That Splendid Little War

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That Splendid Little War

• The Spanish-American War
• April 25-August 12, 1898

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Why did we get involved in a war with Spain?

• Sympathy for Cubas struggle for Independence
• Growing American imperialism
• Increasing political pressures and ambitions
• Active support of a military solution to what
  should have been solved politically
  
• Yellow Journalism fever for war!
• Sinking of the Battleship Maine

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The Spanish were in control of affairs in
Cuba. Cubans were being exploited and they
wanted their independence. The people of the
United States sympathized with Cubans and the
notion of war grew more popular.
Captain-General Ramon Blanco
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Jose Marti had led an uprising in 1895 that
was brutally ended by the Military Governor,
Butcher Weyler. Many thousands died of
starvation and disease in concentration camps.
Word of these atrocities brought support from the
United States.
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There were many in this country who supported the
idea of war

• Imperialist ideas wanted to extend influence in
  areas overseas to enhance the economy
  
• The Manifest Destiny group wanted expansion for
  the sake of expansion
  
• Some saw war as a means to an end perhaps a
  political career
  
• Rival newspapers saw this as an opportunity to
  increase circulation and make money
  
• Some said America needs a war.

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President McKinley tried to prevent a war but was
almost helpless to stem the tide.
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Pulitzer
Hearst
The Rabid News Reports
The Maine
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Joseph Pulitzer was owner of the New York
World. He began using melodrama, romance, and
hyperbole to gain a greater audience. He created
a cartoon character called the Yellow kid to
attract interest and customers.
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Not to be outdone, William Randolph Hearst, of
the New York Journal, created another cartoon
character who was also the yellow kid. Soon
the two newspapermen were locked in a game of
can you top this?. The truth was lost in th
e shuffle and, meanwhile, a war was created.
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It is claimed that Hearst sent Frederick
Remington a cable stating, You furnish the
pictures , and Ill furnish the war.
But is that any worse than Teddy Roosevelt
saying, I should welcome almost any war for I
think this country needs one?
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Many journalists never got closer to Cuba than
the bars in Key West. Journalists who actually
made the trip to Havana, seldom left the luxury
of the hotels where they sat under ceiling fans,
drank Cuba Libras and pumped out sensational
stories that made Spain a villainous enemy to all.
War became inevitable!
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The Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor
After the explosion
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What happened to the Maine?

• The exact cause of the explosion has never been
  determined.
  
• Some say it was a bomb from the outside, placed
  by the Spanish
  
• Some say it was an internal explosion, perhaps
  accidental, but 266 men lost their lives
  
• Whatever caused the explosion, the explosion
  caused the declaration of war!
  
• Remember the Maine became the battle cry
• Soon the US and Spain were locked in war

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A superior United States naval fleet soon
brought an end to the Spanish presence on the sea
near Cuba and the Philippines.
Once the Spanish navy was gone, the internal
fighting on the part of the Spanish was doomed to
failure. Before long it became apparent which
side would win.
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The Pacific fleet was visiting Hong Kong when
the news of war arrived. Commodore George Dewey
quickly provisioned his ships and set off to
attack the Spanish colony in the Philippine
Islands.
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Once at sea, Commodore Dewey had his men paint
all the ships. Once a bright white, the ships
were soon covered with a dull gray to make them
less visible to the enemy. Next, Dewey ordered
that everything made of wood, including the piano
on his flagship Olympia, be tossed over the side.
Splintered wood presented a greater danger to his
crews than enemy shells. Then with chests,
chairs, and tables bobbing in the water behind
them, the ships went after the Spanish fleet.
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The fighting in the Philippines was over
quickly, but things did not go so well in Tampa
in preparation for the invasion of Cuba.
Confusion and disorder reigned. Eventually
Roosevelt took charge and got his group out of
Tampa and into Cuba. Anyone who knew him, knew
he was a man of action. The army moved into Cuba
and quickly took over that theater, as well.
Puerto Rico fell in very short order.
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Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders had
their war and a chance for glory. Journalists
made the most of their opportunity to write about
the Splendid Little War. The soldiers who
fought probably saw things differently!
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Spain agreed to an armistice. In the four
months of fighting, Americans had lost a total of
460 soldiers in battle. Compared to the Civil
War, in which tens of thousands were often killed
in a single day, these casualties seemed
insignificant. "It's been a splendid little war,"
the ambassador to England wrote to his friend,
Teddy Roosevelt.
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Roosevelt returned, the hero of the war.
Because of his heroism on Kettle Hill, he'd been
nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor.
His popularity swept him to the governorship of
New York. Like Dewey before him, Roosevelt
memorabilia filled shop windows. One of the more
popular items was a cuddly stuffed animal wearing
a bandana and glasses. People called it the
"Teddy Bear."
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Though the facts sometimes get lost in the
sensationalism, the Spanish-American War
established the new United States as a world
power to be respected, possessing important lands
overseas. Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico
came to the United States. Cuba was not part of
the deal because of its huge debt. The United
States was on the rise as a nation. On the other
hand, Spain faded into obscurity.
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Created by Carol Poole, June 2004