The Spanish American War

 

What Caused it?

 

Americans had always viewed the Spanish colony of Cuba as an important strategic area that might eventually be added to the U.S.

 

Humanitarianism:

     Americans sympathized with Cuban

           desire for independence

     General Weyler’s concentration camps

           for possible rebels angered Americans

 

Economics:

     American merchants had a large amount

           of trade with Cuba

     American companies had invested

           heavily in Cuban sugar and tobacco

           plantations

 

Yellow Journalism:

     sensationalized news stories in New York

           Journal and New York World

    

     exaggerated stories of Spanish atrocities

           in Cuba

     DeLome letter (stolen from Havana post

           office) that belittled President

           McKinley

    

Sinking of the Maine:

     February 1898: U.S. Battleship Maine

           blew up in Havana harbor

     260 Americans were killed

     Yellow journalists, and jingoists

           persuaded American people that

           Spain was responsible 

 

McKinley demanded an armistice from Spain in Cuban Revolution but ultimately asked for a declaration of war

 

Teller Resolution: America would NOT annex

     Cuba, its government would be

     determined by its people

 

Commodore George Dewey defeated

     Spanish fleet in Manilla, Philippines

 

Spanish fleet at Santiago Cuba was also

     destroyed by Americans

 

American troops captured Santiago after

     Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders

     captured San Juan Hill

 

Results of the War:

 

More Americans died from Yellow fever than

     from Spanish in the “splendid little war”

 

Cuba was made independent

 

Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the

     U.S.

 

Philippines were sold to U.S. for $20 million

 

America made Cuba a temporary

     protectorate through the Platt

     Amendment to the new Cuban

     Constitution

 

It said:

Cuba would not sign any foreign treaty that

     threatened her independence

    

U.S. was allowed to intervene in Cuba to

     preserve life liberty property and

     independence

    

U.S, was granted naval bases (i.e.

     Guantanamo Bay)

 

Why was this war important?

 

The U.S. emerged as a world power with

     colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific

 

America was increasingly recognized as an

     important player in global politics