Teller Resolution

The Teller Amendment was a resolution passed by the U.S. Congress in 1898, stating that the United States had no intention of taking control of Cuba after the Spanish-American War. This amendment was a response to concerns that the U.S. might annex Cuba, similar to its actions in Hawaii.1

Following the war, the Platt Amendment was appended to a U.S. Army appropriations bill in 1901. It outlined conditions for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Cuba and defined future U.S.-Cuban relations. Key provisions included limiting Cuba's ability to transfer land to other nations, restricting its treaty-making powers, and granting the U.S. rights to a naval base at Guantánamo Bay. It also permitted U.S. intervention in Cuba to preserve its independence. Cuba incorporated these articles into its constitution to secure the U.S. troop withdrawal in 1902. While the U.S. intervened militarily only twice, Cubans generally viewed the Platt Amendment as an infringement on their sovereignty. In 1934, as part of the Good Neighbor policy, most provisions were abrogated, except for the U.S. right to the Guantánamo Bay naval base.2