Transcript CH. 17-2 THE SPANISH

CH. 17-2 THE SPANISHAMERICAN WAR
AMERICAN HISTORY
SIMMERING UNREST IN CUBA
1890s—Only Spanish colonies in western
hemisphere are Cuba and Puerto Rico
 1868—Cubans launch a series of revolts to
Spanish rule
 Spain sent leaders of the independence
movement into exile
 Jose Marti—exiled to NYC in 1878
 He promoted independence through
newspaper articles and poetry

Marti founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party
in 1892
 Feb. 1895—another Cuban revolt
 Marti joined them in April 1895 but was killed
in battle a month later
 Spain sent soldiers to suppress the rebels in
1896
 Spanish put Cubans into camps to keep them
from aiding the rebels

Nearly 1/3 of people in camps died from
starvation and disease
 Spanish mistreatment of these people shocked
Americans

AMERICANS GET WAR FEVER

Many Americans were sympathetic to the
Cuban cause
THE MEDIA’S ROLE
 Most people get their news from daily or
weekly newspapers
 NYC had as many as 15 newspapers
 New York Journal—William Randolph Hearst;
New York World—Joseph Pulitzer

Both papers told scandalous stories and put
shocking pictures on their pages
 Sensationalist writing became known as
YELLOW JOURNALISM
 Both papers through their support behind the
rebels and didn’t use any Spanish sources for
stories

THE EXPLOSION OF THE MAINE
 Hearst thought the Americans should
intervene in Cuba
 President William McKinley was reluctant to
involve the USA
 February 8, 1898—Journal prints a letter
written by Enrique Dupuy de Lome that was
acquired by the newspaper

The letter ridiculed McKinley for being “weak
and catering to the rabble”
 Americans were outraged
 Americans wanted war with Spain
 USS Maine was sent to Havana to protect
American lives and property
 February 15, 1898—Maine mysteriously blows
up killing 260 sailors

Journal accused “an enemy” for the bombing
but there was no evidence
 Historians believe a fire in the coal room
caused the explosion
 Americans blamed the Spanish
 “Remember the Maine” was a rallying cry
 Late March—McKinley demands that Spain
give Cuba independence

Spain refused
 Congress declared war on Spain on April 25,
1898

THE COURSE OF THE WAR

Spanish-American War lasted only 4 months
WAR IN THE PHILLIPINES
 Asst. Navy Secretary Roosevelt had sent orders
to Commodore George Dewey to attack Spanish
fleet in the Philippines if war broke out
 Dewey rushed to Manila Bay
 May 1, 1898—Spanish open fire but US is out of
range

Dewey did not want to waste ammunition
because resupply was 7000 miles away
 American navy had boats with iron and steel
hulls
 Heavy damage inflicted on the wooden
Spanish ships
 All Spanish ships were on fire and sinking
 No US casualties but 400 injured or killed on
Spanish side in the Battle of Manila Bay

Next move was to attack Manila with the help of
rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo
 US sailors remained in the bay but cut off Spanish
forces
 Spanish forces in Manila surrendered on August
14, 1898

THE WAR IN CUBA
 TELLER AMENDMENT—After Cuba freed itself,
the USA would leave the government and control
of the island to its people

Victory in Cuba was more difficult than first
thought
 US War Dept. was not as prepared as they should
have been
 Soldiers had woolen uniforms for a summer war
 Mess pans-tin plates issued to soldiers—left over
from the Civil War
 Canned meat in Cuba was so sickening it was
called “embalmed beef”

Most soldiers were enlisted, but some were
volunteers
 Most famous volunteers were ROUGH
RIDERS—a group organized by Teddy Roosevelt
 US strategy was to capture Santiago by
controlling the hills surrounding the city
 July 1—soldiers work to control the hills
 Rough Riders gained control of one hill in the
BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL

For their heroic actions, 6 soldiers, including
Roosevelt, were awarded the Medal of Honor
 July 3—US Navy sank the entire Spanish fleet
in Cuba
 Two weeks later—Spanish troops surrendered
 Soon after, the US defeated Spanish forces in
Puerto Rico

CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR
 Spain had to give up all claims to Cuba and cede
the Puerto Rico and the island of Guam to the
US.
 Spain turned over control of the Philippines to
the US for $20 million
 The war cost the US $250 million and some 2000
soldiers died from Yellow Fever
 US now considered an imperialist nation
 Within a year it would acquire the Pacific island
of Samoa

ANNEXATING THE PHILIPPINES
ARGUMENTS FOR ANNEXATION
 Duty to spread US values overseas
 McKinley though we should “educate, uplift,
civilize, and Christianize the Filipinos”
 Others saw the islands as an economic and
strategic place to refuel/resupply ships
 People didn’t want the islands to fall into the
hands of other countries such as Germany or
Japan

OPPONENTS’ VIEWS
 Some felt the annexation would violate the
ideal of self-government
 These people formed the Anti-Imperialist
League in June 1898
 Some people thought annexation would lead
to a flood of new immigrants
 Samuel Gompers (AFL) believed this would
hurt American workers

AMERICAN RULE
 February 6, 1899—US Senate narrowly
approved annexation treaty
 Emilio Aguinaldo threatened military action if
the US tried to assume control
 Fighting broke out for 3 years
 Finally Aguinaldo was captured
 Final casualties—US--4,000, Filipinos--220,000
(mainly from disease)

Stated goal of the US was to prepare the
Philippines for independence
 US appointed a governor
 Filipinos were allowed to select the lower house
of the legislature
 1916—Voters won the right to select both
houses
 JULY 4, 1946—Philippines granted full
independence from the USA
 THE END
