-
Americans had an interest in the islands they were 90 miles off the Florida coast for a while. In 1854 President Franklin Pierce offered to buy Cuba from Spain. Spain's response was that they would rather have Cuba sink in the ocean than let the US have it. -
This war would be the first step for the people of Cuba to gain their independence from Spain. During the time from Oct. 10, 1868 - 1878 the Cuban people would end up making Spain abolish slavery in 1886. Although the revolt was unsuccessful the Cuban people would end up getting the Pact of Zanjón. This pact would be a promise that Cuba would get a more self-structure government. This would end up not happening. -
José Martí a Cuban poet and journalist in exile in New York launched a revolution in 1895. He was starting to organize Cuban rebels to fight against Spain. He would activate guerrilla campaigns and deliberately destroy property, especially American-owned sugar mills and plantations. He would help spread the message of "Cuba Libre!" (Free Cuba). He would end up dying on May 19, 1895, during his second battle for Cuban independence. -
The yellow press would start to shape the way Americans looked at the Cubans war independence. The 2 major players in it would be William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. They would lure readers, Hearst’s New York Journal and Pulitzer’s New York World printed exaggerated accounts of what was going on in Cuba with Weyler. Making him be the villain of Cuba with America being the hero to save them. -
When Spain heard of the Cuban revolution he would send Valeriano Weyler, also known as "The Butcher", to Cuba. In his time in Cuba, he would come up with a plan to put the Cuban people into towns. In these towns, the condition they would live in would be similar to the concentration camps of world war 2. He would become the main villain in the yellow press in America. -
On February 9, 1898, De Lôme Letter was published by William Hearst in the New York Journal. Hearst bought the letter from Cuban Rebels who took it from a Spanish ship they invaded. The content within the letter would insult the current president McKinley. These insults would help fuel the country's wants for war. -
The USS Maine was in Havana harbor when it would explode. The explosion would end up killing 2 officers and around 260 American troops. Later after the remains of the USS Maine were looked at it was determined that a mine was placed in the water. This is would anger Americans back home. Later in that week, Hearst would post an article in his newspaper labeled "The warship Maine was split into two by an enemy's secret infernal machine". -
On April 21, 1898, congress would finally declare war on Spain. After the incident with the De Lome Letter and U.S.S Maine, exploding Americans were ready for the country to go to war with Spain. American journalist would us “Remember the
Maine!" as a war cry for Americans as they would invade Cuba. Americans all around the country would volunteer for the war the following weeks. -
Americans would land on Cubas shores in April of 1898. They would be getting off their ships to rowboats and rowing to shore. their horses would be lowered into the water and expected to swim to shore. While when the soldiers would get there they would get on to the little dock that they arrived at. When they arrived, they were set ashore on an undefended beach so they didn't have to fight their way to the beach. -
As early as March 23, 1898, the secretary of the navy, John D. Long made a plan to block off Cuba from the Spanish. The plan didn't go into effect however until April 18 of the same year when Admiral Willam T put Sampson's squadron began the process of implementing the blockade on April 22 when his ships sailed from Key Est, Florida for Cuba. -
The battle of Manila Bay also known as the battle of Cavite. During the battle Commander Dewey and his fleet took out the Spanish fleet in the Philippines. This battle was important this is when America was showing how strong their navy was. -
The battle of San Juan Hill was one of the most important battles in the Spanish - American war. During this battle is when Colonel Roosevelt and his Rough Riders would take over the battle. This would be important due to them taking over San Juan Hill. -
After the Americans took over Santiago, the Spanish tried to escape the American troops due to them having higher ground. the Spanish fleet tried to flee back out into the Atlantic ocean. They would end up being meeting the American naval blockade. All of the Spanish fleet but one ship would end up getting destroyed by the American Navy. -
When the Spanish fleet was trying to escape the American blockade of the Santiago Habor. Following their attempted escape there would be a naval battle that took place on the Cuban coast. The naval battle would end with the Spanish fleet being destroyed. After the win, American troops would invade Puerto Rico. -
Both America and Spain would end up signing an armistice for a cease-fire. They would end up signing this without any Cuban rebels present. this would be ending what Secretary of State John Hay would end up calling "a splendid little war." The war only lasted about 15 weeks with most of the American troops dying from diseases rather than the fighting.
-
The battle of Manila was a mock battle. We would steal the win from the Philippine rebels. we would view the Philippine people as children that we would have to teach how to make a government. While Americans were talking to the Spanish about their surrender, the Phillippine commanders were not invited. Instead, they were down the street speaking about their government among their own people. They would end up being sold to the Americans during the treaty of Paris. -
This would end the Spanish-American war only if the war would only last around 15 weeks. December 10, 1898, America and Spain would meet again to talk about Spain freeing Cuba and turning 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. The lives of these people would be in the hands of both America and Spain due to no one from any of the islands were invited to attend the meeting.
