United States diplomacy during the Civil War and Reconstruction: the stretch towards the Caribbean, 1860-1877

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Kyle Laurence Dreher (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Robert Ferguson

Abstract: The U.S. Civil War as a domestic conflict, confined within the borders of the United States, has been exhaustively studied. Studies focusing on generals, specific battles, actions of militias, and politicians have all been the focus of historians of the Civil War. This thesis will explore U.S. foreign policy developments with the Dominican Republic during these periods. By studying foreign relations between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, this thesis will track the influence of emancipatory thought and imperialist impulses in U.S. foreign diplomacy. In order to delve into the foreign diplomacy of the U.S. during this period, the following question will be central to my analysis: how did imperialist ideology and emancipation fundamentally influence U.S. foreign affairs with Santo Domingo? This main question will allow me to address several secondary questions that further illuminate United States foreign relations with Santo Domingo during this period. How did the Civil War influence Santo Domingo and what caused the perceived need for U.S. intervention into the Caribbean? Why did the United States try to annex Santo Domingo during the Reconstruction period? Why did President Grant prefer a diplomatic route to acquiring the Dominican Republic rather than using military force? By answering these questions, this thesis will hope to prove that there is a connection between emancipatory thought and imperialism in regards to U.S. diplomacy. Finally, the thesis will demonstrate that the events that transpired with the Dominican Republic show a distinct shift in U.S. diplomatic actions in this period.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2017
Subjects
United States -- Foreign relations -- Dominican Republic
United States -- Foreign relations -- Latin America
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1865-1898
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1861-1865
United States -- Territorial expansion
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

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