senator Henry Teller agreed to vote for a declaration of war against Spain in 1898 only on the condition that _______.

• A. Cuba would be granted its independence if the United States defeated Spain.
• B. the United States would give up all claims to overseas possessions.
• C. all of Spain's possessions would become U.S. possessions if the United States won the war.
• D. President McKinley would initiate a progressive domestic agenda.
• E. racially integrated units would be used in the war.

Answer 1

The correct option is A Cuba would be granted its independence if the United States defeated Spain.

Senator Henry Teller agreed to vote for a declaration of war against Spain in 1898 only on the condition that Cuba would be granted its independence if the United States defeated Spain. Teller's concerns led to the Teller Amendment, which guaranteed Cuban independence if the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War. Many Americans did not want to duplicate the imperial policies of the European powers, but they could support helping Cuba gain its independence from Spain. Other options are wrong because:

Anti-imperialists argued that the United States should give up overseas possessions (B), but not Teller.

As a result of its victory in the Spanish-American War, the United States took control of Puerto Rico and the Philippines but not Cuba (C).

The conditions involved Cuba, not domestic policy (D).

African Americans did fight in Cuba, but racially integrated units (E) were not used in the U.S. military until the very end of World War II.