1. The Spanish – American War
Chapter 10 -2
The Spanish – American War

2. Vocabulary / Identification
Jose Marti
Valeriano Weyler
yellow journalism
U.S.S. Maine
George Dewey
Rough Riders
San Juan Hill
Treaty of Paris

3. America’s Interest for Cuba
Located 90 miles from Florida, Cuba has long been the object of American desire.
1854 – President Franklin Pierce offer to buy Cuba from Spain.
Spanish response indicated that they would rather see Cuba sink into the sea than let America have it.

4. America’s Interest for Cuba
Cubans, however, wanted independence from Spain, and did not want to fall under American control.
First attempt for independence ( ) failed.
In 1886, Cubans forced Spain to end slavery.
After this minor victory, American businessmen began investing millions in sugar plantations in Cuba.

5. America’s Interest for Cuba
Second attempt for independence occurred in 1895.
Led by the Cuban poet, Jose Marti, Cuban resistance movements were formed.
Cuban led guerillas began destroying property, especially large sugar plantations owned by Americans.
Marti and others hoped that these action would provoke America to act.

6. America’s Interest for Cuba
Cuba libre!!! (Free Cuba) was the motto.
Many found this similar to Patrick Henry’s famous “give me liberty, or give me death” speech.
Public opinion in America was split.
Many business people wanted America to support Spain to protect their investment interests.
Others want the U.S. to support the rebels fight for independence.

7. War Fever Grows in the U.S.
1896 – Spain responds by sending General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba.
Weyler tried to crush the Cubans by moving to concentration camps.
300,000 Cubans were moved, thousands died.
Weyler’s activities made headlines in the U.S.

8. War Fever Grows in the U.S.
To increase readers, U.S. newspapers used ‘yellow journalism’ tactics.
Yellow journalism is the type of reporting that exaggerates the facts and embellishes the story to get readers.

9. War Fever Grows in the U.S.
Hearst further fans the flames of war by sending artist Fredric Remington to Cuba.
Remington reports to Hearst that nothing is happening.
Hearst replies, ‘you get me pictures, I’ll furnish the war!!’

10. War Fever Grows in the U.S.
De Lome letter – American sympathies for Cuban independence grew.
1897 – President McKinley takes office.
Preferring to avoid war, McKinley tries to negotiate with Spain.
He appeared to succeed…
Spain
Recalled Weyler
Modified the policy of concentration camps
Offered Cuba limited self rule.

11. War Fever Grows in the U.S.
February 1898 –the New York Journal obtained a secret letter from the Spanish minister to the U.S., Enrique de Lome.
In the letter, de Lome called McKinley weak and playing with American sympathies.
This embarrassed Spain, who apologized for de Lome’s statements.
de Lome, for his part, resigned his position.

12. War Fever Grows in the U.S.
A few days later, the U.S.S. Maine, anchored in a Cuban harbor, blew up.
Many, including Hearst, immediately blamed the Spanish, and demanded war.
Hearst offered $50,000 reward for the capture of those responsible.

13. Remember the Maine!!
After the explosion that sunk the Maine, many in the U.S. demanded war.
April 9, 1898, Spain agreed to all American demands, including a 6 month cease fire.
That did not matter.
Public opinion leaned towards war.

14. Remember the Maine!! April 11, McKinley asked Congress to declare war.
After a week of discussions, Congress agreed.
On April 20, 1898, the U.S. declares war on Spain.

15. War Rages On
While Spain thought the first battle would take place in Cuba, America attacked on the other side of the world.
April 30, 1898, George Dewey uses the U.S. Navy to attack the Spanish territory in the Philippines.
Like the Cubans, the Filipinos wanted their freedom too.

16. War Rages On The war in Cuba;
After fighting on mainland Cuba, American and Cuba forces prevail.
TR and his Rough Riders, along with an African-American regiments, obtain victory near Santiago.
This victory set up the Battle of San Juan Hill.
TR and his Rough Riders played a minor role in the victory, newspapers declared him a hero.

17. War Rages On Two days later, the Spanish fleet escaped.
The naval battle that followed along the Cuban coast resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy.
As a result, Cuba obtains its independence from Spain, but at what cost….

18. War Rages On
Over 11,000 troops were use to fight along with forces under Emilio Aguinaldo.
Dewey demonstrated the superiority of the American Navy in the battle in Manila.
In the end, the Philippines are surrendered by the Spanish.
Because of this success, 125,000 Americans enlisted to fight in Cuba.

19. The Treaty of Paris
The negotiations of the treaty touched off a firestorm in the U.S.
Arguments centered around whether or not America could/should annex the Philippines.
McKinley finally decided that there is “nothing left to do but take them all of them (the Philippines), and educated the Filipinos, and uplift and Christianize them.”

20. The Treaty of Paris
Other important Americans offered a variety of arguments.
These arguments ranged from the political, economic and morality of annexation.
Booker T. Washington argued that America should settle race relations at home before taking on problems elsewhere.
Samuel Gompers, a labor leader, feared Filipino immigrants would take American jobs.

21. The Treaty of Paris
In the end, the treaty question was settled on February 6, 1899.
The U.S. received new lands that included;
Guam,
Puerto Rico,
and the Philippines.

22. Homework
Complete the questions on the back of the Guided Reading Sheet.
Page 351 #4