The Spanish American War
U.S. History 2 AP
Mr. Melvin
Unit 1, Lesson 2
Causes of the War
Not caused by US expansionists and
imperialists
Merely exploited pre-existing conditions in
Cuba
Spanish atrocities
Spanish Atrocities
Spanish misgovernment led to revolt in
1868-1878
February 1895
– New Civil War
– Partially caused by US tariff (1894)
Cubans had to pay to trade raw sugar in US
– Crushed economy
– Brought to light bigger Spanish misgovernment
1895 Cuban Revolt
Imperial Spanish vs. Cuban “insurrectos”
Savage methods used from both:
– Cubans – destroyed property, sugar mills, and
cane fields
– Spanish – General Valerio Weyler
“The Butcher”
Reconcentration policy
Barbed wire camps (2 years = 200,000 dead)
Who is the enemy???
“The Butcher”
Fighting a guerilla
rebellion
Did he have a
choice??
How could he restore
order??
The Yellow Press
Journalism that exploits, distorts, or
exaggerates the news to create
sensations and attract readers.
Further aroused US Jingoism
“This is a neighbor fighting for their
independence!”
The Spaniards are evil!
Circulation War
William Randolph
Hearst (NY Journal)
Joseph Pulitzer (NY
World)
Propaganda Pictures
Frederic Remington
Employed by Hearst
“You furnish me the
pictures and I will
furnish the war.”
Pictures of US
women being strip
searched
Political Cartoons
Yellow Journalism
Even after 3 years of yellow journalism,
the US did not move to war
Other causes
Other Causes
Protestants/Moralists
Help out Cubans
“Moralistic
Aggression”
No desire to annex
Cuba
Other Causes
Outward Imperialists – Military Glory and
Aggression
U.S. Intervention
President Cleveland resisted mounting
pressures
– Not giving Cuba belligerent rights
– Not allowing gun running to Cuba
– Changed in 1896:
Speech rationalizing war
U.S Intervention
President McKinley tried to calm jingoist
spirits (Keep Republican Party united)
New Spanish government:
Attempted to change policies
– Removed Weyler
– Gave Cubans some self-government (No
independence)
– Spaniards in Cuba – No Cuban rule!
– Cubans – We want independence!
President William McKinley
25th President of the
United States
Republican
Served 1896-1901
Last Civil War veteran
to be president
Hated War
U.S. Intervention
Other incidents/accidents pushed US closer to
war
DeLome Letter (February 9, 1898)
Stolen from Spanish minister to US, partially
edited by Hearst, and published
Insults McKinley
"...McKinley is weak and catering to the rabble
and, besides, a low politician who desires to
leave a door open to himself and to stand well
with the jingos of his party."
Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
Battleship sent to guard US civilians in
Havana
Blew up on February 15, 1898 (260 dead)
Investigations:
– US – external explosion
– Spain – internal explosion
The Maine
The Maine
Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
U.S. Senate voted for $50 million in
defense spending (before investigation
complete)
March 19,1898 – Senator Proctor’s
Speech
– Tells of atrocities he saw while visiting Cuba
– Convinces neutrals in Congress
McKinley’s Proposal to Spain
March 27, 1898
– Calls for end of reconcentration, armistice
until Oct. 1, and peace talks with insurgents
through the US
– March 28 – sent telegram saying Cuban
independence a necessary outcome for
successful negotiations
– McKinley didn’t want war, but wanted to
keep Republicans unified
Spain’s conundrum
If it says no – risk war with US
Probably lose all overseas empires
If it says yes – risk revolution at home
Government will be seen as weak
Asks for European intervention
– European powers only ask McKinley not to go
to war
– Will not militarily back Spain
Spanish Response
Message sent on March 31, 1898
Stop reconcentration and grant armistice
April 9th – Spain stops hostilities on its own
April 10th – Tells U.S. it can’t give Cuban
independence
– US Minister in Spain believes peace can be
achieved during armistice
How to Proceed?
April 11 – McKinley gives speech to Congress
(little mention of Spain’s concessions)
April 19 – Congress passes resolution to
recognize Cuban independence
Also passes Teller Amendment
US will not annex Cuba (free hand on other
Spanish possessions)
April 24 – Spain declares war on US
April 25 – US declares war on Spain
Spanish-American War
Over in 10 weeks
John Hay called it “The Splendid Little
War”
Confirmed a romantic view towards war
Most popular of US wars
– Over before war weariness set in
Spanish-American War
US developed Naval Plan in 1896 (in case
war EVER broke out)
Commodore George Dewey’s Fleet sent to
Hong Kong
Capture Manila Bay (Philippines) on April
30, 1898
Destroyed Spanish Naval power in Pacific
Spanish American War
Army much less prepared
Expeditionary Force – 26,000 troops
No plans, strategy, etc.
Embarked from Tampa, Florida
General William Shafter in charge
Transportation broke down, “yellow plague”
broke out
Scapegoat – Secretary of War Russell Alger
Spanish American War
Spanish fleet blockaded
in Santiago Harbor
Easy to land U.S. Army
(June 20, 1898)
18,000 US vs. 200,000
Spanish
Only 13,000 at landing
site
Bad Communication plus
hostile population in
revolt
The Rough Riders
Most famous unit of war
Commanded by Leonard Wood
Teddy Roosevelt second-in-command
Spanish American War
US objective was San Juan Hill
(overlooking Santiago)
July 2, 1898 – captured Kettle Hill
July 3, 1898 – Spanish fleet attempts to
leave Santiago Harbor and is sunk
– 400 dead
Spanish American War
The End of the War
July 16, 1898 – Spanish surrender in Cuba
July 21, 1898 – General Nelson A. Miles
lands in Puerto Rico
Captured by August 12th, 1898
Dewey waits for US troops to arrive in
Philippines
Captures Manila by August 14th, 1898
Assisted by Emilio Aguinaldo and Filipino
insurgents
The End of the War
Armistice arranged between countries on
August 12, 1898
Spain sued for peace on July 18, 1898
What took so long?????
Spain agreed to give up control of Cuba
Conference set for October 1, 1898 in
Paris would work out peace and future of
other Spanish imperial possessions
Text Citations
http://www.spanamwar.com/weyler.JPG
http://www.spanamwar.com/press.htm
http://www.fredericremington.org
http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html
http://historyspace.mrlocke.com/TeddyRoosevelt.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Alfred-Thayer-Mahan.jpg/98px-Alfred-ThayerMahan.jpg
http://www.iamthewitness.com/books/img/Henry.Cabot.Lodge.jpg
http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/mckinley.html
http://smartregion.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/USS-Maine.jpg
http://www.pbs.org/crucible/headline6.html
http://www.spanamwar.com/Mbaynewyorkworld.htm
http://www.historicmapsrestored.com/media/maps/international/ss_size1/spanish_american_war_1898_a.jpg
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/graph%20harv%20col/HC1x4.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Uukx4jpMBQ4/SxBJRCKF2II/AAAAAAAAAIs/0ipG00Hc7rY/s1600/Charge_of_the_Roug
h_Riders_at_San_Juan_Hill.JPG
http://uncoeducation.com/virtualmuseum/sites/default/files/images/San_Juan_Hill_by_Kurz_and_Allison.JPG
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/07/03/PH2008070303098.jpg