American Hegemony over Carribbean and Latin America

The title is confusing so let me clarify, This is my first attempt at a thread so excuse the holes and I will try to fill them if at all possible.:) I was thinking a POD around the End of the Spanish-American War, and instead of the Platt amendment passing, it is narrowly rejected, most of the credit goes to a young Theodore Roosevelt, after getting his command in trouble he was saved by the black combat regiment attached to his assault on San Juan Hill (I know he went up a different hill but I don't remember the name) he gives an impassioned interview to Hearst's New York Post stating the worth and fighting prowess of the black soldiers under his(?) command when he returns to New York. He said something like this, "I say bully to those who think the Negro soldier is not capable of fighting alongside the white soldier, in Cuba they fought as hard as any white man. I believe in the cause of freedom for the good, peaceful and yet brutally oppressed Cuban people, but they need American guidance. I would say that Cuba needs to learn about freedom and democracy and they can't do that with their only experience being those Spanish dogs who only answer the call of their master the Hun." when pressed Roosevelt responds, "I fully support the occupation and continued presence of the USA in Cuba" This interview gives the progressive movement a lift and gives the NAACP and Booker T. an unwitting Theodore Rooosevelt.
 
Kettle Hill is what you are thinking about.

I'm not sure what the main thrust of your ATL is since the US did have a hegemony over the Carribbean and most of Latin America. The further south you go the less they heed the US.
 
Well if the Platt amendment isn't voted into law then the annexation of Cuba is possible and it allows the direct annexation of Puerto Rico, Phillipines, Guam, etc. I was envisioning TR's interview kicking off two different events, shaking up race relations and providing political cover for a more Imperialist direct occupation USA not our current brand of interventionism.
 
I think Roosevelt did touch on race relations alot during his Presidency, particularly his invitation to Booker T. Washington to visit the White House. However, while he is in office he is constrained by the membership and views of his party. He knows what he can get away with and what will not be accepted. He may be popular but he isn't going to squander his political capital either.
 
Roosevelt was an emotional guy who could do exactly what he felt like. Fitting that character trait into the equation a situation like the one above is possible, I'm not saying direct invovlment in civil rights but he might desegregate the army or he could go the other way and create colonial units, the guy was a liberal republican for the period but he was still a social darwinist, consisting of all black units. These units could get used in the phillipines or the in future colonial adventures. I think this warrants research agree? I'm not sure if the Spanish-American War is capable of generating the type of feelings that are necessary to create the kind of political patriotism that would allow serious equality in the armed services?


Any thoughts of how to construct a better scenario? things to focus on?
 
Thinking earlier: Mexican-American War. By the time the US Army had reached Mexico City there was a very strong call for seizing several states from Mexico proper and even out and out annexation (remembering at this time belief in a USA encompassing the entire North American continent was still on the cards).

Mexico, the Central American adeventures of the 1850's, Cuba: All could have ended in annexation given the right frame of mind, after all they're all technically American ;)
 
TTL
I didn't want to use the Mexican war (although William Walker could be interesting) for several reasons, race relations in a pre civil war america were not condusive to the incorporation of mexico into the union, I didn't want to do a time line with slavery still involved, and its my first thread so I wanted to see if it was possible to take something rather inconquenstial to american history and make it a real POD.
How bout this to continue the thread
Soon after TR's interview he is named Commissioner of the Spanish Antilles (PR, Cuba, and eventually Hispaniola) by President McKinley, out of political considerations TR was not invited back to the Naval Dept. TR spends his time as Commish not only engaging in his ornithological and naturalistic pursuits and all that walking keeps TR's weight down causing him to be in better in health. TR's compatriot Leonard Wood is sent to the Phillippines to subjugate the Island and along with Taft begin to bring organize the island. Jack Pershing is sent to Cuba in 1904 to assist TR in putdown a rebellion on the newly annexed Haitian republic.
Just a rough I need to do research
History
The Spanish American War is remembered and taught to americans as a jingoistic experience and not really important besides what it did for Roosevlt's rep. As for taking Mexico I was thinking the opportunity would come later in TTL be a little later possibly with Pancho Villa or because of USA exspansion into the Carribbean and Central America.
 
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