Spanish-American War (1898)

Causes: How did each of the following help to cause the outbreak of the Spanish-American War?



1. American business owners
Even though the Spanish owned Cuba and rejected America's offer to buy it from them, the American capitalists began investing millions of dollars into the island for its large sugar can plantations. (Later on they were destroyed by Martí's revolution causing American owners to become furious and want support for Spain in order to protect their investments.)


2. José Martí
He was a Cuban poet and journalist who launched a Cuban revolution against Spain in 1895. The revolution sought resistance against Spain and consisted of guerrilla campaign and purposely destroying property. Property that was destroyed consisted of American-owned sugar mills and plantations which made the American owners angry.


3. Valeriano Weyler
He was a Spanish general sent to Cuba in 1896 to restore order. He tried to do this by setting up barbed-wire concentration camps into which he herded the entire rural population of central and western Cuba. This made it so that the rebels could not receive help from the people inevitably crushing the rebellion. There were 300,000 people in these camps; thousands ended up dying from disease and starvation.


4. Yellow journalism It is a style of writing in which news is exaggerated to lure and enrage readers. Two newspaper tycoons, William Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World, used this technique. Then people read about exaggerated Spanish brutality, which led to deepening American sympathy for the rebels.

5. De Lôme letter
It was a letter written by the Spanish minister, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, to the United States. Previously William McKinley had just taken office in 1897 and wanted to avoid war even though there was a rise in American intervention in Cuba. His efforts seemed successful when Spain recalled General Weyler, modified the policy regarding concentration camps, and even offered Cuba a limited self-government. Although the letter was not very supportive and criticized the President calling him "weak" and "a bidder for the administration of the crowd". To make matters worse the letter was first heard about when it was stolen from a Havana post office by a Cuban rebel and leaked to the New York Journal in February 1898. Although the Spanish government apologized and the minister resigned, American people were still angry over their president being insulted.


6. U.S.S. Maine
It was sent to Cuba by President McKinley to bring Americans citizens, who were in danger from the fighting, home and protect American property. On February 15, 1898 the ship blew up while in the harbor; more than 260 were killed. Nobody knew who was behind the attack but newspapers blamed the Spanish causing outrage amongst Americans.

Effects: What happened to each of the following territories as a result of the Spanish-American War?



7. Cuba
It was freed from Spanish rule.


8. Puerto Rico
It was invaded by American troops on July 25 and later turned over to the United States at Spanish and American peace talks.


9. Guam
It was turned over to America on December 10,1898 at the peace talk in Paris to agree on a treaty.


10. Philippine Islands
Filipinos, like the Cubans, were displeased by Spanish rule and wanted freedom. After Dewey's victory at sea, 11,000 Filipino rebels joined him by the next two months. Soon after the Spanish troops surrendered. On February 6, 1899 the islands became a part of America's rule along with Guam and Puerto Rico.