The Pierce administration's secret scheme to gain control of Cuba was stopped when
A) Spain threatened a pre-emptive war against the United States.
B) it was leaked to the public and northerners cried foul.
C) U.S. leaders signed the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
D) Spain declared that it would abolish slavery in Cuba.
E) U.S. adventurers bungled their invasion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Pierce administration's secret scheme was known as the Ostend Manifesto, which suggested that the United States could seize Cuba if Spain refused to sell it. The plan was leaked to the public, and northerners opposed it, seeing it as an attempt to extend slavery. The controversy surrounding the Manifesto forced the administration to drop its plans to acquire Cuba by force.

The Pierce Administration's Secret Scheme to Gain Control of Cuba