The Ostend Manifesto was a declaration made by Ministers of the United States in 1857 that Cuba must belong to the USA. In 1852 France and Great Britain, fearful of the filibustering expeditions against Cuba and the possible future favour of the United States toward such expeditions, suggested a tripartite convention in which each should disclaim all intention to obtain possession of Cuba and should discountenance such intention by another power. On October the 9th, 1854, the American Ministers to Great Britain, France and Spain, James Buchanan, John Y Mason and Pierre Soule, met at Ostend and drew up the Ostend Manifesto. This declared that a sale of Cuba to the United States would be advantageous to both governments; but that if Spain refused to sell, it was incumbent upon the Union to 'wrest it from her' (that is to invade it and take it by force), rather than see it Africanised like San Domingo. Research Ostend Manifesto
Alexander II was King of Scotland from 1214 to 1249. Alexander II was born in 1198 and died in 1248. He succeeded his father William the Lion in 1214. He was a wise and energetic prince, and Scotland prospered greatly under him, though disturbed by the Norsemen, by the restlessness of some of the Celtic chiefs, and by the attempts of Henry III of England to make Alexander II do homage to him. Alexander II married Henry's sister, Joan, in 1221, who lived until 1238. In 1244 war with England almost broke out, but was fortunately averted. Alexander II died in 1248 at Kerrera, an island opposite Oban, when on an expedition in which he hoped to wrest the Hebrides from Norway. He was succeeded by his son, Alexander III
Alexander II (Czar Liberator) was Czar of Russia. He was born in 1818 and died in 1881. He was the eldest son of Czar Nicholas, whom he succeeded in 1855, before the end of the Crimean War. After peace was concluded the new emperor set about effecting reforms in the empire, the greatest of all being the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, a measure which gave freedom, on certain conditions, to 22,000,000 human beings who were previously in a state little removed from that of slavery. Under him, too, representative assemblies in the provinces were introduced, and he also did much to improve education, and to reorganize the judicial system. During his reign the Russian dominions in Central Asia were extended, a piece of territory south of the Caucasus, formerly belonging to Turkey, was acquired, and a part of Bessarabia, belonging since the Crimean War to Turkey in Europe, but previously to Russia, was restored to the latter power. The latter additions resulted from the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. He was assassinated in 1881 by the explosion from dynamite thrown at his carriage in St Petersburg by Nihilists. Research Alexander II
Demetrius Poliorcetes (the besieger of cities) was a king of ancient Macedonia. He was born about 339 BC and died in 283 BC. He was the son of Antigonus a successor of Alexander the Great and being sent by his father to wrestGreece from Cassander, he appeared before Athens with a fleet, expelled the governor Demetrius Phalereus, and restored to the people their ancient form of government in 307 BC. He conquered Macedonia in 294 BC and reigned seven years, but lost this country, was imprisoned by Seleucus, and died in Syria in 283 BC. Research Demetrius Poliorcetes
Abbreviations
Research Ostend Manifesto
