Ostend Manifesto

American  

noun

1. a declaration (1854) issued from Ostend, Belgium, by the U.S. ministers to England, France, and Spain, stating that the U.S. would be justified in seizing Cuba if Spain did not sell it to the U.S.

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Example Sentences

They premised their secret proposal, the Ostend Manifesto External link, on national defense.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

They premised their secret proposal, the Ostend Manifesto External link, on national defense.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

The Ostend Manifesto articulated the right of the United States to forcefully seize Cuba if Spain would not sell it, while filibuster expeditions attempted to annex new slave states without the benefit of governmental approval.

From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014

Yet Spain had not changed its mind since the time of the Ostend Manifesto.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2011

To a mind not previously instructed these two words "Ostend Manifesto", convey absolutely no meaning.

From A Book for All Readers An Aid to the Collection, Use, and Preservation of Books and the Formation of Public and Private Libraries by Spofford, Ainsworth Rand