Download Selection Four - American History II

Reading Four: The Spanish American War
War in the Philippines
Before the United States began to fight Spain in Cuba, war began in another Spanish colony, the
Philippine Islands. Following the February 25 orders of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore
Roosevelt, Commodore George Dewey had moved the six U.S. ships from the neutral port of Hong
Kong to prepare to invade the Philippines. On May 1, just days after war was declared, Dewey and
his fleet attacked the Spanish squadron in the harbor at Manila, the capital of the Philippines. In
seven hour, U.S. ships demolished the Spanish forces, sinking all ten of their ships.
The Storming of Manila
Dewey could not storm Manila with his sailors, so he blockaded the harbor and waited for ground
troops. Finally, 11,000 reinforcements arrived, and Dewey also entered into collaboration with
Filipino patriot Emilio Aguinaldo, who had led an uprising against Spain in 1896. The rebellion had
successfully ousted Spanish rule in all territories of the Philippines except for Manila. With the help
of Aguinaldo and his rebels, the United States captured Manila on August 13, 1898. Ironically,
Aguinaldo joined the U.S. effort with belief that the United States would grant the Philippines their
independence after Spain was defeated. However, after the successful takeover, Dewey denied
having given any such assurances and claimed Aguinaldo was mistaken.
U.S. Troops Land in Cuba
After Dewey’s victory in the Philippines, soldiers training in the United States were eager to attack
the Spanish in Cuba. Under the command of General Nelson A. Miles and General William R.
Shafter, 17,000 troops landed near Santiago, the base of the Spanish troops. The U.S. troops included
many African Americans, who were anxious to bring independence to Cubans, many of whom were
of African descent or mulattos. Fighting on the island began on June 20, 1898.
The Rough Riders
One unit of the invading army was known as the “Rough Riders.” A colorful regiment of volunteers
under the command of Theodore Roosevelt, they consisted of cowboys, college students, ex-polo
players and steeple chasers, and other adventurous types. Rumor had it that Roosevelt- who resigned
from the Navy Department to serve as lieutenant colonel in the war-had recruited the Rough Riders
in the taproom of a bar in San Antonio, Texas. The Rough Riders-also called “Teddy’s Terrors”- were
undisciplined and not always effective fighters, but they embodied the American enthusiasm for the
fight against Spain and were lauded by the press. Arriving in Cuba on June 22, their spirit and
determination became legendary after they charged on foot up San Juan Hill, a strategically
important part of the ridges surrounding Santiago. There, U.S. troops demoralized the Spanish forces
and took the site.
African Americans in the War
While the efforts of the Rough Riders grabbed headlines, the role of African Americans in the
Spanish-American War was largely ignored by the press of the time. There were numerous AfricanAmerican outfits in the racially segregated U.S. Army, and several of played central roles in defeating
Spain. For example, in the Battle of Guasimas, the black Ninth and Tenth Cavalries opened the way
for the Rough Riders to rout the Spanish, possibly even saving Roosevelt’s men from annihilation.
Similarly, the Cavalries’ efforts alongside the Riders were crucial to the successful capture of San Juan
Hill.
Defeating the Spanish
The battle at San Juan Hill, the first major land battle of the Spanish-American War, turned out to be
the last. Two days after the battle, on July 3, the Spanish fleet tried to run from the U.S. blockade of
Santiago Harbor. In a one-sided battle, they U.S. Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet and ended the
Spanish resistance in Cuba. After sinking the fleet, the United States turned to the Spanish-held
island of Puerto Rico, which they easily conquered in July. So feeble was the Spanish resistance there
that the U.S. landing was referred to by some as a “moonlight excursion.”
The War’s Toll on U.S. Soldiers
While the U.S. ambassador in London, John Hay, declared the four-month-long was a “splendid little
war,” it was hardly so for the soldiers. During the contest with Spain, 385 Americans were killed in
action. Another 5,000 died of tropical, mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and yellow fever, and
the effects of bad food, especially tainted meat, supplied to the army. Upon return from Cuba, many
of the troops had to be quarantined in New York’s immigration centers to guard against an outbreak
of yellow fever in the United States.
The Treatment of African Americans
African-American soldiers who fought in the war suffered in other ways as well. While the Rough
Riders received notoriety for their efforts in Cuba, the Ninth and Tenth Cavalries were not given
much acclaim. Furthermore, as troops passed through the South on their way to Cuba, they were
frequently called epithets and were refused service in restaurants, saloons, and other public places.
One infantry group waited for a week on board a government ship in Tampa, Florida. While there,
they were not allowed to go ashore to bathe of exercise unless they were escorted by an officer.
Whites in the South resented the status for African Americans that accompanied their military
uniforms. Tensions were so high over their service in the war that a series of race riots occurred in
June 1898. Many Americans did not want to accept the suggestion that a united effort to free Cuba
might help erase color boundaries in the United States.