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Definition:
The policy in which strong nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories
.

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In the 1890s the U.S. economy was weak
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The "Gilded Age" had passed, leaving labor conflict, business corruption, racial violence, population surges, poverty, unemployment, and markets saturated with manufactured goods.
America's great Western frontier had been settled. The destiny of the nation, long rooted in the spirit of exploration and expansion, suddenly seemed uncertain
(Manifest Destiny)
The United States economy needed foreign markets to sustain itself, the federal government was under pressure to secure its power and prestige in the world community, and Americans yearned to be reassured of their national prowess.
A war was almost inevitable.

As Theodore Roosevelt told a friend in 1897, "I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one."

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Cuba was a colony of Spain
Some Cubans sought freedom from
Spain
“Independia or muerta” (“Independence or death”
This was the opening for those who wanted war

Numerous newspapers called for the U.S. to go to war with
Spain for Cuba’s independence
William Randolph Hurst
New York Journal
Competing New York City newspapers printed outrageous stories about Spanish atrocities that were not true in an effort to sell more papers
Joseph Pulitzer
New York World
Rumors of suffering, starvation, and thousands of deaths in Spanish detention camps inspired many to offer support to the Cuban cause. Americans held rallies, food drives, and fund-raisers for "Cuba Libre," and many petitioned the federal government to intervene
What it managed to do was anger many Americans to the point that they were ready to go to war.

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Yellow Journalism:
A style of reporting in which writers often exaggerated or lied to attract readers.
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Propaganda:
Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

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Sold many papers
Angered many Americans to the point that they were ready to go to war.
Just needed a fuse to trigger a war.

February 15, 1898, the Maine sank in Havana Harbor after an explosion, resulting in the deaths of 266 men
Although no one is sure how the ship exploded, many Americans blamed it on Spain.

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The exact cause of the explosion of the battleship Maine was unclear.
The surviving captain of the ship reported no attack and no Spanish vessels in sight that evening.
In fact, Captain Sigsbee and the other survivors had been rescued and cared for by Spanish crewmen aboard a civilian steamer.

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"The Maine was sunk by an act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards," Navy
Secretary Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the day following the explosion.
Newspapers called for war
Politicians called for war
To obtain even more public support, a form of propaganda called jingoism was used

1) The explosion of the Maine, which was blamed on Spain
2) The United States wanted to expand into
Latin America and the Pacific
3) People in Cuba and Philippines rebelled against Spanish rule
4) Demands for involvement from American expansionists and newspapers

U.S. quickly defeated Spain in Cuba
American forces were led by a volunteer fighting force known as the Rough Riders
The Rough Riders were heroes at the
Battle of San Juan
Hill in Cuba

The Rough
Riders were a group of tough cowboys, miners and lawmen
The Rough Riders were led by the former Secretary of the
Navy – Theodore Roosevelt

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Signed by
President
McKinley
Treaty of Paris ended the war
America had become a world power

The United
States beat
Spain and gains control of
Guam, Puerto
Rico, and the
Philippines and gains influence over Cuba