Download The Spanish-American War 1898

The Spanish-American War
1898
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The USS Maine
The remains of the USS
Maine in Havana Harbor
The sinking of the USS Maine was the primary
reason behind the start of the Spanish-American
War. The ship was anchored when an explosion
occurred on the night of February 15, 1898 in
Havana Harbor. Following an investigation by
the United States Navy, it was determined that a
submarine mine had destroyed the Maine.
Blame was placed on the Spanish, who were
oppressing the Cubans at the time. Keeping the
desire for Cuban independence in mind, as well
as recalling the tragedy of the Maine, America
declared war on Spain on April 23. Subsequent
research has shown that the explosion was
caused accidently by an onboard mishap in the
Maine’s coal supplies.
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Yellow Journalism
Yellow journalism became prevalent in the
wake of the sinking of the Maine.
Newspaper owners used choice words and
sensational stories that helped the American
public formulate an idea about an event. In
this case, it was how Spain was responsible
for the sinking of the Maine. Newspaper
owners such as Joseph Pulitzer and William
Randolph Hearst convinced many people
how the Cubans needed America’s help in
gaining its independence from Spain. In
wake of the Maine tragedy, the average
American would believe everything that was
written in the newspapers, sparking his or
her desire to go to war with Spain, though
there was a vocal minority who opposed the
war.
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William Randolph Hearst
Guam
Guam was one of the first
countries to fall to America
during the war. Captain Henry
Glass of the USS Charleston
set his course for the island of
Guam, where he was given
orders to secure the area. Upon
arriving, Glass sent orders for a
cannon to be fired. When a
Spanish soldier approached the
vessel he was first taken
captive and then sent back with
orders for the island’s leaders
to formulate a surrender. The
next day, the Spanish army laid
down its weapons, and Guam
became an American territory.
The USS Charleston was a heavy
cruiser that weighed 3,700 tons
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Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was where Lieutenant Henry H. Whitney of the United States military was sent
to gather as much information about the Spanish military forces as possible. While there,
Whitney found an exceptional amount of details regarding the Spanish army, including maps
of military bases. These maps provided aid to the U.S. Navy, which followed through with
an attack off the coast of San Juan on May 12, 1898. More American involvement followed
as the Yosemite blocked San Juan’s harbor while a regiment led by General Nelson A. Miles
took control of Guanica.
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The Teller Amendment
The Teller Amendment was enacted after
President William McKinley declared
war on Spain. The act stated that America
would not be allowed to annex the
country of Cuba, and would allow the
Cubans to maintain independent rule.
Colorado Senator Henry M. Teller
devised the plan because he felt that at
the conclusion of the war, America would
try to add Cuba as either another state or
territory. The amendment passed in both
the House of Representatives and the
Senate, with votes of 42-35 and 311-6,
respectively.
Henry M. Teller
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Battle of Manila Bay
The naval Battle of Manila Bay occurred
on May 1, 1898, and was led by
Commodore George Dewey’s American
Asiatic Squadron. Aboard the USS
Olympia, Dewey entered Manila Bay and
was met with fire from the Spanish navy,
under the command of Admiral Patricio
Montojo y Pasaron. The Americans
continued to circle the territory, firing
massive amounts of ammunition on each
pass. Spanish ships attempted to return
fire and hold the Americans at bay, but
they suffered tremendous losses. The
Spaniards had no choice but to surrender
to Dewey.
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Commodore George Dewey
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba took
place on July 3, 1898 and was the largest
naval battle of the Spanish-American
War. Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete
led Mexican naval forces against the
United States Navy, which had been
blockading Cuba for protection. The
Americans dominated the battle, sinking
six Mexican ships within the first hour of
fighting. When Spanish ships began to
retreat, the United States sent its ships,
including the USS Brooklyn, to pursue
them. By the end of the conflict, the
entire Spanish Caribbean Squadron had
been destroyed.
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The remains of the Spanish
warship Viscaya
Battle of Las Guasimas
The Battle of Las Guasimas took
place on June 24, 1898 in Sevilla,
Cuba. General Joe Wheeler led the
American forces on land and began
to fire on the Spaniards. Spanish
forces, under Antero Rubin, used
1893 Mauser rifles that made it
difficult for the Americans to return
fire. These rifles were beneficial
because they used smokeless
propellant. Both sides suffered great
losses, and each side retreated. The
American troops briefly controlled
Las Guasimas and waited for an
enemy attack that never occurred.
The German made Mauser rifle could
be loaded with five rounds at a time,
compared to the American weapon
which had to be reloaded after every
shot.
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Battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill
Both of these battles took place on July
1, 1898. General Joaquin Vara del Rey
led the Spaniards in defending Santiago.
The Spanish held a force of eight
thousand Americans from entering San
Juan Hill. Generals William R. Shafter
and Joseph Wheeler directed the
American units, engaging in battle with
Arsenio Linares’ forces. Linares’ men
fired upon the Americans. General
Samuel Sumner and Lieutenant Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt charged San Juan
Hill, with Colonel Leonard Wood
sending reinforcements to back up the
infantry. The Americans were making
progress, but Shafter ordered a retreat,
fearing massive American losses.
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The Battle of San Juan Hill
Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders
The Rough Riders was the name given
to Theodore Roosevelt’s group in the
United States Voluntary Cavalry. The
group was known for being especially
diverse, including athletes, singers,
Indians, and cowboys. The group was
originally supposed to be only
composed of men from Oklahoma,
New Mexico, Arizona, and Indian
Territory. In addition, they were the
first volunteer group that saw active
combat during the war. The Rough
Riders were known for their
involvement at the Battles of Las
Guasimas and San Juan Hill, where
Group photo of the Rough Riders
they bravely charged into battle though
standing atop San Juan Heights
they were outnumbered by the enemy
forces.
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Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers were the nicknames
that were given to members of the
Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and TwentyFourth and Twenty-Fifth Infantry
Regiments in the United States
military. The group was an all AfricanAmerican corps of soldiers. The army
was segregated by race at the time.
They were given that nickname by
Indians who thought their dark hair
looked like the coat of a buffalo. They
were involved primarily at the Battle of
Kettle Hill, and they worked alongside
Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough
Riders in driving the Spanish from the
region.
While the Rough Riders are often
given credit for storming San Juan
Hill, it was actually Buffalo soldiers
who led the way.
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The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris in 1898 was put
together by the United States and Spain
on October 1. Spain was helped by
France’s Jules Cambon, who
sympathized with the Spanish, along
with the majority of Europe (except for
England). Initially, Cuba was the main
focus of the talks, but that shifted to the
Philippine Islands. Spain maintained its
stance that it was Manila that
surrendered and gave America the
island. The United States paid $20
million for the Philippines, in addition
to already claiming Guam and Puerto
Rico. Cuba gained its independence
upon the document’s signing on
December 10.
The signing of the Treaty of Paris
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The Philippine Insurrection
The Philippine Insurrection was another name given to
the Philippine-American War, which took place between
1899 and 1902. The Filipinos saw the Americans as
trying to taking over their land, much in the same
fashion that the Spanish had previously done. Thanks to
the Treaty of Paris in 1898, America was now granted
sovereign rule of the island. Filipinos refused to
recognize this; they wanted to control the land with their
own independent government. Eventually combat
between American and Filipino forces broke out, with
the United States coming out victorious. Ten times as
many Americans died in this war as were killed in the
Spanish-American War. The Filipino losses were at
estimated at no less than 25,000 and may have been
more than 200,000. It was a bitterly contested guerrilla
war with atrocities committed on both sides. Though
barely mentioned in history textbooks today, it was
hotly debated in America at the time. The war raised
questions about whether the United States, which started
its history in a revolution against colonial control by
Britain, should now become a colonial power itself.
Many Filipinos fought the Americans
with the only weapons they had,
spears.
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The Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment stated that the
Cuban government would never enter
into a treaty with another country in the
fear of losing its own independence.
Cuba also could not take on any
amount of public debt, and allowed the
United States to intervene in Cuban
matters if America deemed it
necessary. The amendment also helped
improve sanitation measures on the
island. America also benefited as it had
the power to get leased land from Cuba
in order to help protect the island.
Though Cuba remained independent
and self-governing, the Platt
Amendment gave the United States
significant control over Cuban affairs.
The Platt Amendment gave the United
States considerable power throughout
Cuba.
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Anti War Figures
There were many anti-war figures during the
Spanish-American War, including the majority of
President McKinley’s administration. McKinley had
told representatives of the Spanish government that
the United States initially had an anti-war stance. In
addition, the administration stated that it was not
looking to cede Cuba as a potential territory or state.
McKinley was reluctant to take over the Philippines
at first, but then changed his mind when he
considered that if the United States didn’t take the
islands, Germany was ready to step in and take
them. Even though the major newspaper
publications were strongly leaning toward war with
Spain, there were smaller publications that had
columnists talk about their anti-war feelings. They
stated that going to war with the Spanish would not
be feasible until there was a conclusion as to what
happened to the Maine. Many well-known
Americans spoke out against the war, including
humorist Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain).
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Samuel Clemens