1. Spanish-American War and Philippine-American War
America at war
Spanish-American War and Philippine-American War

2. Spanish-American war

3. US remained neutral even having feelings of sympathy for Cuba’s fight
Background
Spain controlled Cuba
Began as a Cuban nationalist revolution angry over being repressed by a colonial power
US remained neutral even having feelings of sympathy for Cuba’s fight
US began to take interest in the war in Cuba due to its’ interests in the country ($50 million in Cuba) and war was ruining their investments & business interests

4. Explosion of the uss maine
Causes
Yellow Journalism
The delome letter
Explosion of the uss maine

5. Yellow journalism
exaggeration of the truth written by American journalists (William Randolph Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer);
both fighting for more circulation, each newspaper tried to outsell the other by writing about the atrocities during the Cuban Revolution (both real and imagined)
*example: Cubans were forced into concentration camps by the Spanish

6. The delome letter
using yellow journalism, a letter was leaked by the New York Journal
written by the Spanish ambassador in Washington, Dupuy de Lome
discussed President William McKinley in unflattering terms.
The letter described McKinley as weak and the American people became infuriated.

7. Explosion of the uss maine
Washington sent the battleship Maine to Cuba in what was called a “friendly visit” but in actuality to protect and evacuate Americans in situation in Cuba became too dangerous.
*February 15, 1898: the Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana harbor, killing a total of 260 sailors.
*Both Spain and US did an investigation finding two different reasons for the explosion:
Spanish explanation: due to an internal problem and was an accident
US explanation: the explosion had been caused by a submarine mine
*Americans wanting to go to war believed the least likely explanation (“Remember the Maine. To hell with Spain.”)
in 1976 it was concluded by the US that in fact the explosion was a spontaneous combustion, supporting the Spanish explanation in 1898.

9. April 11, 1898: President McKinley sent a war message to Congress
Americans were giddy about war
Ended August 1898 (Treaty of Paris)

10. effects Cuba gained its independence US gained Guam and Puerto Rico
US took control of the Philippines from the Spanish (had to pay $20 million for the Philippine Islands)
United States now controlled an empire and became a world power
Ended American isolationism

11. Philippine-American war

12. Background
As a result of the treaty of paris 1898, the philippines were part of the united states
Ethnically diverse
Over 7 million people
Lush islands bigger than the British isles
Assumed they would be granted their freedom like the Cubans

13. To convert Filipinos from Spanish Catholicism
Causes
To convert Filipinos from Spanish Catholicism
To “civilize” the Philippines
Trade profits
Major cause of debate on senate floor and around the world between imperialists and anti-imperialists

14. War Led by Emilio Aguinaldo 1899-1901 Guerilla warfare
Sordid atrocities including concentration camps and the “water cure” (forced water down throat until they yielded information or died)
Captured Aguinaldo in 1901
Over 200,000 Filipino deaths; American deaths

15. Results Civil governor William howard taft sent to Philippines in 1901
Poured millions into islands to improve roads, sanitation, and public health
Important economic ties
Made English a second language and set up a good school system
Philippines gained their independence july 4, 1946
More immigrants to the US than any other Asian nation