1. The Spanish American War

2. 1895: Cuban Independence Movement In 1895, Cubans revolted against Spanish colonial rule. In response, the Spanish army gathered several hundred thousand Cubans into concentration camps. Some 200,000 Cubans died in the camps because of poor food and sanitation. Such harsh measures led many Americans to support the Cuban rebels in their struggle for independence from Spain. Click here to find out how newspapers told this story to Americans. Click here

3. January 1898: U.S. battleship Maine arrives in Havana Harbor Click here Click here to learn what happened to the U.S. Maine in Havana Harbor.

4. April 1898: The Road to War President McKinley requested and Congress approved $50 million to prepare for war. Spain offered to negotiate but would not consider Cuban independence. Congress then passed a resolution on April 20 declaring the island independent and giving Spain three days to leave the island. Click here to find out what the U.S. intended for Cuba. Click here In response to the U.S. declaration that Spain had to leave Cuba, Spain declared war on the U.S.

5. May 1898: Early Success While attention was focused on Cuba, the U.S. Navy won a quick and spectacular victory halfway around the world. Click here to find out more. Note: once on the web page, scroll through the events listed at the bottom to: Click here “Commodore Dewey’s Victory in the Philippines”

6. The Rough Riders The most colorful group of soldiers in the war was the First Volunteer Cavalry. Click here to find out why. Click here Click here to view footage of the Rough Riders. Click here

7. Casualties of War The majority of deaths in the Spanish American War were not due to combat. Click here to find out what caused the majority of casualties. Click here

8. February 1899: Treaty of Paris ratified The U.S. Navy trapped the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba in June 1898. On July 3, the Spanish fleet tried to break through the blockade but was destroyed. Click here to find out the terms of the peace treaty ratified in February of the next year. Click here Note: use the timeline links at the bottom of the page to find the treaty information.

9. The Fight for the Philippines President McKinley believed the US would benefit from the purchase of the Philippines by gaining a naval port. Filipino rebels had helped US forces capture Manila. Now they expected independence. When they realized the US intended to keep the islands, the rebels began a guerilla war against the US.

10. The Fight for the Philippines Some 70,000 US soldiers fought in the Philippines. Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos died before the conflict ended 3 years later. The US maintained control, allowing the Filipinos some governing control. In 1946, the US granted independence to the Philippines.

11. The map below displays territory gained by the US in the Spanish American War.