The Spanish American War: The Causes Of The Spanish-American War

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THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 1898
The Spanish-American War was a war fought for Cuban independence. It was fought in 1898 and resulted in an American victory. The causes of the Spanish-American War are as follows. In 1985 Lose Marti led a revolt against the Spanish, fighting for Cuban independence. The Spanish reactionary was extreme with 200,000 Cubans dying in unsanitary concentration camps. The press in the US printed sensationalized stories of appalling conditions in Cuba. US public opinion behind the rebels was encouraged by lurid newspapers stories about the Cuban concentration camps. “Sights that Sicken Strong Men”. It roused the American public to fury and indignation, and imperial self-assertion. Ambassador De Lome of Spain called McKinley …show more content…

American Security: Cuba is only 150 km away from Florida and Cuba was within the US sphere of influence according to the Monroe Doctrine, and the US needed to defend the Doctrine, so they would not look weak. Also 86% Cuban exports went to the US. The US imported $100 millions of dollars’ worth of product from the island, and the Us had investments worth $50 million in Cuba. In 1898, the USS Maine was sent to Havana, and on February 15th, 1898, 266 Americans were killed and the Spanish were blamed for it. “Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!” The Teller Amendment 1898 authorized President McKinley to take action in the Spanish-American War. This committed the US govt. to granting Cuba its independence following the removal of Spanish forces. On April 1988, the US congress recognized Cuba’s independence and …show more content…

This event marked the removal of the Batista regime and the end of the first political Cuban revolution. It served as the beginning of the "true" revolution, the economic revolution of Cuba. Castro emerged from the Sierra Maestra to establish a communist dictatorship. With Castro almost in power, the people had thought that Havana was going to change for the better. About 1 million Cubans were on the streets and highways yelling at Castro and saying thank you and make yourself at home. Before Castro entered Havana he ousted another Cuban dictator. Most people had thought that Havana was going to fall apart, they were them abandoned by Batista to sink or swim before the justice of the new revolution. In suppressing the revolution, Batista 's government had killed thousands of Cubans; at the time. In response to the popular uproar, which demanded that those responsible be brought to justice, Castro helped set up many trials, resulting in hundreds of executions. Although widely popular domestically, critics–in particular, the U.S. press–argued that many were not fair trials. Castro responded that "revolutionary justice is not based on legal precepts, but on moral conviction". Castro: “We are not executing innocent people or political opponents. We are executing murderers and they deserve it.” He ensured that the government implemented policies to cut corruption and fight illiteracy and that it attempted to

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