Dev Prasad History 102 April 6, 2018 The Spanish-American War The Spanish-American War was a conflict fought between the two nations in the countries of Cuba and the Philippines, both of which have changed drastically since. In the late 1890s, American foreign policy (and the lack of regard to it) was tested due the Spanish control over the island nation of Cuba, where tension was priming to boil over. Many Cubans sought independence early on in the 1870s as they felt they were more than capable to govern and care for themselves. Around this timeframe, President William McKinley was desperately trying to maintain the foreign policies that had been implemented (1823 Monroe Doctrine) to prevent any foreign intervention. After 3 wars of independence …show more content…
would respect the status of the existing European colonies. America had been considering annexing Cuba since the early 1800s, but did not make a move on the nation since from 1868 and 1898 three different wars for independence were fought between Spain and Cuba. The Cuban War of Independence was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought, the other two being the Ten Years' War and the Little War. The final months of the conflict escalated to become the Spanish–American War, with United States forces being deployed in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands against Spain. According to Cuban military official Don E. de Lome in his letter to other officials, “There was an urgent need of political presence in Spain to save their country, and that President McKinley had been keen on them.” This letter had many believing that President McKinley was motivated to intervene in the war for humanitarian reasons, but we can now all agree that yellow journalism attributed to the U.S. troops being sent over to fight. At this time newspapers were very important to the American people, mainly because this was their primary source of receiving worldly news. During the duration of the Spanish-American War, the newspapers became known as the yellow press, as the two major newspapers providing to America were owned by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, who were in competition with each other but just so happened to be two of the biggest supporters of the war. The stories that were released to the public by the newspapers were sensational and often
W. A. Swanberg argues that writers used crude exaggeration and sensationalism in the popular New York Journal newspaper to persuade the American citizens and President William McKinley to attempt to free Cuba by starting a war against Spain. William Randolph Hearst was the owner of this particular newspaper. Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were both big names in the United States and had the power to sway popular opinion with their wealth. Their habits, personalities, and ways of life did not have much similarity. Immediately after the start of the trouble in Cuba, Hearst was ready to get involved with fighting in Spain. On the other hand, Pulitzer was not ready until after the war due to circulation. Just like other great leaders of the past, Hearst loved to be in control and have power. He used the newspaper as a way of influencing millions of people and masking his own beliefs behind the black and white pages.
This book by Otis A. Singletary deals with different aspects of the Mexican war. It is a compelling description and concise history of the first successful offensive war in United States military history. The work examines two countries that were unprepared for war. The political intrigues and quarrels in appointing the military commanders, as well as the military operations of the war, are presented and analyzed in detail. The author also analyzes the role that the Mexican War played in bringing on the U.S. Civil War.
Sixteen are killed from the Mexican attack along the Rio Grande! In 1821, Mexico freed itself from Spain. Mexico was equal in size to the United States. Mexican government wanted to increase population, so they invited Americans to settle in Texas. These settlers did not want to abide by Mexico’s rules and laws. Texas then won independence from Mexico in 1836. In the year 1844, James K. Polk was elected as president. He was a strong believer in manifest destiny. Congress decided to annex Texas into the United States. Mexico felt that America stole Texas from them. This caused conflict between the two countries. Was it right for the United States to declare war against Mexico? America was justified in going to war with Mexico because they could
The Spanish American war had a complex beginning. By the 1890’s, Cuba had unsuccessfully battled Spain for its independence for many years. Due to the US’s economic interests in Cuba, the US government sought to stabilize the situation. The United States and Cuba negotiated an agreement that Cuba would become self-governing on January 1, 1898. But
The American’s kept a watchful eye on the war between Spain and the Cuban revolutionaries during the Ten Year War. News of atrocities committed by the Spanish Army caused Americans to sympathize with the Cuban revolutionaries thanks to the coverage in the American press.3
In June of 1895, President Grover Cleveland took a stance of neutrality toward the Cuban conflict, though many American citizens grew concerned that the fight was too close to home. (Spanish-American) By December of the next year, Cleveland declared that the U.S. might be forced to take action if Spain was unable to solve the Cuban crisis alone. (Library of Congress) Spain granted Cuba limited autonomy in January of 1897, but the natives were not satisfied. As the Spanish resorted to ruthless tactics to keep the Cubans in line, their brutality created much sympathy in the United States. Tensions rose between America and Spain. The other shoe dropp...
The Spanish-American war cannot be directly sourced to one cause. Rather it was the result of the combination of events pre-dating the war and the spark that ignited our intervention into this conflict. This paper will trace the reasons behind the United States involvement in this war. The United States partaking in this war, was a signal to the rest of the world that the United States was ready to emerged as a world power. By having one of the best Naval Fleets, by the beginning of the war, the United States sent a messaged to the rest of the world that the US is ready and capable to become more involved in foreign affairs. However, it is important to question the importance of each cause that led up to the United States declaring war with Spain and putting itself between them and Cuba.
The struggle of Cuba to gain its independence from Spain, which began in 1895, has captured the attention of many Americans. Spain’s brutal repressive measures to halt the rebellion were graphically portrayed for the U.S. public by American newspaper publishers, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer which caused to shape the national mood of agitation against Spain. Hearst and Pulitzer exaggerated the actual events in Cuba and how did Spanish brutally treated their prisoners by adding sensational words to catch the emotions of readers. However, publishing stories against the atrocities of Spain did not convince President Cleveland to support the intervention with Spain. When President McKinley held the office in 1897, he wanted to end the revolt peacefully, and he tried to avoid the involvement of America to the conflict between Cuba and Spain. McKinley sent Stewart Woodford to Spain to negotiate for peaceful Cuban autonomy and it all went smoothly and the independence of Cuba was supposed to be awarded after the negotiation. However, the peaceful settlement suddenly vanished after the incident of February 1898 when a private letter for a Cuban friend written by the Spanish minister Enrique Dupuy de Lome was stolen by a Cuban age...
The Spanish-American War marked the end of Spain's colonial empire and the end of its rule in the Americas. Since the early 19th century, Americans had watched the series of revolutions that ended Spanish authority throughout South America, Central America, and Mexico. Many people in the United States, however, were irritated by the fact that the Spanish flag continued to fly in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spain's brutal ways of putting down Cuban demands for some form of personal liberty aroused feelings of sympathy and anger among Americans (Chidsey).
The Spanish American War was a misgided war. It started with the supposed blowing up of the U.S.S. Maine in 1898. Out of the ashes of this desaster, erupted a war that should have never happend. About 200 men were killed in the explosion and the men that survived put the blame on Cuba and Spain.
History is not a collection of unrelated events, but it is instead an account of various causes and their effects. World War II was not an isolated event. It was a product of numerous events in Europe which included the Spanish Civil War. Spain prior to World War II was an area of crucial political and strategic importance. By analyzing the events of the Spanish Civil War, the events of World War II can be understood in greater detail. Hitler’s confident foreign policy, the quick surrender of France, the forging of unlikely alliances, and the diverse ideological state present in Europe can be understood more comprehensively by looking at the Spanish Civil War. The events of the Spanish Civil War changed the political atmosphere of Europe; these events influenced the beginning of World War II.
THESIS : “ The United States didn’t want to get involved in the Spanish-American War, but was dragged into it due to yellow journalism, they wanted to control the seas, and wanted complete control over Cuba.”
Immediately following the war with Spain, the United States had both the political will to pursue imperial policies and the geopolitical circumstances conducive to doing so. But the way in which these policies would manifest was an open question; was the impulse to actively remake the world in America’s Anglo-Saxon image justified? Hence, there were several models of American imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century. In the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Samoa, the United States asserted unwavering political control. In Cuba, and later throughout most of the Caribbean basin, the economic and political domination of customarily sovereign governments became the policy. Ultimately, the United States was able to expand its territory
The first reason for the Spanish American War was public opinion. In 1895, American citizens took notice of a Cuban revolt against their corrupt Spanish oppressor. The Cuban insurgents reasoned that if they did enough damage , the US might move in and help the Cubans win their independence. Not only did Americans sympathize with the Cubans upon seeing tragic reports in the newspaper, but they also empathized in that the US once fought for their own independence from Britain. If France didn’t intervene, the Americans probably would not have won their freedom. As if this did not rally enough hate for the Spanish among the American Public, fuel was added to the flame by the Spanish General (“Butcher”) Weyler. He attempted to crush the rebellion by herding Cubans into barbed-wire concentration camps. In turn, the American public was outraged.
The Spanish Civil War took place from 1936 to 1939 and was fought between the Republicans, who were loyal to the Democratic, left-leaning and relatively urban Second Spanish Republic in an alliance of convenience with the Anarchists, versus the Nationalist, a Falangist, Carlist, and a largely aristocratic conservative group led by General Francisco Franco. Although the war is often portrayed as a struggle between democracy and fascism, some historians consider it more accurately described as a struggle between leftist revolution and rightist counter revolution. Ultimately, the Nationalists won and Franco then ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from April 1939 until his dead in November 1975.