CHAPTER 17-Becoming a World Power-1872-1912Section 2-Spanish – American War

THE SPANISH – AMERICAN WAR

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Chapter 17.2 Objectives- Describe the circumstances that led to war

between the United States and Spain in 1898- Explain how the war made the United States a

world power

Vocabulary- José Martí- William Randolph Hearst- Yellow Journalism- Jingoism- George Dewey- Rough Riders- Theodore Roosevelt- Platt Amendment

The Coming of War- Cuba, a Spanish colony, provided wealth for

Spain with sugarcane plantations- Up until the 1880’s, Cuba produced 1/3 of the

worlds sugar- 1/3 of Cuba’s population was enslaved

however- 1868, Cuban rebels declare independence

The Coming of War

- Rebellion collapses 10 years later in 1878- Many rebels flee to US

- José Martí- 1894 – US imposes new tariffs on sugar

Economy of Cuba suffers- Martí and followers being new rebellion in February 1895- Republic of Cuba, September 1895

The Coming of War

- At the start of the Cuban revolution, US is neutral.- Americans

have mixed emotions

- William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer- Yellow

Journalism

The Coming of War- Cuban rebels attack American property in Cuba

- Why?- General Valeriano Weyler and reconcentration

camps- News of brutal treatment enrages Americans- 1897: President McKinley doesn’t want to intervene

- Pushes for negotiations- Weyler out and Spain offers autonomy

- Spanish loyalists in Havana enraged and riot- US sends the battleship Maine to Havana harbor- Enrique Dupuy de Lôme

- New York Journal publishes letter

The Coming of War- February, 1898,

the USS Maine exploded, killing 266 Americans- No solid

evidence as to why it exploded, but…

- “Remember the Maine!”

The Coming of War- Jingoism- War declared on Spain April 9,1898.

The Coming of War- US Navy blockades

Cuba in Atlantic- George Dewey

- US Navy attacks Spanish fleet in the Philippines

- May 1, 1898- Emilio Aguinaldo

- Suspicious of Americans after troops arrive

A War on Two Fronts- McKinley sends 20,000 troops to Philippines

- Capture Guam on the way- American army untrained and ill-equipped- More soldiers die in training camps than in

battle- In June, 17,000

US troops descend on Santiago, Cuba

A War on Two Fronts

- Rough Riders- Theodore Roosevelt- El Caney and San Juan Heights

A War on Two Fronts

- 9th and 10th Cavalry (All black unit) also helped

- ¼ of all American troops in Cuba are black

- Victory comes in a matter of months

- August 12, 1898, Spain and US agree to cease-fire

An American Empire is Born

- What should US do with these newly acquired lands?- Annexations or Independence?- Treaty of Paris, December 1898

- Cuba given independence- Philippines annexed- Guam annexed

- What is the benefit of annexing these Pacific Island nations?

- Andrew Carnegie, Mark Twain, Jane Addams all oppose annexation and imperialism

An American Empire is Born- US is now an imperial power- Controlling an empire is not easy- Aguinaldo orders his troops to revolt

against American occupation- American General sets up

reconcentration camps…many Filipinos die

- William Howard Taft becomes US civilian governor…introduces reforms

- Aguinaldo captured March 1901- 1946: Philippines declared

independent

An American Empire is Born

- How to govern Puerto Rico?- Foraker Act

- 1917: Puerto Ricans get US citizenship- 1947: PR citizens can elect own governor- Should PR be given independence? Should

PR be made a state?

An American Empire is Born- The Platt Amendment specified that

- (1) Cuba could not make a treaty with another nation that would weaken its power or allow another foreign power to gain territory in Cuba

- (2) Cuba had to allow the United States to buy or lease naval stations in Cuba

- (3) Cuba’s debts had to be kept low to prevent foreign countries from landing troops to enforce payment

- (4) the United States would have the right to intervene to protect Cuban independence and keep order.

- Cuba reluctant, but accepted this- Amendment repealed in 1934

Section Review

- The Cuban Rebellion of 1868 fails and many rebels flee to US

- Americans begin to support Cubans through yellow journalism

- The explosion on the USS Maine catapulted US into war against Spain

- US fights two front war: Cuba and Philippines- Victory quick but empire building a struggle- Rebellion again in Philippines- Guam, Philippines, Puerto Rico annexed- Cuba given independence…sort of

Review of 17.2 Objectives

- Describe the circumstances that led to war between the United States and Spain in 1898

- Explain how the war made the United States a world power