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Spanish American War

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During the mid 1600s Spain was one of the most powerful nations, controlling vast amounts of colonies across the globe. These mostly included the majority of Central and South America to the Caribbean and Asia. However as time progressed, Spain lost most of their territory through wars and the struggle for independency in the colonies. They did manage however, to keep their main sources of power such as Puerto Rico and Cuba. During the 1890s, the United States became a world power itself. They sought out to deem nearby assets which included Cuba and Puerto Rico. The U.S had millions of dollars invested in business in Cuba. They had investments in the islands, sugar, tobacco and mining industries and public utilities. The U.S needed to maintain a strong political presence in Cuba in order to protect its economic interest. In 1895, Jose Marti and the Cuban Revolutionary Party lead a revolt against Spain. Sympathy rose high for the Cubans through the use of yellow journalism which documented what was occurring in Cuba. William Randolph Hearts, who dominated the newspaper in American, exploited and exaggerated the Spanish oppression of poor Cuba. The American public demanded that President McKinley do something about the situation, so he sent a naval fleet to Havana. A submarine mine exploded in Havana Harbor in Cuba, sinking the U.S. battleship Maine. Although it was never proven, America placed responsibility on Spain. “Remember the Maine!” became the war’s most famous slogan. Another incident that led to the increase of intensity between Spain and the U.S was the publication of a stolen letter in the New York Journal. The Spanish ambassador sent a letter which referred to President McKinley as “weak” and insulted him. Americans were outraged. On April 25th, 1898 the U.S declared war on Spain.
Representatives of Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty in

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