5. BASICS OF THE
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
• War with Spain
was declared in
April 1898.
• Four Causes:
• Cuban Rebellion
against Spain
• American desire to
protect its
investments in Cuba
• The Explosion of
the USS Maine
• Yellow Journalism
I just want this to be a think aloud….I will be SMARTboarding it up. I want to get at least 8 things. I will write in the “bubbles.”
Notice: strong images…strong text….cause for actionWhat words pop out that create the desired emotions the newspapers want readers to have?Do you think these examples want people to think or feel a certain way? This is very similar to Yellow Journalism, which is something we will be discussing today…Poll reveals overall declining trust in news mediaDO YOU THINK THIS COULD CAUSE A WAR?DO YOU THINK ANY MEDIA TODAY COULD CAUSE A WAR?WITH THAT…we are going to talk about the Spanish-American War. “The first war “controlled” by the media.
This is an overview of today. Pretty straight forward. This is when I should explain the graphic organizer. Its pretty simple. WAR in the middle…four causes surrounding it. Instruct students that they will have 10 minutes to read and fill in the organizer. If they have questions they should be told to raise their hand and the teacher should come to them.
The MAINE exploded and sank of February 15, 1898 while it sat in the Havana Harbor. NO ONE IS SURE WHY THE MAINE EXPLODED. An investigation in the 1970s suggested that the spontaneous combustion of a coal bunker aboard the ship caused the explosion, but a study in the 1990s concluded that a mine could have done the damage. In 1898, however, many Americans believed it was an act of sabotage by Spanish agents. In response, Congress authorized Republican President William McKinley to spend $50 million for war preparations. McKinley faced tremendous pressure to go to war. Within the Republican Party, jingoism – aggressive nationalism – was very strong. Many Democrats also demanded war. Finally, on April 11, 1898, McKinley asked Congress to authorize the use of force.On April 19, Congress proclaimed Cuba independent, demanded that Spain withdraw from the island, and authorized the president to use armed force if necessary. In response, on April 24, Spain declared war on the United States.As American and Spanish leaders met to discuss the terms for a peace treaty, American debated what to do about their newly acquired lands. Cuba would receive its independence as promised, and Spain had agreed to the US annexation of Guam and Puerto Rico. The big question was what to do with the Philippines. The United States faced a difficult choice – to remain true to its republican ideas or become an imperial power that ruled a foreign country without the consent of its people. The issue sparked an intense political debate.
