“That Splendid Little War”

The Spanish-American War

April 25-August 12, 1898

Indicator 7-4.3

Why did we get involved in a war with Spain?

• Sympathy for Cuba’s struggle for Independence

• Growing American “imperialism”

• Increasing political pressures and ambitions

• Active support of a military solution to what should have been solved politically

• Yellow Journalism – fever for war!

• Sinking of the Battleship Maine

The Spanish were in control of affairs in Cuba. Cubans were being exploited and they wanted their independence. The people of the United States sympathized with Cubans and the notion of war grew more popular.Captain-General

Ramon Blanco

Jose Marti had led an uprising in 1895 that was brutally ended by the Military Governor, “Butcher” Weyler. Many thousands died of starvation and disease in concentration camps. Word of these atrocities brought support from the United States.

There were many in this country who supported the idea of war…

• Imperialist ideas wanted to extend influence in areas overseas to enhance the economy

• The “Manifest Destiny” group wanted expansion for the sake of expansion

• Some saw war as a means to an end – perhaps a political career

• Rival newspapers saw this as an opportunity to increase circulation and make money

• Some said “America needs a war.”

President McKinley tried to prevent a war but was almost helpless to stem the tide.

Pulitzer

The MaineThe Rabid News Reports

Hearst

Joseph Pulitzer was owner of the New York World. He began using melodrama, romance, and hyperbole to gain a greater audience. He created a cartoon character called “the Yellow kid” to attract interest and customers.

Not to be outdone, William Randolph Hearst, of the New York Journal, created another cartoon character who was also the “yellow kid.” Soon the two newspapermen were locked in a game of “can you top this?”.

The truth was lost in the shuffle and, meanwhile, a war was created.

It is claimed that Hearst sent Frederick Remington a cable stating, “You furnish the pictures , and I’ll furnish the war.”

But is that any worse than Teddy Roosevelt saying, “I should welcome almost any war for I think this country needs one”?

Many journalists never got closer to Cuba than the bars in Key West. Journalists who actually made the trip to Havana, seldom left the luxury of the hotels where they sat under ceiling fans, drank “Cuba Libras” and pumped out sensational stories that made Spain a villainous enemy to all.

War becameinevitable!

The Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor

After the explosion

What happened to the Maine?

• The exact cause of the explosion has never been determined.

• Some say it was a bomb from the outside, placed by the Spanish

• Some say it was an internal explosion, perhaps accidental, but 266 men lost their lives

• Whatever caused the explosion, the explosion caused the declaration of war!

• “Remember the Maine” became the battle cry• Soon the US and Spain were locked in war

A superior United States naval fleet soon brought an end to the Spanish presence on the sea near Cuba and the Philippines.

Once the Spanish navy was gone, the internal fighting on the part of the Spanish was doomed to failure. Before long it became apparent which side would win.

The Pacific fleet was visiting Hong Kong when the news of war arrived. Commodore George Dewey quickly provisioned his ships and set off to attack the Spanish colony in the Philippine Islands.

Once at sea, Commodore Dewey had his men paint all the ships. Once a bright white, the ships were soon covered with a dull gray to make them less visible to the enemy. Next, Dewey ordered that everything made of wood, including the piano on his flagship Olympia, be tossed over the side. Splintered wood presented a greater danger to his crews than enemy shells. Then with chests, chairs, and tables bobbing in the water behind them, the ships went after the Spanish fleet.

Dewey found the Spaniards in the shallows of Manila Bay. At dawn on the first of May, the Olympia led the fleet in single file toward its enemy. The Spanish opened fire long before the Americans were within range. The Olympia moved still closer. When it reached effective range, it turned sharply to the west, bringing all its guns to bear upon the Spanish fleet.

"You may fire when ready, Gridley," Dewey told his executive officer. With a deafening roar, the huge cruiser's guns erupted. In two hours it was all over. The Spanish had lost.

The fighting in the Philippines was over quickly, but things did not go so well in Tampa in preparation for the invasion of Cuba. Confusion and disorder reigned. Eventually Roosevelt took charge and got his group out of Tampa and into Cuba. Anyone who knew him, knew he was a man of action. The army moved into Cuba and quickly took over that theater, as well. Puerto Rico fell in very short order.

Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders had their war and a chance for glory. Journalists made the most of their opportunity to write about the “Splendid Little War.” The soldiers who fought probably saw things differently!

Spain agreed to an armistice. In the four months of fighting, Americans had lost a total of 460 soldiers in battle. Compared to the Civil War, in which tens of thousands were often killed in a single day, these casualties seemed insignificant. "It's been a splendid little war," the ambassador to England wrote to his friend, Teddy Roosevelt.

Roosevelt returned, the hero of the war. Because of his heroism on Kettle Hill, he'd been nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor. His popularity swept him to the governorship of New York. Like Dewey before him, Roosevelt memorabilia filled shop windows. One of the more popular items was a cuddly stuffed animal wearing a bandana and glasses. People called it the "Teddy Bear."

Though the facts sometimes get lost in the sensationalism, the Spanish-American War established the new United States as a world power to be respected, possessing important lands overseas. Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico came to the United States. Cuba was not part of the deal because of its huge debt. The United States was on the rise as a nation. On the other hand, Spain faded into obscurity.

Created by Carol Poole, June 2004