US In the Spanish-American War

“The Splendid Little War” –Teddy Roosevelt

Motivations for Imperialism• In the 1890s, due to rising exports, manufacturing, power, and

wealth, US sought overseas markets to sell its goods.

• US sought to prove itself as world power and spread democracy

• Darwin’s theory of survival-of-the-fittest = United States was the fittest and needed to take over other nations to improve them. – Such events already were happening, as Europeans had carved up

Africa and China by this time.– White Man’s Burden – civilizing the world’s savages

Cuba

• In 1895, Cuba revolted against Spain, citing years of misrule

• America supported Cuba, and the situation worsened when Spanish General came to Cuba to crush the revolt and put many civilians into concentration camps

Yellow Journalism

• Goal is to sell papers, not about responsible reporting

• Perpetuated by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer in a selling war

• Presents little or no legitimate well-researched news • Techniques include exaggeration and sensationalism• Term is used today to discredit reporting seen as

unprofessional or unethical

USS Maine Explosion

Spark of War

• On February 15th of 1898, the U.S. battleship U.S.S. Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor, killing 260 officers and men. – America was war-mad in part due to HI success and Yellow Journalism and Spain

received the blame.

– Hearst called down to Cuba, “You supply the pictures, I’ll supply the story.”

– What really happened was an accidental explosion had blown up the ship

– However, on April 11, 1898, the president sent his war message to Congress anyway, since war with Spain seemed inevitable, America had to defend democracy

Spanish-American War begins!