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The Spanish-American War
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The Spanish-American War
Cuban Rebellion (pg 735)
*1898 Cuba and Puerto Rico were Spain’s last remaining colonies in the Western Hemisphere
Cuba’s sugar-cane plantation generated considerable wealth for Spain
1868 Cuban rebels launched guerrilla warfare against Spanish authorities
Jose Marti* Writer and Poet *Father of the
Cuban Revolution
Lived in NYC in 1880’s
Brought Cuban exiles together to train in preparation for an invasion of Cuba
Killed in battle in 1895 at age 43
Spanish Fight Back!
*Spain sent nearly 200,000 troops to put down the rebellion
*General Valeriano Weyler was appointed Governor Nicknamed “The
Butcher” Reconcentration
camps
America Supports Cuba
Many Americans openly supported the Cuban rebels
Stories of Spanish atrocities were reported in two of the nations major newspapers New York Journal (William Randolph
Hearst) New York World (Joseph Pulitzer)
Yellow Journalism-* writers exaggerate or make up stories
Hearst* vs. Pulitzer*
William Randolph Joseph
New York WorldNew York Journal
How long are the Spaniards to drench Cuba with the blood and tears of her people?
How long is the peasantry of Spain to be drafted away to Cuba to die miserably in a hopeless
war, that Spanish nobles and Spanish officers may get medals and honors?
How long shall old Cuban men and women and children be murdered by the score, the innocent
victims of Spanish rage against the patriot armies they cannot conquer?
How long shall the sound of rifles in Castle Morro at sunrise proclaim that bound and
helpless prisoners of war have been murdered in cold blood?
How long shall Cuban women be the victims of Spanish outrages and lie sobbing and bruised in
loathsome prisons?How long shall women passengers on vessels
flying the American flag be unlawfully seized, stripped and searched by brutal, jeering Spanish officers, in violation of the laws of nations and of
the honor of the U.S.?How long shall American citizens, arbitrarily
arrested while on peaceful and legitimate errands, be immured in foul Spanish prisons
without trial?How long shall the U.S. sit idle and indifferent within sound and hearing or rapine and murder?
•HOW LONG?
Call for War
*1897 William McKinley* became President
Did not want to intervene Tried to work our peaceful conclusion *Spain removed Weyler and offered
Cubans autonomy – the right to govern themselves
*This angered Spanish loyalists, who began rioting in Havana
The U.S. Gets Involved
*McKinley worried Americans would be killed, so he sent the USS Maine* to protect Americans living in Havana
On Feb. 15th, 1898, the Maine exploded
• *USS Maine---260 US sailors killed
• *Nobody really knew what caused the explosion, but Spain was blamed for it
• Polarized Americans to support the war against
Spain.• Hearst was heard to say,
“Supply me with pictures and I’ll give you a war”.
The U.S. Gets Involved
On April 19th, 1898, Congress proclaimed Cuba independent and demanded Spain withdraw from the island
On April 24th, Spain declared war on America
A War on Two Fronts
Navy’s North Atlantic Squadron blockaded Cuba
*Commodore George Dewey was ordered to attack the Spanish in the Philippines
*May 1st, 1898, Dewey destroyed entire Spanish Pacific fleet
When the U.S. sent reinforcements, they took Guam from Spain as well
Emilio Aguinaldo*
*Filipino revolutionary that helped Americans defeat the Spanish in the Philippines
Later fought against U.S. in Filipino revolution
Invasion of Cuba
*June 14th, 1898 17,000 U.S. troops landed east of Santiago, Cuba
“Rough Riders” *U.S. performed a 4 pronged attack:
El Carey (N.E. of Santiago) San Juan Heights San Juan Hill Kettle Hill (Rough Riders)
The War In Cuba
Spanish not prepared: Tropical disease Months of fighting rebels Old warships Poorly trained crew
U.S. not prepared: Volunteer Army Lacked resources to train an equip army Unsanitary camp conditions killed more
soldiers than the war
“Rough Riders”*
*Volunteer cavalry regiment formed by Theodore Roosevelt (led by Leonard Wood)
*Famous for victorious charge up Kettle Hill as part of larger battle for San Juan Hills
Retreat!!!
The Spanish commander in Santiago panicked and ordered his men to flee
The Spanish ships were destroyed by the American fleet
2 weeks later the Spanish in Santiago surrendered
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War• Feb. 15: U.S.S. Maine Explodes
• April 24: War is declared• May 1, 1898: The United States
launched a surprise attack in Manila Bay and destroyed Spain’s entire Pacific fleet in seven hours.
• July 1: Roosevelt led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill.
• July 3: The United States Navy sank the remaining Spanish ships.
• August 12: Fighting ends
• Treaty of Paris signed December 10, 1898
“A Splendid
Little War”-
Sec. of State
John Hay
War lasted 4 months
The Spanish-American War The Spanish-American War
Puerto Rico and
Cuba
• Puerto Rico strategic post in Caribbean, for protection of future canal• 1900, Foraker Act* sets up civil government
- president appoints governor, upper house• 1917, Puerto Ricans made U.S. citizens; elect both houses• President McKinley installed a military government to protect American
business interests.• Cuba drafted a constitution in 1900 that did not allow for U.S.
involvement.• The U.S. government only agreed to remove its troops if Cuba included
the Platt Amendment*. (allowed for U.S. naval bases on the island and intervention whenever necessary.
The Aftermath
345 Americans died in combat
2,600 died from disease
10,000 Cubans died during revolution
560 Spanish died in combat
13,000 died from disease
The new American Empire: Cuba Puerto Rico Philippines Guam
Marked America’s entrance into world affairs
Helped heal scars from civil war (North and South; black and white fought together)
To Annex or Not To Annex???
Pros: New Naval Base Market for goods Stop over on the way to China Duty to help less civilized people
Cons: Cheap labor would drive down American
wages Costly $$$$ Violated American principles
Philippines Annexed
McKinley decided to annex the Philippines
On December 10th, 1898 the U.S. and Spain signed the treaty of Paris Cuba became independent U.S. acquired Puerto Rico and Guam Paid Spain $20 million for the Philippines
The United States had just become an imperial power
Rebellion in the Philippines
Revolt led by Emilio Aguinaldo 126,000 U.S. troops sent to stop the
insurrection 4,300 U.S. soldiers killed 50,000-200,000 Filipinos killed Aguinaldo captured March, 1901 War declared over on July 4th, 1902
