Main Idea: A quick victory in the Spanish American
War gave the United States a new role as a world power
Bell Ringer Activity:
During the 1890’s rival newspaper owners William Randolph
Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were trying to win readers with
sensational stories. In 1897 William Hearst sent Fredrick
Remington to Cuba to send back drawings of war scenes
from the Cuban Rebellion. After some time in Cuba,
Remington sent a telegram to Hearst saying… “Everything
is quiet…There will be no war.” Hearst sent a reply “You
furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.” Historians are
unsure whether it is true, but Hearst had a reputation for
doing anything for a good story. Americans however were
already sympathetic to Cuban Rebels. They may not have
needed a push for war
Quick Review
 Why did William Hearst sent Fredric Remington to
Cuba?
 What would Hearst’s motivation have been for
furnishing a war in Cuba?
 By the 1890’s Spain had lost all of its colonies in the
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western Hemisphere except Cuba and Puerto Rico
Cuban had tried many times to revolt against Spain
Jose Marti was exiled from Cuba and moved to the
United States. He continued to push for
independence. In a revolt in 1895 he returned to help
fight, but was killed. He is a Cuban hero
General Wyeler was sent from Spain to supress the
revolt. He forced thousands of Cubans into camps
1/3 of these Cubans were killed
Reading Focus Question
 How did simmering unrest in Cuba lead to rebellion?
 Cubans were unhappy with Spanish rule
 There were a series of revolts
 Jose Marti encourage another major revolt
Americans get War Fever
 Americans began to believe that the Cuban’s situation
was similar to their own.
 In what way?
 What is the irony of their sympathy to Cuba versus
their approach to Hawaii?
William Randolph
Hearst owned the
New York Journal, one
of the top read
magazines of the time
Joseph Hearst owned
the New York World,
the other top read
magazine
Pulitzer Prize was endowed by
Joseph Pulitzer in 1917. It is a
high honor award for the
achievements and excellence in
American journalism, letters,
drama and music. The awards
are given every year. Since 1917,
Columbia University has
awarded these prizes on the
recommendation of a Pulitzer
Prize Board. Fourteen prizes
are given every year in
journalism. There are prizes in
letters that are for fiction,
history, biography or
autobiography, poetry and
general nonfiction. The other
prizes are for music and drama.
 Hearst and Pulitzer were competitors
 Both wrote shocking headlines, inflammatory stories,
and used shocking illustrations. This type of writing
became known as yellow journalism
 Both papers used only the Cuban viewpoint to skew
peoples views of what was happening
 What group of journalists does this remind you of
from the progressive era?
 What kind of newspapers or magazines does this
remind you of today?
Why did Americans get War Fever?
 Newspapers created inflammatory accounts of events
in Cuba
 Americans supported Cuba’s rebellions
What was Yellow Journalism?
Sensationalized reporting designed to attract readers
 Hearst felt strongly that the U.S. should intervene
 He published pictures of the cruelty inflicted on the
cubans to put pressure on the U.S. Government to
intervene
 Initially President William McKinnley was hesitant to
become involved in the conflict
 Hearst purchased a letter from a spy who intercepted it
from Spain’s Ambassador, Enrique Dupuy who called
the President “weak and catering to the rabble”
 Americans were outraged. President McKinnley was
well-like by the public. They were insisting on war
with Spain
Why did the Lome letter create such an
outcry?
 It was critical of President McKinnley
 The USS Maine, sitting in Havana Harbor to protect
American citizens and property mysteriously exploded
killing 260 American Sailors.
 How do you think Hearst and Pulitzer responded?
Cover of
the
Hearst’s
New York
Journal
 McKinnley demanded Spain grant Cuba its
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indpendence
Spain refused
On April 25 1898, The Spanish-American War began
It was fought in Cuba and the Phillipines
It lasted 4 months
 Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt sent orders to
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Commodore Dewey that if war broke out with Spain, he
should attack the Philippines
As Dewey’s fleet attacked, Spain opened fire.
Dewey waited just out of range
Americans had the advantage of iron and steel ships and
superior weaponry
Because of this they faced an easy victory over the wooden
Spanish ships
Not a single American life was lost, 400 Spanish were
injured or killed in the Battle of Manila Bay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r-Z1rtw_6s
 Filipinos had been fighting for independence from
Spain for 2 years
 All Spanish Forces in the Philippines surrendered on
August 14, 1989
Meanwhile in Cuba…
 The United States already recognized Cuba’s
independence from Spain in the Teller Amendment in
which it promised to leave the governement and
control of the island to its people
 Soldiers sent to Cuba were not prepared for the hot
conditions there.
 Woolen uniforms, old supplies, bad food
 Soldiers included a special regime called the rough
riders headed by Theodore Roosevelt
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PV9TU2kCqw&fe
ature=related (Rough Riders)
Strategy
 Wanted to capture the port of Santiago and the hills
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around it, which they achieved after a 4 hour battle.
Battle was led by the Buffalo Soldiers, African
American Cavalries
On July 3 the Us Navy sank the entire Spanish fleet off
the coast of Cuba
2 weeks later they surrendered Cuba
Soon after Spanish troops in Puerto Rico were defeated
Reading Focus Question
 What happened in the course of the Spanish-
American War?
 U.S. Navy defeated Spain in the Manila Bay,
 U.S. defeated Spain on land and in the water in Cuba,
 Then the U.S. defeated Spain in Puerto Rico.
 Why was fighting in Cuba so difficult?
 U.S. Soldiers has old inadequate uniforms and supplies
 They had bad food
Read between the lines
 What was so unusual about the troops that fought in
the Spanish American War?
Outcomes of the Spanish American War
 Spain had to give Cuba independence
 Gave Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States
 Gave the Philippines to the United States for $20
million
 United States spent $250 million on the war
 Lost 2,000 soldiers to yellow fever
 The United States now had more bases for trade and
resupplying the navy
The Philippines Controversy
 Those who wanted to annex it:
 Believed it made the U.S. stronger
 Believed we had a moral duty to educate, uplift, civilize,
and Christianize Filipinos
 Saw the Philippines as a strategic location for military
support
 Those who opposed it:
 Believed we were in contrast to our principals of selfgovernment (what we wanted for ourselves and Cuba)
 Felt the government needed to deal with racism and
oppression in the U.S. before trying to “Americanize”
other groups
 Feared more immigrants would negatively affect job
security in the United States
Why was Annexation of the Philippines
Controversial?
 Some believed that annexation violated the American
Ideal of self governance, we had problems within the
U.S. already, while others believed annexation would
make the U.S. a stronger country and aid the natives.
 In 1899 Congress approved annexation of the
Philippines
 What do you think happened next?
 In 1946 the United States finally granted full
independence to the Philippines