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The United States has always been interested in Cuba because of its proximity.
In 1854, diplomats suggested to President Franklin Pierce to buy the island from Spain.
The European empire, though, replied that they would rather see Cuba sunk in the ocean than selling it to the USA. -
The rebellion lasted from 1868 to 1878.
Americans felt symphaty for the Cubans because Cuba was a colony of a cruel European empire, just like America used to be. They knew what it was like to have no freedom and independence. -
As a result of the long revolution, Spain abolished slavery in cuba.
This led Americans to invest millions of dollars in sugar cane plantations. Sugar was a huge source of money at that time. -
Published in 1890, Mahan's book The influence of Sea Power upon History, explained the main points of his theory.
In order to be a World Power, America needed to have an empire; in order to build an empire America should have a modern steam powered fleet; have control over the Panama Canal, Hawaii and the islands in the Caribbean as ports for the ships.
Cuba, as part of the Caribbean islands, had therefore to be controlled by the US. -
General Valeriano Weyler was sent to Cuba in order to restore order: Cubans were rebelling once again against Spain.
He tried to stop the rebellion by herding about 300,000 Cubans into concentration camps, in most of which, people died for hunger and diseases. -
Pulitzer - president of New York World - and Hearst - president of New York Journal - started to write and print exaggerated stories about the brutal conditions the Cubans lived in.
This style of writing was called Yellow Journalism; the two rivals - Hearst and Pulitzer - fan the flame of war and, at the same time, increased the number of news papers they sold. -
President McKinley took office in 1897 and, not wanting to fight a war against Spain, tried to resolve the crisis. Weyler went back to Spain and Cuba got a limited self-government.
On Feb. 9 1898 a letter written by De Lôme, the Spanish minister, was published. In this letter he criticized the US President by calling him weak. This augmented the anger of Americans. -
The battleship USS Maine was sent to Cuba to rescue American citizens. The battleship misteriously blew up in the harbor of Havana.
This is one of the main causes of why, on April 11th, President McKinley asked Congress the permission of declaring war.
On April 20th, the President signed the declaration of war. -
Commodore Dewey led the attack against the Spanish fleet, which, within few hours, was destroyed.
Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo joined the US forces in the battle in Manila Bay; by August, Spanish troops surrendered.
This first victory shows that the naval forces of the United States are superior to Spanish ones. -
After Dewey's victory in the Philippines, Admiral Sampson arranged the navy around the harbor of Santiago in order to seal the Spanish fleet up.
This allowed the US forces to land in Cuba; four regiments of African- Americans soldiers and the Rough Riders, led by Leonard Wood and Theodore Roosevelt. -
The Rough Riders, led by Roosevelt and Wood, consisted of volunteers. With the 9th and 10th regiment, the Rough Riders are the main figures of this battle.
Winning the battle near Kettle Hill, opened the street for San Juan Hill, strategically important place from which they could control the harbor and the surrounding area.
This granted the destruction of the Spanish fleet and the victory of the US. -
On August 12 an armistice is signed by Spain and America.
On Dec. 10, in Paris, Spain agreed to free Cuba, and give the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. Philippines were also sold to America for 20 million dollars.
After a year of debate over the treaty, regarding the annexion of Philippines, the treaty was ratified on Feb. 6 1899. -
After the Treaty of Paris, which gave Puerto Rico to the US, America forces led by General Miles occupied the island.
Later on, since the place was still of strategical importance for the United States, the Congress passed the Foraker (or Organic) Act; by this act a civil governmen was set up, so that the Puerto Ricans could at least elect member of the legislature's lower house.
Only in 1917 Puerto Ricans became US citizens. -
The Teller Amendment was ratified by the Platt Amendment of 1901, by which Cuba was put under the control of the American government and could not change the situation.
In 1903 Cuba was proclaimed a US protectorate.
The United States could therefore invest even more in tobacco, sugar, industries, and have strategically important harbors in the two oceans.
