Transcript Spanish American War (Chapter 10 Sec 2)

THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
(April-August 1898)
The United States Becomes A World Power
“A splendid little war”
Secretary of State John Hay
CAUSES
Monroe Doctrine

Keep European influences out of our
hemisphere
American Imperialism

Enhance American Empire (Puerto Rico,
Guam, Philippines)
Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized media used specifically to
instigate pro-American feelings and stir up
support for war
BEGINNINGS
Cuba
 Owned by Spain
• Spanish empire
declining
 U.S. trading partner
• $100M per year
 Cubans trying to gain
independence
• 1860’s failed
• Try again in 1890’s
THE CUBAN
INSURRECTION
Cuba has small army


Uses guerrilla warfare
Burn sugar fields
General Valeriano Weyler

Sets up concentration camps
• All “non-combatants”
• Famine, disease
American opinion of Spanish
actions is low

American press sends reporters to
Cuba to investigate
THINK OUT LOUD
Why would the U.S. be concerned with
what was happening in Cuba?
What would the U.S. have to gain?
AMERICA GETS INVOLVED
William Randolph Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer

Circulation war between their two competing newspapers
• Hearst=New York Journal
• Pulitzer=New York World

NEED to sell newspapers
• What kind of news sells?
• Spanish Oppression of Cubans

“Yellow Journalism”
• Give the public what they want, sensationalize it
• Money and entertainment
– Remington (artist)
– Evangelina Cisneros (niece of a rebel leader)
What is YOUR reaction to the drawing?
“REMEMBER THE MAINE”
Maine sent down as a
“goodwill mission”



Intimidate
Anchored in Port of
Havana
Feb. 1898 Maine
mysteriously blows up
• 260 Americans killed

War doesn’t start
immediately
THINK OUT LOUD
Can you think of another event where
the U.S. was attacked and it started a
war?
How ‘should’ the U.S. respond to attacks
like this?
WHO DONE IT?
Newspapers (“Yellow Journalism”)

Blame Spanish--”Remember The Maine…To
Hell With Spain”
• Spanish don’t want war
• U.S. makes demands to get rid of Weyler and end
concentration camps (March 1898)
• Spanish comply with EVERYTHING except
independence for Cuba

Found out later that it was a boiler that
exploded
• Truth mattered little--most Americans want war
THINK OUT LOUD
Write your OWN (YELLOW
JOURNALISM) headline about the
Terror Attack on 9-11-01.
DE’LOME LETTER
De’Lome Spanish
embassador (D.C.)


Writes a personal letter
to friend in Cuba
Letter is intercepted and
finds its way to front
page of Hearst’s paper
• Letter blasts McKinley
• Criticizes America

Last straw
• War declared April 1898
– Teller Amendment
– U.S. will not take
Cuba
WAR BEGINS
Teddy Roosevelt=
Asst. Sec. Of Navy




TR cables China and
tells Admiral Dewey to
attack Spanish fleet in
Philippines
This is where war
actually starts (Battle
of Manila Bay)
“You may fire when
ready, Gridley”
Admiral Dewey
Spanish lose 400+ men
(we lose 2)
THINK OUT LOUD
Talk to your neighbor and compare the
American “body count” during the Battle
of Manila and the War in Iraq.
WAR IN CUBA
Over in 10 weeks

Men form their own
regiments
• “Rough Riders” formed
by Teddy Roosevelt
• Cowboys, a sheriff,
Indian fighters, ex-cons,
polo players, football
players
• Have to get to Tampa
Bay where boats leave
• Land, wander around
looking for Spanish
• Battle of San Juan Hill
– American victory
RESULTS OF THE WAR
U.S. acquires Guam, Puerto Rico and the
Philippines

Philippines cost $20 million
Hawaii

We don’t get it from the Spanish but it is
annexed as a result of the war
Platt Amendment

Give Cuba its independence
• Cuba not allowed to make treaties that would
compromise their independence