Review: The Spanish-American War

Spain in North America

• Cuba – a Spanish

colony since 1492

• Cuban nationalists

rebel in 1895

• Question for US:

what to do?

Spanish Oppression (?)

• Spain sends Valeriano Weyler

to put down rebellion

• Reconcentration camps –

isolate Cuban nationalists;

harsh conditions

• Americans sympathetic to

Cuban nationalists

• “Weyler the Butcher”

The de Lome Letter

• Published February 9,

1898 in the New York

Journal

• Calls McKinley “weak and

a bidder for the

admiration of the crowd”

• Angers Americans

Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!

• US battleship

• Sinks in Havana harbor,

February 15, 1898

• 261 sailors die

• Cause later determined to

be an internal explosion

• Americans blame Spain

So why do Americans care?

• Yellow journalism – exaggerated or

sensationalized reporting

• Driven by competition for more readers

• Examples: New York Journal, New York World

• Publish aggressive, patriotic stories

promoting war with Spain

The Spanish-American War

• “Splendid little war” –

lasts about 14 weeks

• Two theatres

– Cuba: US invades and

wins

– Philippines: US Navy

defeats Spain

• Ends with Treaty of

Paris

The Treaty of Paris

• Spain leaves Cuba alone; Cuba

becomes “independent”

• US gets Philippines, Puerto Rico, and

Guam

• Debate in US over what to do with

Philippines

Why did the US go to war?

• De Lome letter

• Sinking of the Maine

• Yellow journalism

• Desire to expand – imperialism