Chapter 10 -2
The Spanish – American War
Vocabulary / Identification
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Jose Marti
Valeriano Weyler
yellow journalism
U.S.S. Maine
George Dewey
Rough Riders
San Juan Hill
Treaty of Paris
America’s Interest for Cuba
 Located 90 miles from Florida, Cuba has
long been the object of American desire.
 1854 – President Franklin Pierce offer to buy
Cuba from Spain.
 Spanish response indicated that they would
rather see Cuba sink into the sea than let
America have it.
America’s Interest for Cuba
 Cubans, however, wanted independence
from Spain, and did not want to fall under
American control.
 First attempt for independence (1867-1878)
failed.
 In 1886, Cubans forced Spain to end
slavery.
 After this minor victory, American
businessmen began investing millions in sugar
plantations in Cuba.
America’s Interest for Cuba
 Second attempt for independence
occurred in 1895.
 Led by the Cuban poet, Jose Marti, Cuban
resistance movements were formed.
 Cuban led guerillas began destroying
property, especially large sugar plantations
owned by Americans.
 Marti and others hoped that these action
would provoke America to act.
America’s Interest for Cuba
 Cuba libre!!! (Free Cuba) was the motto.
 Many found this similar to Patrick Henry’s
famous “give me liberty, or give me death”
speech.
 Public opinion in America was split.
 Many business people wanted America to
support Spain to protect their investment
interests.
 Others want the U.S. to support the rebels fight
for independence.
War Fever Grows in the U.S.
 1896 – Spain responds by sending
General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba.
 Weyler tried to crush the Cubans by
moving to concentration camps.
 300,000 Cubans were moved, thousands
died.
 Weyler’s activities made headlines in the
U.S.
War Fever Grows in the U.S.
 To increase readers, U.S. newspapers
used ‘yellow journalism’ tactics.
 Yellow journalism is the type of reporting
that exaggerates the facts and embellishes
the story to get readers.
War Fever Grows in the U.S.
 Hearst further fans the flames of war
by sending artist Fredric Remington to
Cuba.
 Remington reports to Hearst that nothing
is happening.
 Hearst replies, ‘you get me pictures, I’ll
furnish the war!!’
War Fever Grows in the U.S.
 De Lome letter – American sympathies
for Cuban independence grew.
 1897 – President McKinley takes office.
 Preferring to avoid war, McKinley tries to
negotiate with Spain.
 He appeared to succeed…
 Spain
 Recalled Weyler
 Modified the policy of concentration camps
 Offered Cuba limited self rule.
War Fever Grows in the U.S.
 February 1898 –the New York Journal
obtained a secret letter from the
Spanish minister to the U.S., Enrique de
Lome.
 In the letter, de Lome called McKinley weak
and playing with American sympathies.
 This embarrassed Spain, who apologized
for de Lome’s statements.
 de Lome, for his part, resigned his position.
War Fever Grows in the U.S.
 A few days later, the U.S.S. Maine,
anchored in a Cuban harbor, blew up.
 Many, including Hearst, immediately
blamed the Spanish, and demanded war.
 Hearst offered $50,000 reward for the
capture of those responsible.
Remember the Maine!!
 After the explosion that sunk the
Maine, many in the U.S. demanded
war.
 April 9, 1898, Spain agreed to all
American demands, including a 6
month cease fire.
 That did not matter.
 Public opinion leaned towards war.
Remember the Maine!!
 April 11, McKinley asked Congress to
declare war.
 After a week of discussions, Congress
agreed.
 On April 20, 1898, the U.S. declares
war on Spain.
War Rages On
 While Spain thought the first battle
would take place in Cuba, America
attacked on the other side of the
world.
 April 30, 1898, George Dewey uses the
U.S. Navy to attack the Spanish
territory in the Philippines.
 Like the Cubans, the Filipinos wanted
their freedom too.
War Rages On
 The war in Cuba;
 After fighting on mainland Cuba, American and
Cuba forces prevail.
 TR and his Rough Riders, along with an
African-American regiments, obtain victory
near Santiago.
 This victory set up the Battle of San Juan Hill.
 TR and his Rough Riders played a minor role in
the victory, newspapers declared him a hero.
War Rages On
 Two days later, the Spanish fleet escaped.
 The naval battle that followed along the Cuban
coast resulted in the destruction of the Spanish
Navy.
 As a result, Cuba obtains its independence
from Spain, but at what cost….
War Rages On
 Over 11,000 troops were use to fight
along with forces under Emilio Aguinaldo.
 Dewey demonstrated the superiority of
the American Navy in the battle in Manila.
 In the end, the Philippines are
surrendered by the Spanish.
 Because of this success, 125,000
Americans enlisted to fight in Cuba.
The Treaty of Paris
 The negotiations of the treaty touched off
a firestorm in the U.S.
 Arguments centered around whether or not
America could/should annex the Philippines.
 McKinley finally decided that there is “nothing
left to do but take them all of them (the
Philippines), and educated the Filipinos, and
uplift and Christianize them.”
The Treaty of Paris
 Other important Americans offered a
variety of arguments.
 These arguments ranged from the political,
economic and morality of annexation.
 Booker T. Washington argued that America
should settle race relations at home before
taking on problems elsewhere.
 Samuel Gompers, a labor leader, feared
Filipino immigrants would take American jobs.
The Treaty of Paris
 In the end, the treaty question was settled
on February 6, 1899.
 The U.S. received new lands that
included;
 Guam,
 Puerto Rico,
 and the Philippines.
Homework
 Complete the questions on the back
of the Guided Reading Sheet.
 Page 351 #4