{ Spanish – American War

Chapter 5 Section 2 Pages 146-151

Revolts in the Philippines and Cuba

Guerilla forces fighting for Independence from Spain

Spain is unwilling to give up the colonies it has left

Spain concentrates Cuba’s population into cities

Disease, starvation, execution of rebels, destruction of infrastructure

Cuban rebels had mostly defeated the Spanish by 1897

CAUSES

Yellow Journalism

Hearst and Pulitzer exaggerate the atrocities being committed in Cuba by the Spanish to sway public opinion in favor of intervention

CAUSES

Imperialism

Cuba negotiates for US intervention

US eyes the opportunity for new markets and raw materials

US Demonstrates military strength

CAUSES

USS Maine

Battleship in Havana Harbor

Feb 15, 1898 – explosion sank the ship

266 US Sailors died

Controversy

-Spanish mines, Dynamite – fire in a coal bin

Hearst and Pulitzer propagandized the event

“Destruction of the War Ship Maine was the Work of the Enemy!” – New York Journal

CAUSES

de Lome Letter

Written by Enrique Dupuy de Lome

Addressed to friend in Cuba and stolen from mail

Offended Americans

Called President McKinley “weak and catering to the rabble and, besides, a low politician”

Intensified Anti-Spanish feelings

CAUSES

President McKinley does not want war – too costly

Asked Spain if the US could help negotiate an end to the conflict

Spain told Cuba they could have their own government but must remain part of Spanish empire

Cuba says No!

Calls for War

After the USS Maine explodes McKinley goes to Congress

Congress authorizes $50 million for war preparations

Republican party pressures McKinley into war

April 19, 1898 Congress proclaimed Cuba independent and demanded Spain withdraw from Cuba

April 24- Spain declares war on the US

Calls for War

Battle of Manila Bay May 1 1898 – Naval battle between US and

Spanish navies in Manila Bay of the Philippines

US forces led by Commodore George Dewey aboard the USS Olympia defeats the Spanish

Casualties: US – 9 wounded Spanish – 161 dead, 210 wounded

3 Spanish ships sunk

Battle of Las Guasimas

First battle of the Cuban campaign

Spanish army was entrenched at Las Guasimas

Rough Riders and Buffalo Soldiers were ordered to remove the Spanish from their entrenchments

Spanish forces pepper US troops with gunfire and retreat in the direction of Santiago

Casualties: US – 16 killed, 54 wounded Spanish – 10 killed, 24 wounded

Battle of El Caney and San Juan Hill

July 1, 1898 San Juan Hill

800 Spanish soldiers were entrenched on San Juan Hill just outside Santiago

15,000 US soldiers lead an assault on San Juan Hill on their way to Santiago

Rough Riders under the cover of the Buffalo Soldiers take Kettle Hill next to San Juan Hill

Rest of American forces take San Juan Hill after a bloody conflict

US forces suffer 3 times the losses of the Spanish US – 124 dead, 817 wounded

Spanish – 58 dead, 178 wounded, 39 captured

Battle of El Caney and San Juan Hill

July 1, 1898 El Caney

Spanish forces were ordered to slow the American advance on San Juan Hill and Santiago

Spanish held 8,000 Americans for over 12 hours

Casualties: US – 81 dead, 360 wounded Spanish – 38 dead, 138 wounded, 130 captured

Siege of Santiago

July 3, 1898 Last major battle in the Cuban campaign

US begins the siege using artillery and cutting off supplies

July 4, 1898 A cease fire was enacted to evacuate 20,000

citizens from Santiago

July 17, 1898 Spanish forces in Cuba surrender to the US

The Soldiers

The average soldier in the Spanish-American War had the following characteristics

Height – 67.5 inches

Weight – 147 pounds

Age – 27 years

The Rough Riders 1st US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment

Roosevelt’s Rough Riders Theodore Roosevelt resigned as Secretary of the

Navy and volunteered in the army, serves as a Lt. Colonel

Commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood

Ranch hands, Ivy League athletes, cowboys, policemen, and east-coast polo players

Most were recruited by Roosevelt Official strength was just over 1,000 men

The Rough Riders Trained in San Antonio, Texas before

deployment Rigorous training for a month at Camp Wood

Deployed to Cuba on June 22, 1898 from Tampa

First action at the Battle of Las Guasimas Outnumbered and forced a retreat of Spanish Troops

Most known for the Battle of San Juan Hill Suffered a casualty rate of 37% during the

war Most due to malaria, including Roosevelt

Buffalo Soldiers African American soldiers of the US 10th Calvary

Regiment Eventually included US 9th Calvary, 24th Calvary, and 25th Calvary

Formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

First peacetime all-black regiment Origin of the nickname

Hair of the troops resembled the mane of the buffalo Fought with the ferocity, strength, and stamina of the buffalo

Fought in the “Indian Wars” prior to service in Spanish-American War

Participated with the Rough Riders in the Battle of San Juan Hill

Earned 5 Medals of Honor during the Spanish-American War

Treaty of Paris

Cuba = Independence

Spain gives US Guam and Puerto Rico

Philippines????

An American Empire

Annexation

Support – economic and military benefits

US would have another Pacific naval base, a stopover on the way to China

Large market for US goods

America had duty to help “less civilized”

An American Empire

Annexation

Not everyone supported

William Jennings Bryan (Populist Party), Andrew Carnegie (Social Gospel), Jane Addams (Hull House), Samuel Clemens (writer, Mark Twain), Samuel Gompers (AFL)

Cost outweighed benefits

An American Empire

Annexation

Not everyone supported

Competition of cheap labor in Philippines would drive down labor

McKinley ultimately decides to annex Philippines

An American Empire

Dec 10, 1898

Cuba – independent

US has Puerto Rico and Guam

US pays Spain $20 million for Philippines

Treaty of Paris

Cuba could not make treaties with other countries that would weaken its independence

Cuba had to allow US to use naval bases in Cuba

Cuba had to keep debts low so foreign countries would not want land as a payment

US had right to intervene to protect Cuba’s independence

Stayed in effect until 1934

Platt Amendment

Foraker Act

Elected legislature

Governor and executive council appointed by the President

Puerto Ricans were not US Citizens so did not have US citizen’s rights

1917 granted Puerto Ricans American citizenship

1947 Puerto Ricans elect their own governor

Puerto Rico still a governing commonwealth of the US

Puerto Rico

Philippines viewed the US annexation as “violent and aggressive seizure”

Philippine-American War – Filipinos were unhappy and attacked Americans

4300 American soldiers died

50,000-200,000 Filipino soldiers died

Rebellion in Philippines

Americans used many tactics against Filipino forces as they condemned Spain for using in Cuba

Reconcentration Camps

Rebellion in Philippines

William Howard Taft was a civilian governor of the Philippines

Tried to win the people over with:

Improved Education

Transportation

Health Care – reduced cholera and smallpox

Railroads

Bridges

Rebellion in Philippines

March 1901 American troops captured Aguinaldo (leader of the revolt)

War is over and US governs Philippines

1946 US grants Philippines independence

Rebellion in Philippines