The Spanish-American War

By: Sarah ReBrassier, Julia Cohen, Faryal Rizvi, Agamjot Sangotra, and Aditi Master

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How the War Started

America wanting to expand (imperialism)

Cubans' need for independence

Media's hype about the war (telegram)

Explosion of the USS Maine

Tensions between America and Spain

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Jose Marti Jose Marti

-A leader of the Cuban independence movement but was exiled

-Moved to New York and encouraged Cubans to fight for freedom through newspapers and poetry

-Founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in 1892

-Revolted against Spain with the Cubans but died in battle

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Joseph Pulitzer vs. William Hearst

Joseph Pulitzer

-Published the New York World

-Used the same strategy as the Journal to get people to read dramatic stories about the war

William Randolph Hearst

-Published the New York Journal

-The Journal supported Cuban rebels and did not use any Spanish sources for news stories

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Yellow Journalism Media at the time

• Yellow Journalism- a form of reporting that was made up of sensational, overblown stories

• Originated from New York World’s popular comic, “The Yellow Kid”• Newspapers were the only source of media• Top newspapers- New York Journal and New York World (constantly competing)• Lots of pictures, exciting headlines, and cost as little as one centFR

Media’s Role In War• Considered first “media war”• Portrayal of the situation in Cuba was

overexaggerated • The sinking of the Maine provided the story

needed to help initiate war• Once America took interest, newspapers

worked public into a frenzy• Without Yellow Journalism, the public

attitude about U.S. intervention would have been less supportive

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The de Lôme Letter

•Published by New York Journal on February 9th, 1898.•Letter from Enrique Dupuy de Lôme to the US, criticizing McKinley.•Started the push for war with Cuba.

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USS Maine

•Fitzhugh Lee pushed for US intervention. •Explosion occurred on February 15th, 1898; 266 lives lost.•Spaniards were blamed for the explosion without any real evidence.

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Battle of San Juan Hill

• Started on July 1, 1898

• Spain surrendered• Ended the

"splendid little war"

• Rough Riders and Buffalo Soldiers helped the US to victory

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Rough Riders

• Started by Theodore Roosevelt

• First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry

• Members were lawmen, outlaws, preachers, cowboys, miners, and Native Americans

• Led the Battle of San Juan Hill AS

Buffalo Soldiers

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• Four regiments of African Americans

• Served first during the post-Civil War

• Patrolled frontier, built roads, escorted mail parties, and handled civil and military tasks

• Participated in the battle of San Juan Hill

End of the Spanish-American War

• Treaty of Paris signed December 10, 1898 in France

• U.S. bought Philippines for $20 million

• Puerto Rico and Guam part of U.S.

• Cuba freed from Spain rule

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Philippines

• US bought the Philippines from Spain for $20 million

• Started as allies with the US in order to defeat Spain

• They became a colony instead

• Two months later (February of 1899) fighting began between the two

• America won the war

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P.E.R.M.S of the Spanish-American War

Political

•U.S. has main control over Cuba (Platt Amendment)Economical

•Businesses expanding in CubaReligious

•Everyone is mainly Christian Military

•Sending army to Philippines and CubaSocial

•Exposure to new cultures and beliefs

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