Transcript Spanish American War

Spanish American War
Why was the US interested in Cuba?
 It is 90 miles south of FL
 Spanish “would rather see Cuba sunk in the ocean” then sell
to United States
 1868-1878 Cubans rebelled against Spain – it was
unsuccessful
Jose Marti
 Cuban poet & journalist in NY
 Cubra Libre – free Cuba
 Marti organized another Cuban rebellion
Valeriano Weyler
 General from Spain sent to stop the rebellion
 Took rural population and put them in concentration camp
 300,000 Cubans, thousands died of hunger and disease
US Reaction
 Public opinion split
 Business people wanted to support Spain
 Other’s supported freedom
Yellow Journalism
 Journalists William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer
wanted to sell newspapers
 Lured readers with their headlines and exaggerated accounts
 YELLOW JOURNALISM: sensational style of writing,
which exaggerates news to lure and enrage readers
 http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html
De Lome Letter
 Cuban rebel stole this letter and leaked it to the press
 It was written by a Spanish official Enrique Dupuy de Lome
 Criticized President McKinley calling him “weak”
USS Maine Explodes
 USS Maine was sent to Cuba to bring American’s home
 On February 15, 1898 the ship exploded
 260 killed
 Newspapers said Spanish blew up the ship
 www.unitedstreaming.com
War with Spain Erupts
 The US first attack the Spanish colony of the Philippines
 Filipinos supported the Americans because they wanted
freedom from Spain
 The Spanish surrendered the Philippines to the United States
The War in the Caribbean
 The United States started the hostilities in Cuba with a
blockade
 Blockade: using ships or troops to prevent movement in and
out of a port or a region controlled by a hostile nation
The War in Cuba
 American troops in Cuba had more difficulty than they did in
the Philippines
 They were inexperienced volunteers
 Lacked adequate supplies and effective leaders
 Not enough modern guns to go around
 Troops wore heavy woolen uniforms unsuitable for Cuban
climate
The War in Cuba
 Rough Riders: volunteer troops under the command of
Theodore Roosevelt, given credit for winning the Battle of
San Juan Hill
 After San Juan Hill the Spanish tried to escape the American
blockade.
 Naval battle occurred in the harbor off Santiago
 After the US beat the Spanish in Cuba, American troops
invaded and conquered Puerto Rico
Treaty of Paris
 Spain & the US met in Paris to negotiate a treaty
 Spain freed Cuba
 Gave the US the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico
 Sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million
 After much debate, the United States annexes (adds) the Philippines.