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Martha Garcia
Carlos Mujal
17B History
June 25, 2010
Causes and Effects of the Spanish-American War
The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. These are just a
few of the lengthy conflicts that come to mind when discussing important wars in American
history. However, another significant but commonly forgotten war that the United States was
involved in was the War of 1898, or the Spanish-American War. A war that developed over
multiple decades, the Spanish-American War was an expression of deeper underlying social
conflicts which had been brewing for years. Although the Spanish-American war lasted only four
months, its effects proved to be vital in shaping the modern world that we live in today.
Instead of being sparked by one event, as some wars are, the Spanish-American war was
caused by a buildup of events including Cuba's ongoing fight for freedom, yellow journalism, the
de Lôme letter, the sinking of the USS Maine, and pressure from republican imperialists. In the
1800's, Spain's control over Central and South America fizzled out nearly completely, and
Spain's status as a dominating world leader was all but completely diminished. After mainland
Latin America was freed from Spain's control, Cuba staged its own attempt for freedom from
Spanish ruling. Even before Cuba attempted to free itself, the United States had interest in
purchasing Cuba, primarily for its sugar resources ("Library of Congress"). Although the United
States didn't directly help Cuba's in its initial liberation attempt, American government officials
and citizens alike kept close tabs on the conflict. However, United States newspapers, the only
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source of information for many Americans, participated in "yellow journalism," harsh
exaggerations of the Spanish mistreatment of Cuban prisoners being held by Spanish soldiers in
Cuba. While the news stories were based on facts, their sensationalist nature caused uproar
among American citizens, who assumed the very worst about the treatment of Cuban prisoners.
This caused significant social pressure on reluctant president William McKinley to aid the
Cubans in their battle for independence. Adding fuel to the fire, in February 1898, The New York
Journal published an incriminating letter swiped from Spanish ambassador, Enrique Dupuy de
Lôme. The letter insulted president William McKinley, calling him "weak" and a "bidder for the
admiration of the crowd . . ." de Lôme's letter went on to say that nothing could be accomplished
in Cuba without military action (de Lôme). Although "yellow journalism" was rampant, this
letter appeared to have credibility since de Lôme announced his resignation shortly after the
letter was leaked. If that wasn't enough to spark a conflict, one week later, on February 15, 1898,
the United States battleship, the USS Maine, was sunk in Havana Harbor by an external
explosion from a mine. The explosion initially killed 260 men, with six more dying in the
aftermath of the blast ("Naval Historical Center"). Although there was no hard evidence to tie
the attack to a specific party, outraged American citizens blamed Spain and clamored for a
declaration of war. Strong republican imperialist leaders also added pressure on president
McKinley to invade Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt, a motivated imperialist and eventual president
of the United States, strongly urged McKinley to declare war on Spain so the United States could
increase its growing dominance. Roosevelt took initiative and showed magnificent foresight in
February of 1898 when he ordered the Navy to block Spanish ships from exiting the Philippines
in the event of the outbreak of war. Even with the buildup of all these events, war between the
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United States and Spain didn't break out until April 21, 1898, more than two months after the
USS Maine was demolished. None of these events in particular sparked the Spanish-American
War; instead it was the growing tension between the United States and Spain that caused the
beginning of this decisive war.
The Spanish-American War concluded on August 12, 1898, lasting only four months, but
it included legendary battles and had lasting effects on world politics. The United States fared
relatively well in the war, losing only 3,000 soldiers out of the roughly 300,000 men that
participated. The war proved how willing the United States population was to go to war, as
approximately 200,000 volunteer soldiers joined American forces. About 90% of the United
States' casualties were from disease, rather than war injuries ("Library of Congress"). The war
went so well for the Americans that the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, John
Hay, described it as "a splendid little war." Spain's experience in the war was anything but
splendid, however. Much like the United States troops, Spanish forces greatly suffered from
disease as they incurred between 55,000 and 60,000 casualties during the war, many of which
were caused by an outbreak of malaria (McSherry). While the casualties and losses were
miniscule compared to other wars in United States history, the effects of the Spanish-American
War had a lasting impact on world history.
Nearly four months after the conclusion of the war, in December of 1898, the Treaty of
Paris was signed. The Treaty of Paris finalized the outcome of the Spanish-American war; it
granted the United States rights to the ownership of Guam and Puerto Rico, while also
facilitating the sale of the Philippines to the United States. Additionally, it liberated Cuba from
Spanish control. The Treaty of Paris and the Spanish-American War had dramatic impacts on
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both the United States and Spain, as well as Cuba. After its victory, the United States was seen
as a new imperialist force in the world, since it gained control of Guam, the Philippines, and
Puerto Rico. The United States also had some operations in Cuba, even though Cuba was
technically liberated by the outcome of the war. Anti-imperialists viewed the United States'
newfound imperialism as "bullying," and they questioned whether the United States, a country
founded on concepts of freedom and equality, should be meddling in the affairs of other, smaller
countries. The impacts on the United States weren't simply external, however. Images of
soldiers from the northern and southern United States fighting side by side against Spanish forces
brought the country together during the tense aftermath of the Civil War. Theodore Roosevelt, a
war hero, gained popularity during the war, and he was later elected vice president and then
president of the United States. As most losers of wars experience, Spain had almost entirely
negative results from their loss in the Spanish-American war. Spain's presence in Latin America
was eliminated, leaving the once-powerful country with only a few territories scattered across the
planet. The Spanish empire had been greatly diminished, if not eliminated. The United States
and Spain weren't the only ones affected by the war, though; Cuba finally achieved the
independence it had been fighting for for over half a decade. The Teller Amendment, which was
enacted two days before the start of the war, guaranteed that Cuba wouldn't be annexed by the
United States, although the United States could intervene in Cuba's government in some
situations.
The Spanish-American War might not have the reputation of other, longer wars in
American history, but it left an important footprint on the world. Spain's dominance was
completely dismantled, the United States was seen as a growing imperialist force, and Cuba
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finally gained independence after over half a decade of fighting. Regardless of how "popular" or
well-known the Spanish-American War is, it's still one of the most vital wars in shaping world
history.
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Works Cited
"The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War." Library of Congress. Hispanic Division
Library of Congress, 14 sep 1998. Web. 24 Jun 2010.
<http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html>.
de LÔME, ENRIQUE DUPUY. "Our Documents - Transcript of De Lome Letter (1898)." Our
Documents. Our Documents, n.d. Web. 24 Jun 2010.
<http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=53&page=transcript>.
"The Destruction of USS Maine." Naval Historical Center. Department of the Navy, 13 Aug
2003. Web. 24 Jun 2010. <http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq71-1.htm>.
McSherry, Patrick. "Casualties During the Spanish American War." The Spanish-American War
Centennial Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jun 2010.
<http://www.spanamwar.com/casualties.htm>.