the spanish-american war “a splendid little war” april-august (december) 1898
DESCRIPTION
Spark USS Maine explosion (Feb. 15, 1898) 260 killed It’s onTRANSCRIPT
The Spanish-American War“A Splendid Little War” April-August (December) 1898
Causes• Cuban desire for
independence• Jose Marti
• Valeriano “Butcher” Weyler sent to Cuba (1896)• Cuban towns turned into
concentration camps (300,000)
• Yellow Journalism (Pulitzer and Hearst)
• De Lome Letter
Spark• USS Maine explosion (Feb. 15, 1898)• 260 killed
• It’s on
Strategy•Americans• Ignore Spanish
agreements for peace• Attack Spanish Imperial
holdings• Eliminate Spain as world
power• Weaken Spain’s morale• Philippines• Guam
• Naval victories (blockades)
Strategy•Spain• Weather and terrain• Surrender (didn’t work for a long
time)
Major/Turning Point Battles• Manila (8 American
wounded; 361 Spanish dead)
• Guam• San Juan Hill (200
killed; 1200 wounded)
• Puerto Rico (450 Spanish dead; 4 American deaths)
Heroes and Goats•Americans• William McKinley• George Dewey• Rough Riders• 9th and 10th cavalries• Theodore Roosevelt• Joseph Pulitzer• William Randolph Hearst
Heroes and Goats•Spanish• Weather• Valeriano Weyler• Pascual Cervera
• Daring escape - failed
•Cubans• Jose Marti
Cost ($ and Lives)•Americans• 2500 dead (380 in battle)• Approximately 2200 from disease and
poisoned meat• 1700 wounded• Between $250 and $400 million (current
$6 billion)
•Spanish• More dead than U.S.• All Imperial holdings
Treaty• Treaty of Paris (1898)• Officially signed in
December though cease-fire signed in August
• Terms• Cuba independent• U.S. gets Guam and
Puerto Rico• U.S. buys Philippines for
$20 million
Non-Treaty Results/Long Term Significance
• Unifies North and South (first war since Civil War)
• Angers anti-Imperialists
• Philippines• McKinley wanted to
“educate Filipinos and uplift and Christianize them”
• World Police