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The Spanish American War Summary

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The Spanish-American War

What’s the cause of the Spanish-American war, a war that lead to the American annexation of the Philippines and establishing Cuba as a protectorate state through the Platt Amendment? The authors of this reading seeks to explore the realm of possibilities for the cause of the war.
The author of the first secondary source, Walter LeFeber of Cornell University argued that the Spanish-American war was the result of economic pressure at home that forced the McKinley administration into seeking a foreign market to expand American economy and influence, which can be summed up as strategy towards building an American empire, not because of some historical accident. However, Professor John L. Offner of the Shippensburg University …show more content…

As expected, the business and political leaders chose the solution that was less threatening to their power and required least risk: the traditional method of ferreting the nation’s surplus to a new physical frontier. Professor LeFeber established, “United States foreign policy, after all, is concerned primarily with the nation’s domestic system and only secondarily with the systems of other nations” (339). This meant that domestic affairs are the main determinant of foreign policy. Meanwhile, Professor Offner offers a contrary perspective; the war was the result of a colonial stalemate and domestic …show more content…

One important element for intervention was the American public’s support for Cuban independent. Offner stated, “During the conflict, Americans expressed their sense of morality, justice, and fair play as well as their self-interest and predjudices” (347). They opposed military tyranny and cheer on the oppressed minority seeking self-rule. They pressured the McKinley administration to break the stalemate, so more lives will not be lost during the conflict, especially when the US had the military power to stop the conflict. It was axiomatic that corrupt and cruel Spaniards should leave Cuba. The flame of public opinion was further fueled by the explosion of US warship, Maine, which was blamed on the Spanish government because a naval investigation concluded that the explosion was caused by a mine, so the public was prepared for a war with Spain. Leaving McKinley with no other choice, the United States entered the war to quell public

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The Spanish-American war commenced with the Wilson- Gorman Tariff, 1894. The American tariff on sugar imports hurt the Cuba's economy that was manufactured sugar. Angry nationalists (insurrection) revolted against the Spanish Colonial regime. Therefore, Spain sent General Weyler to Cuba to deal with the situation.

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At the height of the Gilded Age, the want of power outside of the American borders controlled the causes and ends of war, specifically the Spanish-American War. A war that lead a country whose history was founded on independence to seek dominance over its own colonies. There were two clear opinions to this imperialist stance, for and against. Both opinions were ironically based in the same general ideas only with different perspectives on them. Arguments and questions based on morality, economic stability, and God given purposes.

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The first reason is the main reason the U.S joined the Spanish-American war is territory and resources. According to a document by Jason Colby, Spain took control of Cuba, the Philippines Islands, and Puerto Rico. The U.S was worried that

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Spanish-American war of 1896, Cuba was the last remaining colony of Spain in the new world. Cuban sugar cane workers were rebelling because of poverty and bad conditions. William Randolph Hearst, a sensationalist reporter who was investigating the war, sent an artist to Cuba to sketch the action. Unfortunately for him, nothing violent was happening, so Hearst exaggerated the truth. Pressured into war the president sends the Maine to harbor, but it suddenly exploded.

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In the cause of humanity and to put an end to the barbarities, bloodshed, starvation, and horrible miseries now existing there [in Cuba], and which the parties to the conflict are either unable or unwilling to stop or mitigate…”(President McKinley's call for war against Spain, 1898) Which led some Americans to rebel resulting anti-imperialist. In order to protect the Americans from those who became anti, imperialist McKinley and Roosevelt thought of a plan to help protect the truth behind imperialism. “To keep the brutal nature of the war hidden from the American public, the McKinley and Roosevelt administrations engaged in censorship, official denial, media spin, glittering generalities, and intimidation of war critics.” (The United States Foreign

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Essay One: Imperialism Flies circle great black lumps as the moist air ravages the corpses. Dried blood soaked into the ground after faceless soldiers brutally destroyed its owners’ lives. These were the stories in the newspapers, the movies, and the films. Horrified by these crimes against humanity, the American public was spurred into action against the Spanish oppressors. the United States invaded Cuba in 1898 to pursue humanitarian efforts.

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Spanish-American War Who?- The Spanish-American War was a war fought between the United States and Spain. Significant leaders on the American side includes William Mckinley, Nelson A. Miles, George Dewey, and Theodore Roosevelt. Significant leaders on the Spanish side include Praxedes Sagasta, Patricia Montojo, and Pascual Cervera What?- The Spanish-American War was a war that led to many things such as the Treaty of Paris, the U.S. having Cuba being part of their territory, the U.S. being in control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands and also the Philippine-American War.

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We chose this topic because America took a stand against Spain when they blew up the USS Maine. On February 15, 1898 the USS Maine was in Havana, when it was blown up killing 260 American sailors. America blamed it on Spain, which they controlled Cuba and Puerto Rico, and declared war. We also chose this topic because we wanted to learn more about the war and also to teach other more about it. The Spanish American war is not taught a lot in school because it only lasted three months.

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The imperialistic mentality of the American government after the Civil War, led to some degree to the Spanish-American war that would render a great acquisition of land for the United States. However, imperialism would not be the sole factor that led to the war against Spain, but also the sympathy felt by the American government towards Cuba’s efforts in fighting for their independence; additionally, the United States would seek to protect its commercial interests (sugar) in the island. Therefore, after invoking the Spanish to secede from their brutal practices towards Cuban rebels and attain a peaceful end to the situation, the United States arbitrarily sent a navy ship, “The USS Maine” to monitor the area.

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