The Spanish-American War

April 25 1898- August 12, 1898

Causes of War

•Cuban independence–Under Spanish rule–Rebellion b/c of lack of reforms

(1895) under leadership of Jose Marti.

–Americans were sympathetic to Cuban independence.

General Weyler Y Nicolau

– To quell rebellion, Spain sent General Valeriano Weyler Y Nicolau (the Butcher)

• Got name in Ten Years War (1868-1878) b/c of ruthless suppression.

• Rounded up peasants and put into concentration camps! Thousands died of starvation and disease.

Response to Weyler

• Brutality of Weyler angered Americans and the press sensationalized the stories of atrocities

• Weyler was recalled by the Spanish Government.

Causes of War

•Imperialism

–Manifest Destiny – United States had the right to expand its territory.

–The media supported this idea

The Media• William Randolph

Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer promoted manifest destiny and war.

• Published sensational stories about Cuba calling for the U.S. to take the Cuban side. – Yellow Journalism

The USS Maine• Sent to Havana to

protect U.S. citizens in Cuba.

• Underwater explosion destroyed Maine and killed 266 soldiers.

• Papers blamed the Spanish and the national battle cry became – “Remember the Maine!”

The USS Maine

Declaration of War• Even though Spain had agreed to a peace

plan President McKinley asked Congress to grant the U.S. permission to intervene in Cuba.

• He said it was “in the name of humanity.”• April 20 1898 Congress recognized

Cuba’s independence and agreed to send U.S. Military to secure it.

Fighting in CubaThe Caribbean Theater

• • U.S was unprepared for war in Cuba.

• Soldiers had little training and bad supplies. (wool uniforms…)

• Soldiers landing in Daquiri Bay, Cuba

Blockade of Cuba• Needed to cut supplies off

from Spain. Then Spain could not maintain itself.

• Spanish Navy had to be destroyed

Santiago• Aim was to take the area north of

Santiago.• This would allow the U.S. to aim guns

down on the Spanish.• Had to capture El Caney and San Juan

Hill• El Caney was taken with one U.S.

division/

San Juan Hill• Theodore Roosevelt led a Calvary unit

known as the Rough Riders (about 1,000 men)

• The men had to charge Kettle Hill to San Juan hill and flanked the Spanish fortification.

• They had to do this on foot b/c their horses had not been shipped to Cuba.

Roosevelt called the day of the battle – the greatest

day of his life.

Rough Riders on San Juan Hill

The PhilippinesThe Pacific Theater

• The Philippines was a Spanish colony and the U.S. had to wipe out naval bases on this Island as well as Cuba

• Roosevelt cabled Commodore George Dewey to attack the Philippines if the U.S. went to war.

• On May 1 1898, Dewey’s fleet sailed into Manila Bay, and destroyed the Spanish fleet within hours.

Battle of Manila Bay

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•

• A Filipino rebellion against the Spanish had been in progress when Dewey landed in Manila.

• Dewey used the rebels, led by Emilio Aguinaldo to help him defeat the Spanish on land

Emilio Aguinaldo

Defeat and Peace Treaty

• The Spanish surrendered in the Philippines on August 14 1898 and in Cuba on July 17, 1898.

• Peace treaty was signed on December 10, 1898 in Paris

Conditions of Peace

• Spain leaves Cuba under temporary U.S. control.– U.S. could not take over Cuba b/c of

Teller Amendment, which in order for the U.S. to declare war it was prevented from taking over Cuba

– Spain ceded Puerto Rico, and Guam to the U.S.

Results of War

• Ended Spain’s colonial Empire• The U.S. emerged as a world power and a

military power• U.S. established rule in the Philippines• 5400 American soldiers died

– 400 in battle– And the rest from disease and food

poisoning

Conditions of Peace

• Spain gave up the Philippines in return for a U.S. payment of $20 million.

The Philippines

• Debate on annexation of the Philippines– For annexation: Filipinos were not ready

for self-government and if the U.S. did not help some other European country would.

– Against annexation: region was not vital to U.S. interests and was against principles of democracy

U.S. maintained military presence in the Philippines• Tensions intensified

with U.S. troops and Filipino rebels

• War with Filipino rebels lasted more that 2 years – very bloody

• Filipino troops used guerrilla warfare to battle the U.S.

Results of Filipino insurrection

• 200,000-600,000 Filipinos died (most b/c of disease and famine)

• Fewer than 5,000 U.S. soldiers died.• Revolt was subdued in 1901 when

rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo, swore allegiance to the U.S.

• Philippines gained independence from the U.S. in 1946 (July 4)

Sites

• http://www.spanam.simplenet.com/

• http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=03A9F000

• http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/

• http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/spanam/eve-pge.htm