Name:________________________________
Period:____
The Spanish American War
Background:
Who? Spain vs. United States
President during the war: William McKinley
“A Splendid Little War”
- John Hay
Location: Philippines, Cuba (Spanish Colonies)
Causes of the War
Event
Cuban
Revolution
U.S.
Economic
Interests
Yellow
Journalists
De Lome
Letter
Sinking of
the Maine
Description
Cubans were fighting the Spanish because they wanted
to be independent from Spain. As a result, Cuban
civilians were forced into deplorable Spanish-run
slave camps where many died from disease/starvation.
Many of Cuba’s sugar plantations were owned by
Americans who wanted to protect their economic interests.
Impact or Reaction
These events made Spain look horrible
in the eyes of the Americans who
sympathized with Cubans. So
the US decided to come to their
aid.
Their desire to protect their own
personal economic interests made
Americans more likely to aid Cuba
in their fight for independence.
Newspapers created highly exaggerated and
sensationalized stories to attract more readers and
make more money.
These sensationalized and
exaggerated stories made
Americans want war!
The De Lome Letter, published by the New York Journal,
was a letter written by Spanish minister to the US, Enrique
Dupuy de Lome, which ridiculed President McKinley.
This letter made it hard for
leaders to withstand the demands
for war.
The USS Maine exploded in the harbor of Havana, Cuba.
At first, most Americans believed (in part because of
yellow journalism) that it was Spain’s fault. However,
the 1976 U.S. Navy analyzed the sunken ship and
determined that the hull blew out, not in (which
implies that the explosion was the result of a mine
accident).
The explosion of the USS Maine
sparked the war between the US
and Spain – “Remember the
Maine! To hell with Spain!
Rough Riders:
A “Cowboy Cavalry” led by Teddy Roosevelt
who participated in the Battle of San Juan Hill
Effects of the War




U.S. wins war in less than 4 months
U.S. becomes world power
Treaty of Paris: (1898) granted Cuba independence; US gained Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam
for $20 million to become US territories.
U.S. gained former Spanish colonies,
which set off the debate among
imperialists and anti-imperialists in Asia
and Latin America