The SpanishAmerican War
Chapter 10-2
Cubans Rebel Against
Spain
• By the end of the 19th century Spain had lost many of her
colonies
• However, Cuba still remained a vital holding
• The U.S. had long had interest in Cuba as it laid only 90
miles from the coast of Florida & was rich in sugar
• The U.S. even attempted to buy her from Spain, but
Spain replied that she would rather see Cuba sink into
the ocean than sell her to the U.S.
• From 1868 to 1878 Cubans revolted against the Spanish
gaining American support
• The revolt was not successful, they did get emancipation
for Cuban slaves, but it did allow for American
investment in the large sugarcane industry
The Second War For
Independence
• The anti-Spanish
sentiment would soon
reappear into a second
war for independence
• This revolution would be
led by a Cuban journalist
named Jose Marti
• Public opinion in the U.S.
was split as business
supported the Spanish,
for protection of their
investments, while the
public supported the
cries for independence
War Fever Escalates
• In 1896 Spain sent in
General Valeriano Weyler to
put down the revolution
• He would heard some
300,000 Cubans into a
concentration camp where
they were starved beaten,
& tortured
• Weyler’s action would fuel a
newspaper war, based on
yellow journalism, to sell
newspapers between the
New York Journal & New
York World
• This would fan the flames for
support of the Cubans even
more
The De Lome Letter
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As the headlines grew so did
support for the Cubans so much
so that by the time McKinley took
office demands of American
intervention were very high
Preferring to avoid war with the
U.S. Spain would recall Weyler,
modify its policy regarding
concentration camps, & offered
Cuba limited self government
However, in 1898 a letter was
published written by Enrique
Dupuy de Lome, Spanish minister
to the U.S., where President
McKinley was called “weak” &
“a bidder for the admiration of
the crowd”.
This only angered Americans
more calling for stiffer actions
against the Spanish
The U.S.S. Maine
Explodes
• Only a few days after the
publication of the de Lome
letter American anger
turned to outrage as the
battleship Maine would
explode while docked in
Havana, 260 were killed
• The cry became
“Remember the Maine”
• At this point there was no
turning back as the Spanish
could not save themselves
from conflict with the U.S.
• On April 20th the U.S.
declared war
The War in the
Philippines
• The Spanish thought the U.S.
would immediately invade
Cuba, however the U.S.
would attack the Philippine
Islands
• Commodore George Dewy
would defeat the Spanish
within hours destroying
every Spanish ship
• Dewy had help from the
Phillipino's as they wanted
independence from the
Spanish
• Within four months the
Spanish surrendered
The War in the Caribbean
• Led by Admiral Simpson the
U.S. Navy successfully
blockaded Cuba cutting
her off from Spanish
reinforcements
• The Navy had
demonstrated its superiority
but the army left something
to be desired
• The 125,000 new troops that
had volunteered were ill
equipped & trained
• There were not enough
modern guns, heavy wool
uniforms (tropical climate),
& poor leadership
Rough Riders
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Despite its handicaps American
forces, 17,000 strong, landed in Cuba
in June of 1898
Within the first troops was group of
volunteers known as the Rough Riders
This group of men were led by
Leonard Wood & Teddy Roosevelt
It would be the Rough Riders, along
with two African American units, who
would charge & capture San Juan Hill
Although TR & his men only a played
a minor role the newspapers hailed TR
the hero of the attack
Two days later the Spanish Navy
attempted to escape the blockade
& was totally destroyed by the U.S.
Navy
Treaty of Paris
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After the U.S. victory in Cuba
the U.S. & Spain signed an
armistice end the 15 week
war
In the end Spain agreed to
turn over Guam & Puerto Rico
to the U.S. as well as sell the
Philippines to the U.S. for $20
million
There was much debate over
whether the U.S. had the right
to annex the Philippines
In the end the Senate agreed
& on February 6, 1899 the
Senate approved the Treaty
of Paris officially ending the
Spanish-American War &
annexed the Philippines