In this presentation we examine the Spanish-American War

1. The Spanish-American War

2. “Blood on the roadsides, blood in the fields,
blood on the doorsteps, blood, blood , blood!”
- an excerpt from a newspaper article in the
World describing the Cuban Revolution
Journal Question #1
How can yellow journalism influence people’s
opinions on foreign policy issues?

3. “The Causes of War”

4. America Supports Cuba

5. The Cuban Rebellion
• Cuban rebels led by Jose Marti took
control of Eastern Cuba from Spain in
February 1895 and in September they
declared their territory the Republic of
Cuba

6. American Neutrality
• The U.S. had significant investments in,
and trade with, Cuba.
• President Grover Cleveland asserted that
the U.S. would not take sides in the
rebellion
• However, many Americans supported the
Cuban rebels’ cause

7. American Property Destroyed
• Cuban rebels staged hit-and-run raids,
burned plantations and sugar mills, tore up
railroad tracks, and attacked supply
depots
• The rebels hoped that the destruction of
American property would lead to American
intervention in the war

8. Spanish Atrocities
• To suppress the rebellion, Spain sent
some 200,000 troops to Cuba
• In attempt to keep villagers from aiding the
rebels, they herded hundreds of
thousands of men, women, and children
into “re-concentration camps,” where tens
of thousands died from starvation and
disease

9. Yellow Journalism
• Reports of the Cuban Revolution reached
Americans through newspapers
• Two fiercely competitive newspapers, the
New York Journal and the New York
World, generated much of the American
support for the rebels through their
creatively dramatized stories of Spanish
atrocities

10. Yellow Journalism
• The term yellow journalism evolved from
the name of a comic strip character, the
Yellow Kid, who was drawn by two
different artists in the New York World and
the New York Journal at the same time
• The Yellow Kid strips symbolized the
competition between the tow newspapers
and eventually lent its name to their style
of wildly dramatized reporting

11. The Coming of War

12. Spanish Concessions
• In 1897 President McKinley offered to help
negotiate an end to the conflict but warned
the Spanish that the U.S. was considering
military intervention
• Spain made some concessions, including
the removal of Valeriano Weyler the
Governor General of Cuba, however the
rebels would not negotiate

13. The USS Maine Explodes
• Spanish loyalists in Cuba responded to
Spain’s concessions with rioting in Cuba’s
capital Havana
• Fearing Americans might be in danger,
McKinley sent the battleship USS Maine in
case they had to be evacuated
• On the evening of February 15, 1898, the
Maine was ripped apart by an explosion
the battleship sank

14. Spain Blamed For The Maine
• Many Americans, with their anger stoked
by yellow journalism, believed the ship
was destroyed by Spanish Agents
• “Remember the Maine!” became the
rallying cry for those demanding a
declaration of war against Spain

15. Congress Acts
• On April 11, 1898, President McKinley
asked Congress to authorize the use of
force against Spain
• One week later, Congress recognized
Cuba’s independence, insisted that Spain
leave the island, and approved the use of
armed force if necessary

16. Both Sides Declare War
• On April 24, 1898, Spain declared war on
the United States
• The next day, the United States officially
declared war on Spain

17. Journal Question #2
Do you think if the USS Maine had not been
destroyed, the Spanish-American War would
not have occurred? Why or why not?

18. “A War on Two Fronts”

19. The Course of the War

20. The War in the Philippines
• In early May 1898, an American naval
squadron under the leadership of
Commodore George Dewey destroyed the
aging Spanish fleet in Manila Bay and
seized the city of Manila, the capital of the
Philippines

21. The War in Cuba
• Destroying the Spanish naval fleet was also a
key aid of America on the second front of the
war---Cuba
• To do so, the U.S. landed troops near
Santiago, the site of powerful guns that
protected the Spanich fleet, in Santiago
Harbor
• After the Americans took a village near
Santiago and a nearby hill, the Spanish fleet
retreated from the harbor and was destroyed
by American warships

22. “An American Empire”

23. The Lasting Consequences
of the War

24. Potential Overseas Empire
• With the defeat of Spain, the U.S. was
given the opportunity to acquire an
overseas empire
• Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto
Rico all came under American control

25. The Philippines
• The Philippines did not want to be
annexed
• The debate pitted those who favored
American empire against those who
insisted the nation stay true to its
republican ideals

26. Supporters and Opponents
• The U.S. Navy was in favor of annexing
the Philippines because they would be
able to build a base there, and merchant
ships could stop there on the way to East
Asia
• As a colony, the Philippines would supply
raw materials and consume American-
made goods

27. The Treaty of Paris
• President McKinley ultimately decided to
annex the Philippines
• On December 10, 1898, the U.S. and
Spain signed the Treaty of Paris
• Under the treaty, Cuba became an
independent nation, and the U.S. acquired
Puerto Rico and Guam and also agreed to
pay Spain $20 million for the Philippines

28. Platt Amendment
• Cuban independence came with a price
• American troops would be withdrawn only
after it accepted certain duties and
restriction spelled out in the Platt
Amendment
• The Platt Amendment also permitted the
U.S. to lease or buy lands for the purpose
of the establishing naval bases (the main
one was Guantanamo Bay) and coaling
stations in Cuba

29. Our Time to Reflect

30. Journal Question #3
Do American actions always match
American ideals? To put it another way; Do
our actions always match our ideas?