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The diplomats recommended to President Franklin Pierce that the United States should buy Cuba from Spain. Cuba lies only 90 miles south of Florida.
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The Cubans were controlled by Spain. Americans knew how it felt to be controlled by another country, because we were controlled by Great Britain. The Sympathy also grew when Jose Martini was sent to create concentration camps and regain control
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The cuban people forced Spain to disestablish slavery in Cuba. American capitolists began investing millions of dollars in large sugar cane plantations because slavery was abolished.
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Alfred Mahan wrote a book called The Influence of Sea Power upon History. In his book, Mahan talked about becoming a more powerful nation we need naval bases in the Carribean, construct a canal across Panama, aquire Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, and develpe a modern fleet.
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William Randolf Hearst and Joesph Pulitzer would luer readers by exaggerating the news stories. They were publishers for the New York Journal and New York World.
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The New York Journal published a private letter by Enrique Dupuy de Lôme. He was the Spanish minister to the United States. A Cuban rebel had stolen the letter from a Havana post office and secretly gave it to a newspaper. This was a scandal because the De Lôme Letter criticized President Mckinley.
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A few days after the de lome letter, Americans became outraged with Spain. Mckinley ordered the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba to bring home American civilians living in Cuba. On February 15, 1989, the ship blew up in the harbor of Havana. The were 260 lives lost.
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The American fleet in the Pacific ocean went to the Phillipines, then Commodore George Dewey gave the command to open fire on the Spanish fleet. This happened at Manila (the Phillipine capitol.) Dewey's men distory every Spanish ship. This lead to Americans entering the Phillipines.
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In the Caribbean, hostilitlies began with a naval blockage of Cuba. Adm. Sampson seal up the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Satiago de Cuba.
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Near Satiago, on Kettle Hill, the most famous land battle in Cuba took place. It featured a dramatic up hill charge by the Rough Riders and two African-American regiments were present. This victory cleared the way for an infantry attack on San Juan Hill.
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After the destruction of the Spanish fleet, the American troops invaded Puerto Rico. This attack was led by General Miles. This helped them capture the Spanish colonies.
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The United States and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. As a result, Spain freed Cuba and turned over the Islands of Guam and Puerto Rico to the U.S. Spain also sold the Philipines to the U.S. for 20 million dollars.
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When the senate approved of The Treaty of Paris, the U.S. had an empire that included Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Philipines.
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U.S. President McKinley signed a civil law that established a civilian government in Puerto Rico.The first governor under the Foraker Act was Charles H. Allen, inaugurated on May 1, 1900 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
