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The United States Attempt to Buy Cuba From Spain
Diplomats recommended to President Franklin Pierce that the U.S. buy Cuba from Spain. Spain responded that they would rather see Cuba sink into the ocean. The interest for Cuba did not go away, the United States still wanted Cuba. -
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The First Cuban War
The Cubans tried to claim independence and rebelled against Spain which was not successful. They did get Spain to abolish slavery. After seeing how poorly Cubans were being treated, American sympathies went out to Cuba. Later in 1886, American capitalists started to invest millions of dollars in large sugarcane plantations on the island. This lead to the Spanish-American War. -
Cubans Forced Spain to Abolish Slavery
Cuban revolt against Spain wasn’t successful, but they did get Spain to abolish slavery. After the emancipation of Cuba’s slaves, American capitalists started to invest millions of dollars in large sugarcane plantations on the island. -
Second Cuban War
Cuba destroyed American sugar plantations and Spanish property. José Martí was a Cuban poet and journalist who organized the Cuban resistance against Spain in the second war. He used guerrilla campaigns and destroyed Spanish/American property. José Martí counted on provoking U.S. intervention to help the rebels achieve a free Cuba in their Second War of Independence. This event split American views on the U.S. involvement in Cuba. -
Spain Sent General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba in Order to Restore Order
He created concentration camps that had 300,000 Cubans. Thousands died from hunger and disease. A newspaper war between Spain and U.S was created as a result of General Valeriano Weyler’s actions. This created Yellow Journalism where journalists exaggerated the news and created many rumors. -
Yellow Press
A headline war between William Randolph and Joseph Pulitzer. These two Americans tried to lure the public’s attention by over exaggerating stories about Cuban brutality. There were stories of kids being thrown to the sharks and poisoned wells. These Yellow Newspapers created an American sympathy for Cuba. This sympathy created a want for war over Spain. -
Publication of the De Lome Letter
A private letter written by Enrique Dupuy de Lome(Spanish minister) that criticized President McKinley for being weak and “a bitter for the admiration of the crowd.” The letter was published by the New York Journal after it had been stolen by a Cuban rebel. Later the Spanish government apologized and Enrique resigned, but Americans were still infuriated. -
The U.S.S Maine Explodes
The U.S.S Maine exploded leaving 260 people dead. At the time no one knew how the ship exploded, but American newspapers claimed that the Spanish blew up the ship. The ship was supposed to bring back Americans that were in danger. -
War With Spain Erupts
There was no holding back the forces that wanted war. The rallying cry for the U.S. was “Remember the Maine!” The first battle took place in the Philippines. The second was in the Caribbean. On December 10, 1898, The Spain and the U.S. met in Paris to sign the Treaty of Paris. This was a cease-fire agreement that freed Cuba and gave back the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico. Lastly, the U.S. bought the Philippines. -
U.S. Forces Attack on Manila Bay
The Spanish thought that the first battle of the Spanish-American War would take place in Cuba, but instead the U.S. struck first on the Philippine Islands. Commodore George Dewey gave the command to open fire on the Spanish fleet in the capital of the Philippines. Within hours, every Spanish ship was destroyed which allowed the U.S. to land on the islands. Over the next two months 11,000 Americans joined with the Filipino rebels, forcing the Spanish to surrender the Philippine Islands. -
U.S. Forces Invade Cuba
The U.S. landed near Santiago, Cuba with an army of 17,000 men. This army consisted of four African-American regiments and the Rough Riders. Even though the Rough Riders trained on horses, they had to fight on their feet because their horses didn’t arrive in time. The first major battle was the Battle for Kettle/San Juan Hill. -
Battle of Kettle/San Juan Hill
This was the most important land battle in Cuba. The Rough Riders and two African-American regiments took an uphill charge on Kettle Hill. They cleared the way for an infantry attack on the strategically important San Juan Hill. Teddy Roosevelt was named the hero of San Juan Hill in the newspapers. This battle lead to the destruction of the Spanish fleet and gave the U.S. an opportunity to invade Puerto Rico. -
Destruction of the Spanish Fleet
The destruction of the Spanish Fleet began with the attack on Kettle Hill headed by the Rough Riders and two African-American regiments. Their victory cleared an attack for an infantry attack on San Juan Hill. Two days after that, the Spanish fleet tried to escape the American Blockade of the harbor at Santiago. There was then a naval battle that followed along the Cuban coast which ended in the destruction of the Spanish Fleet. -
Naval Blockade of Cuba
Hostilities began with a naval blockade, this was ordered by Admiral William T. Sampson which effectively sealed off any spanish ships from entering or exiting. -
The Capture of Puerto Rico
Shortly after the Spanish fleet tried to escape the American blockade at the harbor of Santiago, the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico with little resistance. Only seven people were killed in the battle. Later when the Treaty of Paris was signed, Puerto Rico became part of America. -
Armistice is Signed Between the U.S. and Spain
An armistice was signed between the US and Spain. An armistice is an agreement by two opposing sides to stop fighting for a period of time. This lead to the signing of the Treaty of Paris. On December 10th the treaty of paris was signed officially ending the Spanish American war. The United States was given Puerto rico, Guam, and Bought the philippine islands for $20 million dollars. -
Treaty of Paris
The United States and Spain both agreed to meet in Paris and agree on a treaty. Spain ended up freeing Cuba and turned over the islands of Guam in the Pacific and Puerto Rico in the West Indies to the United States. Spain also sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million.
