The Spanish-American / Filipino-American Wars: Conflict in Two Parts

Day 6, August 5

Matthew L. Daley, GVSU

I. Frontiers: Turner Thesis

• A. 1890 Census - frontier was closed• B. Frederick Jackson Turner: a historian,

1893 essay: “The Frontier in American History” – outlet for young men and women natural – social/economic release valve.

• C. Without the frontier, our society is in real trouble. – Should we not have an empire as well?

II. Great Powers: Colonies

– A. European Empires: 1870s-1890s • “The Scramble for Africa”

• Africa is divided between Europeans.

• China is not conquered but left very weak.

III. Arguments for joining the “Great Powers”

– A. Alfred Thayer Mahan: The Influence of Sea Power Upon History

• 1. “Big Navy” policy - 1880s, Congress approves building steel ships

– Great powers = Great navies

• 2. “Jingoism” - nationalists who desired war to enhance foreign policy and national prestige

• 3. Great White Fleet – December 1907-February 1909, circumnavigation demonstrating American military strength

IV. The Drive to War

• A. The Spanish-American War: April to August, 1898 - “Splendid Little War”– 1. Outrage over Spanish treatment of colonies,

especially Cuba’s independence movement• Also rebellion in the Philippines.

• Spanish Gen. Weyler - concentration camps for insurgents

IV. The Drive to War

• B. “Yellow journalism” - no pretence of balance - sensational - embellish when not exciting enough– William Randolph Hearst - New York Journal– Joseph Pulitzer - New York World

• Hearst sends Frederick Remington to Havana - “you supply the pictures, I’ll supply the war.”

V. Remember the Maine!!

• A. February 15,1898 – 1. U.S.S. Maine, battleship, explodes in Havana Harbor

- 163 sailors and Marines killed.

– 2. Claims made that a Spanish mine destroyed the vessel

– 3. Tensions ratchet up - media, political leaders call for war - President McKinley resists, but feels he has no choice

• Today most believe the Maine suffered an internal explosion from either a faulty steam boiler or coal dust.

U.S.S. Maine Memorial - Arlington National Cemetery

VI. Combat Operations

• A. Army totally unprepared - 26,000 men heavily scattered throughout the nation– 1. National Guard (or militia) filled with nearly

1 million volunteers - eventually 250,000 were enlisted.

– 2. Equipment was inadequate – e.g. wool uniforms for the tropics.

– 3.Disease killed more than combat.

VI. Combat Operations cont.

– B. Cuba - land combat - Havana and Santiago• Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill - siege warfare

• Theodore Roosevelt makes his name at SJH.

– C. War at sea - really won there • May, 1898 - Battle of Manila Bay - George Dewey

captures Manila, Philippines

• July, 1898 - Battle of Santiago - Spanish forces destroyed fleeing the harbor

VII. A “peace” of the action

• A. Paris Peace Conference - Sept. 1898– 1. U.S. received Cuba (as protectorate), Puerto

Rico, Guam, and the Philippines– 2. U.S. - stated goal - deny them to the other

“Great Powers” - to be humanitarian - aid their “little brown brothers”

– …..and to get a foothold in the South Pacific.

VIII. Filipino-American War

• A. Filipino-American War - February 1899 - November 1902 (some fighting until 1913)– 1. Emilio Aguinaldo - anti-colonial leader - not

particularly good politically or militarily• a. Wanted set-piece military battle - lost badly• b. Switched to guerilla tactics - limited success

VIII. Filipino-American War

– B. Guerilla war - island chain that would run from Texas to Montana

• 1. And U.S. would have less than 70,000 troops at any one time

– a. Ruthless tactics - both sides - civilians caught in the crossfire - or “back” the wrong side

– b. Balangiga Massacre: Oct. 1901 - U.S. garrison ambushed -heavy losses - Gen. Jacob Smith orders island of Samar turned into a “howling wilderness” - war crimes trials afterwards

» Essential U.S. problem - how to not act like the Spanish.

IX. Opening the Door in China

– A. China and the “Open Door”:

• 1. From 1840s - China’s Qing dynasty was in trouble – – a. British “Opium Wars” 1830s sell their opium produced in

India to the Chinese population

– b. China had turned inward and was overwhelmed by the outside world

» even had lost its dominant role in Asia to Japan in their 1895 war.

• 2. “Boxer” Rebellion – 1900– a. Chinese nationalists: drive all foreigners and foreign influence

from the country

IX. Opening the Door in China

– B. President Theodore Roosevelt (McKinley had been assassinated) worked to keep Europeans from staying and carving up China -

• 1. Thus, the “Open Door” policy: – a. all nations could trade within China without

establishing their own large colonies.

– b. Kept China deliberately weak – links to the present-day