​    I completed my midterm for HIS 112 on the Spanish American War, during the Spring semester of 2024. I took HIS 112 (American History II) online during a 12-week term.​ The requirements for the essay were to conduct a cause-and-effect analysis of the war, as well as identify any significant opposition to the war. In the first body paragraph, I discussed the direct causes of the war, which included sensationalized (“yellow”) journalism, Spanish atrocities in Cuba, and a combination of moral, economic, and geopolitical concerns that Spain posed toward America. The second paragraph discusses the consequences of the War. Specifically, I outlined the effects of the Treaty of Paris, which was signed by Spain and America following the end of the War. These effects included the security of US economic interests in Latin America, such as the growing sugar industry in Cuba. Lastly, I discussed the work of the Anti-Imperialist League to oppose the Spanish-American War and American expansionism. The essay demonstrates my ability to identify the consequences of human actions, even on a global scale.​​

   

    To successfully complete this assignment, I set two goals. The first goal was to provide a global analysis of the Spanish-American War supported by balanced sources. In order to fulfill my first goal, I first gathered a variety of sources, both from the US government and from outside historians. This variety of perspectives allowed me to consider a balanced view of the Spanish-American War. It also allowed me to consider a global perspective on the War, which helped me to see the War’s place in world history. I then considered how to incorporate these sources into my writing. This included the effects of the war felt by Cuba, Puerto Rica, the Philippines, and other nations, which provided a more complete report of the war’s consequences. Lastly, as I read through the consequences of the War on America, I considered how these consequences might affect other nations. For example, I considered how the increase in American sugar imports affected the rise of plantations in Cuba and other Latin American countries. I have implemented this process in other social science classes, such as ECO 251, ECO 252, as well as HIS 111, to analyze issues from a global perspective.​

 

    My second goal was to document the consequences of the Spanish-American War. To address this goal, I first had to understand the nature of the Spanish-American War itself. This included discussing its relevant causes and conclusion. This then informed me which consequences to focus on in my report, which had a limited scope. For example, one of the significant causes of the Spanish-American War was to protect US economic stakes in Latin America. America wanted to expand its exports to more markets while ensuring it could continue importing cheap goods from Latin America, especially Cuba. Identifying this cause informed me that I should focus on the corresponding economic consequence of the Spanish-American War. This approach helped my report remain focused and relevant. I have applied the same approach in many other social science classes. These include ECO 251 and 252, which included discussions of the consequences of economic actions, like reducing discount rates, lowering taxes, etc.​

   

    Looking back, my social-scientific skills have developed significantly, and I have learned several key lessons. First, I have learned that understanding the consequences of human actions begins with understanding the causes of those actions. Understanding these causes helps me identify the key outcomes that a person or group of people hope for, which often gives a good starting point for which outcomes to analyze. Second, I have learned that being social-scientifically literate involves recognizing that humans are complex, so it is always important to consider multiple perspectives when doing research. Last, I have learned that the consequences of human actions are often far more impactful than we may think. In our ever-globalizing world, it is important to consider how our actions influence people beyond those immediately around us. This is significant because these lessons helped me gain a better grasp of history, politics, and economics, allowing me to understand how people make decisions, the consequences of these decisions, and how I can make decisions that have positive consequences.

 

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