1869-February-04: Joseph Medill, the influential editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote to Congressman Nathaniel P. Banks advocating for the annexation of the island.

1869-February-04: Joseph Medill, the influential editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote to Congressman Nathaniel P. Banks advocating for the annexation of the island. Medill argued that control of the island would provide “a vast opening for American commerce” and serve as a necessary precursor to the eventual acquisition of Cuba. This letter highlighted a significant transition in American foreign policy: “Big Business” was replacing the old pro-slavery forces as the primary driver behind Caribbean expansion. The island was no longer viewed as a racial “spectre”. It was now a vital economic asset for the burgeoning American industrial empire.