LogosLet's be honest, most Congressional documents aren't passionate speeches that try to make us tear up or shout a rallying cry. They're formal, legal documents that simply say what is going to h...

Legal DocumentThe Platt Amendment wasn't exactly written to appeal to audiences used to Harry Potter-levels of excitement. It's written by Congress, after all. (*Stifled yawn.*)That being said, it...

Formal, Patronizing, StrictCongress doesn't pull any punches with the Platt Amendment. It says that Cuba must follow these rules if it wants to be independent, as though Congress doesn't trust the...

Formal, Bossy, PatronizingBeing an official piece of legislation from Congress, the Platt Amendment has to be formal. Congress wasn't trying to make it on the New York Times' bestseller list with t...

We're fine admitting this: the title "Platt Amendment" tells us exactly diddly-squat about this piece of legislation. It could be about the mining of unobtainium on Pandora, for all we know. Rememb...

Whereas the Congress of the United States of America, by an Act approved March 2, 1901, provided as follows:Provided further, That in fulfillment of the declaration contained in the joint resolutio...

VIII. That by way of further assurance the government of Cuba will embody the foregoing provisions in a permanent treaty with the United States.The final line in the Platt Amendment is both a remin...

(4) Base CampFirst, the good news: this sucker's short. The entire amendment is less than two pages. (You can cheer now.)Now, the bad news: it's written by the U.S. Congress. Yes, those ladies and...

In-Text ReferencesHistorical and Political ReferencesTeller Amendment (Intro)Treaty of Paris (Intro, III)Isle of Pines (VI)President of the United States (Intro, VII)References to This TextHistoric...

For many years we didn't know who actually blew up the USS Maine, the event that got America 100% involved in the Spanish-American War. Maybe it was all just a bad accident… (Source) A big reason...