invasions and financial plundering by foreign entities...

1856 -- First of five U.S. interventions in Panama to protect the Atlantic-Pacific railroad from Panamanian nationalists.

1898 -- The US declares war on Spain and invades Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

1903 -- The US invades Columbia, cresting a new state of Panama, backed by the US Navy.

1905 -- The US invades the Dominican Republic.

1905 -- U.S. troops land in Honduras for the first of 5 times in next 20 years.

1908 -- U.S. troops intervene in Panama for first of 4 times in next decade.

1909 -- President José Santos Zelaya of Nicaragua proposes that American mining and banana companies pay taxes; he also appropriated church lands and legalized divorce, done business with European firms, and executed two Americans for participating ina rebellion. He was forced to resign via U.S. pressure. The new president, Adolfo Díaz, was the former treasurer of an American mining company.

1911 -- The regime of Miguel Dávila in Honduras irks the State Department by being too friendly with Zelaya and by getting into debt with Britain. He is overthrown by former president Manuel Bonilla, aided by American banana tycoon Sam Zemurray and American mercenary Lee Christmas, who becomes commander-in-chief of the Honduran army.

1915 -- Having sent warships into Haitian harbors 20 times from 1860 to 1915, the US invades Haiti

1917 -- The US invades Cuba, and remains in occupation until 1922. The US also invades Costa Rica to secure American interests.

1920 -- The US invades Guatemala to overthrow its government.

1926 -- The US sends 25,000