Spanish-American War and Beyond

1. Spanish-American War and Beyond A war fought in Cuba in 1898

2. Spanish-American War and beyond • Why would we fight Spain? • Background: • Spain controlled Cuba and the Philippines through a dictatorship • A revolution in Cuba and the Philippines against Spanish rule grabs our attention • The U.S. has citizens working on sugar plantations in Cuba

3. Spanish-American War and beyond • Why go to war?? • We would not help their revolution at first so the Cubans provoked us by burning our sugar plantations to get us involved. We must protect property and trade (Reason #1) • This opportunity could let the US gain a naval base in the pacific to continue our trade as well! (Reason #2)

4. Spanish-American War and beyond • How did Americans feel about a war with Spain? • Jingoism: A super sense of patriotism and demand for aggressive action

5. Spanish-American War and beyond • Spain does not want the U.S. to get involved because they could not win • Spanish leaders send a letter to President McKinley telling him to stay out of this conflict: De Lome Letter (Reason #3) • U.S. must respond and do something

6. Spanish-American War and beyond • The U.S.S. Maine is then sent to the harbor of Havana, Cuba to intimidate the Spanish • It blows up mysteriously in the middle of the night in the harbor killing 266 American sailors (Reason #4) • How did it blow up? Spain? Cuban Rebels? Accident?

7. Spanish-American War and beyond • The media immediately blames Spain and asks the gov’t to go to war! • Yellow Journalism: A type of writing that prints the most sensational, exaggerated, and distorted stories for emotional effect

8. Spanish-American War and beyond

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11. Spanish-American War and beyond • After much thought and consideration, Congress declares war on Spain in 1898 • The war lasted less than 4 months with a U.S. victory

12. Spanish-American War and beyond • The Treaty of Paris is signed in 1898 • Results: • Cuba gains its independence • U.S. gets the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam

13. Spanish-American War and beyond • 1901: The U.S. negotiates the rights to build a Panama Canal to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans • Reasons: Keep U.S. influence in Latin America and make a shorter route between the two oceans • The US stayed involved in world affairs until 1914, with the outbreak of World War I