Spanish American War

Chapter 9

Background

• Who? United States vs Spain

• Where? Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Guam (Spain’s colonies)

Causes of the Spanish American War

• Sympathy for the Cubans who were leading a revolution against Spain. Why would we be sympathetic?

• “Butcher” Valeriano Weyler forced 300,000 Cuban Rebels into concentration camps

• Monroe Doctrine- was our chance to get Spain out of the Americas.

• Economic interests- sugar plantations in Cuba• Yellow Journalism- American Press got American’s behind

going to war• Spark! Sinking of the USS Maine

Spain’s Concentration Policy

• Valeriano Weylar- put many civilians in government run concentration camps.

• Conditions were bad• Fighting a guerrilla war they had to separate

the good and the bad guys.• Made Spain look bad in American eyes.

Yellow Journalists

• William Hearst New York Journal. “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war”

• Versus• Joseph Pulitzer New York World

• A type of journalism that distorts and exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers

• Newspaper created highly exaggerated stories, headline huge, many pictures, exaggerated drawings, emotional words and symbols, scare tactics

Yellow Journalism

Maine Explosion Caused by Bomb or Torpedo?

2/17/1898 New York World

Does Yellow Journalism exists today?

USS Maine BLOWS UP!

• “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!”• USS Maine explodes off the coast of Havana

Cuba.• Most Americans believe Spain responsible.• Later discovered it was an accidental explosion

aboard the ship. A fire had ignited explosives.• This was the “spark” that started the war!

Yellow Journalists had a field day with this.

How does this cartoon portray Spain?

War declared!

• President McKinley and Congress declare war.

• Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders win the Battle at San Juan Hill in Cuba.

• African Americans serve under Roosevelt bravely but get no credit.

Effects/Results

• US becomes an imperial power.• Cuba gets its independence. • US serves as a protectorate of former Spanish

colonies.• This would not go well with the Philippinos.

This would go against our ideals of democracy. • US would crave more, eventually expand

claiming Puerto Rico, Guam, Samoa, Philippines, Hawaii

Assignment

• Design the front page of a newspaper in the “sensational” style of Hearst and Pulitzer about the Spanish American War.

• A type of journalism that distorts and exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers

• Newspaper created highly exaggerated stories, headline huge, many pictures, exaggerated drawings, emotional words and symbols, scare tactics