Download Spanish American War

Spanish American War
Monroe Doctrine of 1823
 The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 defined United States
foreign policy in the Americas for the rest of the 19th
century and beyond.
 It declared that the United States had an interest in the
Western Hemisphere and that European powers must
not interfere in the affairs of developing nations there.
 The United States was a young nation in 1823 and did
not really have the power to back up the Monroe
Doctrine. However, the policy was used to justify the
sending of U.S. troops into Mexico in 1866 (to
intimidate the French) and the purchase of Alaska in
1867.
Cuba
Cuba
Imperialism Defined
 Imperialism is a policy used by a nation to extend
power or rule over foreign countries especially by
taking over land or by gaining political and economic
control of other areas. Because it always involves the
use of power, whether military force or some subtler
form, imperialism has often been considered morally
wrong.
 Imperialism has been used by powerful nations in order
to take over land, labor, materials, and markets of
another people.
 Acquired lands are sometimes called commonwealths,
territories, or dominions.
U.S. Imperialism
 Militarily speaking, the Spanish-American
War of 1898 was brief and not very
bloody, but its political consequences
were enormous.
 It led to United States imperialism and
greater participation in world politics.
Cuban’s Rebel Against
Spanish Rule
 Cuban rebels started a violent revolution
against Spanish rule in 1895.
 These rebels were acting out, in part
because of a depression caused by a
decline in U.S. sugar purchases from
Cuba.
 Rebel violence led to more repressive
actions by the Spanish.
Yellow Journalism
 In the United States, newspaper accounts spread
exaggerated tales of Spanish atrocities.
 This sensationalist journalism, called “yellow
journalism,” played a pivotal role in the war.
 At the time, William Randolph Hearst's New York
American and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, were
engaged in a fierce battle for circulation and they used
yellow journalism to try to captivate audiences and sell
more newspapers.
 William Randolph Hearst believed that a war with
Spain over Cuba would not only sell newspapers, but
also make him a popular national figure.
Propaganda
 Hearst launched a propaganda offensive, the first in
modern media history, which demonized Spain for its
brutal suppression of the Cuban rebellion and fueled
pro-war feeling.
 American newspapers across the country agitated for
the United States to intervene in Cuba’s struggle to
gain independence from Spain.
 At first President Cleveland resisted the rising public
demand for intervention, but by early 1898 the
pressure, then on his successor, President McKinley,
was too great to be ignored.
Newspaper Headlines:
22 Feb Illinois State Journal
 "SMALL CHILDREN SHOT DOWN AND
WOMEN TREATED AS IF THEY WERE NO
BETTER THAN BRUTES”
24 Feb Illinois State Journal
 "SENATE DECLARED THAT ONE THIRD OF
CUBANS HAVE PERISHED UNDER
SPANISH CRUELTY”
25 March Illinois State Register
 "CUBA MUST BE FREE"
Newspaper Headlines:
13 Jan Chicago Daily Tribune
 "ALARM OVER CUBA...EUROPEAN FINANCIAL
INTERESTS WANT THE WAR ENDED...ASK UNCLE
SAM TO ACT...BONDHOLDERS WILL LOSE UNLESS
AMERICA INTERVENES. STRONG INFLUENCES
FELT”
 "WILD MOBS RIOTING IN THE STREETS OF
HAVANA...AMERICAN WARSHIP TO PROTECT THE
CONSULATE...REPORT THAT BATTLESHIP MAINE
HAS BEEN ORDERED TO CUBA AND THAT
ADMIRAL BUNA'S SQUADRON IS BEING
ASSEMBLED AT KEY WEST, FLA."
U.S.S. Maine
 In January 1898, the US decided to send
in the warship USS Maine to Havana,
Cuba to protect US interests and to
demonstrate an American presence in
the Caribbean.
Photographic History of the Spanish-American War
New York: Pearson Pub. Co., 1898
Newspaper Headlines:
25 Jan Chicago Daily Tribune
 "GUNS GO TO HAVANA...WARSHIP MAINE IS
DISPATCHED TO CUBA...SAID TO INSURE
PEACE...SECRETARY LONG AND GENERAL MILES
CALLED INTO CONFERENCE”
25 Jan Illinois State Journal
 "WARSHIP TO HAVANA...BATTLESHIP MAINE
DISPATCHED AND SENATORS SAY
AMEN...OFFICIALS DECLARE THAT THIS MOVE IS A
FRIENDLY ONE...The sending of the Maine to Havana
means simply the resumption of friendly naval relations
with Spain...The general belief here, however, is that in
Madrid, rather than any Cuban town, is trouble to be
looked for, if there should be any misapprehension of the
purpose of our government in sending the Maine to
Havana”
Sinking of the Maine
 On February 15, 1898 the USS Maine
mysteriously sunk in the Havana Harbor.
 Although, later, scientists attributed the incident
to an internal and accidental explosion, at the
time it was reported that the explosion was
caused by Spanish forces in Cuba.
 With the explosion of the USS Maine, and the
loss of lives in the Havana harbor, events
moved beyond the President's control.
Newspaper headlines:
15 Feb Chicago Daily Tribune
 "EXTRA...3:30 A.M....MAINE IS BLOWN UP IN HAVANA
HARBOR...AMERICAN BATTLESHIP DESTROYED AT A
QUARTER OF 10 O'CLOCK LAST EVENING BY A TERRIFIC
EXPLOSION SAID TO HAVE OCCURRED ON BOARD”
16 Feb Illinois State Journal
 "WARSHIP MAINE WAS BLOWN UP...HAVANA...FEB.
15...BULLETIN...AT A QUARTER OF 10 O'CLOCK THIS
EVENING A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE ON BOARD
THE UNITED STATES CRUISER MAINE IN HAVANA HARBOR.
MANY WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED. ALL THE BOATS OF
THE SPANISH CRUISER ALFONZE XII ARE ASSISTING"
War with Spain
 The sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana
harbor in 1898 caused the death of about 266
men including 22 African American sailors.
 “Yellow journalism” fueled American anger and
editor Hearst continued to push that the US
had a perfect pretext for war.
 Although President William McKinley opposed
growing public demand for war, the American
cry of the hour became, “Remember the
Maine, To Hell with Spain!”
Remember the Maine
15 July Illinois State Register
 "REMEMBER THE MAINE
Flag o' the free heart's hope and home,
By angel's hand to valor given.
Thy stars have lit the welkindome,
And all thy hues were born in heaven.
Forever float that standard sheet,
Where breathes the foe but falls before us,
With Freedom's soil beneath our feet.
And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us."
“A splendid little war.”
 Although Spain wanted to avoid war, it refused
to withdraw from Cuba and recognize the
island’s independence.
 By mid-April, Congress authorized McKinley to
use the armed forces to expel the Spanish
from Cuba.
 For Americans it was, as Secretary of State
John Hay put it in a letter to Theodore
Roosevelt, “a splendid little war.”
Newspaper Headlines:
23 April Illinois State Register
 "FREEDOM FOR CUBA...MAY THEY FLOAT
VICTORIOUS FOR JUSTICE, LIBERTY, HUMANITY“
24 April Illinois State Register
 "CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS...PRESIDENT ISSUES A
PROCLAMATION CALLING FOR 125,000 MORE
TROOPS...REGULARS GO TO CUBA SOON...THE
NATIONAL GUARD TO SERVE UNCLE SAM AS
NOW ORGANIZED...QUOTAS WHICH EACH STATE
WILL BE FURNISHED...Illinois...6,6668"
Cuba, Puerto Rico,
and the Philippines
 American forces, quickly overcame the
Spaniards in Cuba.
 They then turned against Spain's last island in
the Caribbean, Puerto Rico.
 Meanwhile, on May 1, 1898, the American
Captain George Dewey, with his Asiatic
squadron, destroyed a small Spanish fleet in
the harbor of Manila in the Philippines.
Conditions for Soldiers:
 Although the war was brief, soldiers still
experienced terrible, war conditions.
 Camp life was often unbearable. The men slept
in leaky tents which caused their clothes and
belongings to remain soaked for days at a
time.

 Poor sanitation, swampy campsites and
spoiled food caused many of the men to suffer
from diseases such as dysentery, yellow fever,
malaria and typhoid.
Newspaper Headlines:
14 July Illinois State Journal
 "YELLOW JACK...FEAR OF FEVER...MEN
WORKING IN TRENCHES IN MUD, NOT
BOILING WATER AND EATING LARGE
QUANTITIES OF TROPICAL FRUIT“
24 August Illinois State Register (after the war)
 "FIRST ILLINOIS BOYS TALK OF CAMP
THOMAS...LACKED GOOD WATER, FOOD,
SANITATION AND MEDICAL ATTENDANCE
Third Nebraska Volunteer Camp
Havana, Cuba 1898.
African Americans
 Although pro-war fever swept through the
nation during the late 1890s, not all
Americans supported the cause.
 African-Americans, especially, were
divided on the war.
 Some African-Americans argued that an
oppressed people should not take up
arms on behalf of their oppressors.
African American Soldiers
 Other African American soldiers believed that
fighting for America would earn them respect
and acceptance.
 African Americans who answered the calls to
duty and did enlist, found themselves among
white racism in the Army and the victims of
anti-black violence.
 White Americans did not know how to react to
the returning African American veterans. Some
were met with speeches and parades while
others were assaulted and lynched.
Women in the War
 Women became officially recognized in
the Spanish-American War as nurses for
the medical departments of the Army and
Navy.
 The Daughters of the American
Revolution served as an examining board
for evaluating female nurses.
Peace Negotiations:
 The U.S. went to war with Spain in April
1898 and the fighting was over by August
of that year, when the US and Spain
signed a preliminary peace treaty in
Washington, D.C.
 Negotiators then met in Paris in October
to draw up an agreement, and the Treaty
of Paris was signed on December 10th.
Treaty of Paris:
 As a result of the Treaty of Paris, Spain gave
up its sovereignty over Cuba (granted its
independence) and gave the US ownership of
the former Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico,
and Guam.
 Business interests in the US also demanded
the acquisition of the entire Philippine
archipelago in the hope that Manila would
become a trading post.
 McKinley forced the Spanish to “sell” the
Philippines to the United States for
$20,000,000.
U.S. Relations with Cuba
Teller Amendment (1898)
Platt Amendment (1903)
1. Cuba was not to enter into any agreements with
foreign powers that would endanger its
independence.
2. The U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs if
necessary to maintain an efficient, independent
govt.
3. Cuba must lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for
naval and coaling station.
4. Cuba must not build up an excessive public debt.
Cuba and Puerto Rico
The Philippines
Results
 Although, rebels in the Philippines and
Cuba had looked to the Americans as
saviors, the U.S. victory only replaced
one imperial power with another.
 Months after the Spanish surrender,
America was fighting its own colonial war
against Filipino rebels. Intervention in
Cuban affairs lasted until 1934 and left a
residue of anti-Americanism.
American Imperialism
 The new territory promised markets, military
bases, and influence overseas.
 As a result of victory over Spain in the SpanishAmerica War, the United States emerged as a
world power.
 The war reinforced the tenets of the Monroe
Doctrine, established in 1823, which declared
that US regards Caribbean region as its sphere
of influence and the US could use force to
protect it.
American Anti-Imperialist
League
 Founded in 1899.
 Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, William James, and
William Jennings Bryan among the leaders.
 Campaigned against the annexation of the
Philippines and other acts of imperialism by the U.S.
Government
Review-Reasons for the
War Included:
 Protection of American business interests
in Cuba.
 American support of Cuban rebels to
gain independence from Spain.
 Rising tensions as a result of the sinking
of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor.
 Exaggerated news reports of events
(Yellow Journalism).
Review-Reasons for
American Interest in Cuba:
 The U.S. was concerned about protection
of American business interests in Cuba
(specifically sugar).
 The U.S. was concerned about human
rights abuses by the Spanish in Cuba.
 The U.S. supported Cuban rebels trying
to gain Cuban independence from Spain.
Puerto Rico:
 Puerto Rico became a US Territory following
the Spanish-American War in 1898 and its
residents became US citizens in 1917.
 It has been a US Commonwealth since 1952.
 Commonwealths have their own constitutions
and greater autonomy than "territories." Puerto
Rico's constitution and government structure is
similar to those of the 50 US states, and it
participates in many US Federal government
programs.
U.S. Power:
 The U.S. controls: interstate trade, foreign relations
and commerce, customs administration, control of air,
land and sea, immigration and emigration, nationality
and citizenship, currency, maritime laws, military
service, military bases, army, navy and air force,
declaration of war, constitutionality of laws, jurisdictions
and legal procedures, treaties, radio and television-communications, agriculture, mining and minerals,
highways, postal system; Social Security, and other
areas generally controlled by the federal government in
the United States.
U.S. Relations with Puerto
Rico
 1900 - Foraker Act.
 PR became an “unincorporated territory.”
 Citizens of PR, not of the US.
 Import duties on PR goods
 1901-1903  the Insular Cases.
 Constitutional rights were not automatically extended
to territorial possessions.
 Congress had the power to decide these rights.
 Import duties laid down by the Foraker Act were
legal!
U.S. Relations with P.R.
 1917 – Jones Act.
 Gave full territorial status to PR.
 Removed tariff duties on PR goods coming into the
U.S.
 PRs elected their own legislators &governor to
enforce local laws.
 PRs could NOT vote in U.S. presidential elections.
 http://www.topuertorico.org/government.sht
ml
Puerto Rico Controls:
 Puerto Rican institutions control internal affairs
unless U.S. law is involved, as in matters of
public health and pollution.
 The major differences between Puerto Rico
and the 50 states are:
 local taxation system and exemption from Internal
Revenue Code,
 lack of voting representation in either house of the
U.S. Congress,
 the ineligibility of Puerto Ricans to vote in
presidential elections.
Assignment:
 Create a political cartoon that describes
the role of the US in world affairs after
the Spanish American War.
Example: