The War of 1898

“A Splendid Little War”

Focus Question Why do you suppose Secretary of State

John Hay referred to the War of 1898 as “a splendid little war”?

The Last Major Spanish Outpost Cuba remained part of the Spanish

Empire in the 1890s Major gem in the Caribbean Major supplier of sugar Left without autonomy

Cuba and the United States The U.S. long had an interest in Cuba

Close to the U.S. Major sugar producer Tried to purchase Cuba in the early

1800s

Ten Years’ War Cuban rebels rose against Spain in 1868

Rebel leaders driven from Cuba in 1878 The island was devastated Spain was bankrupt

Cuban planters turned to the U.S. for loans Major U.S. investment in sugar

Cuban emigrés settled in U.S.

Role of the Yellow Press Inexpensive, sensationalized

newspapers Pioneered by William Randolph

Hearst Saw a war as a way to sell papers

Focused sympathy for the Cubanpeople in the Cuban War forIndependence

Spanish AtrocitiesCuban rebels quickly seized the

countrysideGovernor Weyler responded

brutallyPeriodic executionsMass exilesDestroy plantations

Reconcentration Camps Weyler ordered peasants collected into

camps Remove support from rebels Keep an eye on suspected rebels

Disastrous policy Poor sanitation and medical facilities Lack of food Wiped out 1/3 of Cuba’s rural population

Policy shocked Americans Incredible sympathy for the Cuban

peopleBelief that Spanish were fiendishly

cruel

TrifectaU.S. long-term interest in CubaU.S. business investment in CubaPublic opinion highly sympathetic

to the Cubans

All that was needed was a spark

The Sinking of the MaineThe U.S. battleship Maine

exploded in the harbor of Havana on February 15, 1898

Public opinion blamed the Spanish for “mining” the Maine

War!! Congress declared War on Spain on April 25,

1898 Sought to “secure peace in Cuba” War ends in August 1898

Treaty of Paris, 1898 Cuba granted independence U.S. gains Puerto Rico and Guam U.S. paid Spain $25 million for the Philippines

Independence or Dependence? Was Cuba an Independent Nation?

McKinley’s War Message Teller Amendment Platt Amendment