Question

The Cleveland administration said a Cuban victory might lead to "the establishment of a white and a black republic," since Cuba had a mixture of the two races. And the black republic might be dominant.

This idea was expressed in 1896 in an article in The Saturday Review by a young and eloquent imperialist, whose mother was American and whose father was English -Winston Churchill. He wrote that while Spanish rule was bad and the rebels had the support of the people, it would be better for Spain to keep control:

"A grave danger represents itself. Two-fifths of the insurgents in the field are negroes. These men . . would, in the event of success, demand a predominant share in the government of the country . . . the result being, after years of fighting, another black republic."
The Spanish minister to the United States wrote to the U.S. Secretary of State: "In this revolution, the negro element has the most important part. Not only the principal leaders are colored men, but at least eight-tenths of their supporters.... and the result of the war, if the Island can be declared independent, will be a secession of the black element and a black Republic."


6. What arguments did Winston Churchill used to urge the United States to capture Cuba from Spain?

Answer 1

In 1896, Winston Churchill argued in an article in The Saturday Review that it would be better for Spain to keep control of Cuba rather than to let the rebels succeed, as he believed that a victory by the rebels could lead to the establishment of a black republic in which the black population would have a predominant share in the government. Churchill argued that this would be a grave danger, given that two-fifths of the insurgents in the field were negroes. He suggested that the United States should intervene in Cuba to prevent this outcome and to ensure that Spain remained in control of the island. It is worth noting, however, that Churchill's views on imperialism evolved over time, and he later became a vocal opponent of British imperialism in India and elsewhere.