...United States found themselves in a position to assist these people with their fight for independence and to gain some land and power in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. It has long been thought that the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor was the catalyst that propelled the US into war with Cuba. I have found evidence that the US entered into war for a different reason. My research has led me to believe that the spread of disease, especially yellow fever, from Cuba into the US was the true reason for the American declaration of war against Spain. The sinking of the Maine has historically been accepted to be the cause of the US entering into war. It can be argued that it was, but, was the sinking really caused by the Spanish? There is no conclusive evidence that it was or was not. The Maine was sent to Havana Harbor in January of 1898. The ship, along with other US military vessels, was used to help blockade the port. This would keep the Spanish fleet from replenishing supplies and weapons to quell the rebellions going on in Cuba against them. On February 15, 1898 the Maine sank. It was believed that the Spanish caused the sinking that led to the death of 260 American sailors. The incident was used to push Congress to declare war against Spain. The sinking of the Maine may actually have been an accident. The powder magazines in the ship’s cargo hold may have caught fire and exploded. This...
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...in Cuba, and the sinking of the USS. Maine. These all helped spark the war that would give Cuba its independence when the war would conclude. The United States supported the fight with Cubans for their independence from the Spanish. Cuban revolts all started with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894. This American tariff put restrictions on sugar imports to the United States that severely hurt the economy of Cuba because they were based on producing and selling sugar. Spain sent in General "Butcher" Weyler to stabilize the situation...
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...has struggled with the question of what really caused the explosion of the U. S. S. Maine in Havana, Cuba. A mysteriously sank of the ship. Who was to blame? Spain controlled Cuba at the time. So, was it Cuba, Spain, or was it a malfunction in the ship that caused the explosion? These led to newspaper publishers such as William Randolph Hearst´s New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World two editor´s who developed a passion for journalism and wrote ¨ Shameful treachery¨: Hearst´s Journal Blames Spain and ¨Suspended Judgment¨: A Times editorial on the Maine Tragedy based on truth but written with incendiary language causing polemic among readers. Hearst´s saw the possibility of war with Spain as a big story that would attract American readers and would eventually sell more papers. He described the situation in Cuba as a place that needed to be release from anarchy. But it was the sinking of the Maine that leads us into war with Spain. Hearst printed out stories that the U.S.S. Maine was blown up by Spanish torpedo, which was laid in the harbor, as to not interfere with Cuba revolting against them, it painted Spain as the bad guy, and responsible for the death of 260 American Soldiers. He points out the importance of an immediately act of war versus Spain to Liberate Cuba from the oppression of Spaniards and for the destruction of the U.S. Maine in Havana. To achieve this goal, Hearst stories were base on true statements but written...
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...Who Sank the U.S.S. Maine? Today I am writing about Marie Elizabeth Lamb’s “Awake United States” which was written in New Orleans in 1898. This song was written between the time periods of when the U.S.S. Maine was sunk to when the call to war happened. This song was rushed into printing during this time period because it established the sinking of the Maine and the fighting urge to go to war. The U.S.S. Maine was sent out to the coast of Havana in Cuba after riots had put American interests in harm. While doing so, they managed to hit a mine that was under water and caused the ship to sink. I believe Marie Elizabeth Lamb wrote the song to turn Americans against Spain, gain as much support for war as possible, and promote yellow journalism....
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...The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918) is a silent animated short film produced by American cartoonist Winsor McCay, depicting a work of propaganda in re-creating the never-photographed 1915 sinking of the British liner RMS, Lusitania. The reliability is profoundly restricted by the reality that the source is for propaganda tenacities and hence not a true indication of the sinking of Lusitania. Rather that of an animated dramatization of the notorious World War I German torpedoing of the ocean liner. The source is reliable in depicting that in the aftermath of the sinking, Lusitania became a symbol of the war effort–a polarizing rallying cry along the lines of “Remember the Maine!” . As such, the source is reliable as evidence that propaganda...
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...supremacy; that the American constitution was only meant for certain races and could not extend to the Filipinos. 2. The benefits of Imperialism are patriotism, commerce and destiny. All these appealed to American greatness. 3. 4. The USS Maine was ordered to Havana harbor to keep American citizens safe. On February 15, the Maine exploded. Americans immediately accused Spain without any proof. This led to the United States to declare war in Cuba. 5. The Spanish-American War of 1898 was a war between the...
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...They declared this the “Republic of Canada”. Sympathetic Americans, sent aid to the rebels on The Caroline. The Caroline was american steamer carrying supplies to the Niagara River. The ship was attacked and burned down by British forces in New York. American Illustrators depicted the sinking of the Caroline as a graphic scene where the ship “plummeted over the Niagara” even though the ship sank “short of the plunge” with only one fatality. The Caroline was significant because a strained relations with Britain and this depictions of the sinking was part of the “War of Words with Britain. The Creole was an american ship taken over by one hundred and thirty runaway slaves. Britain then gifted the runaway slaves an asylum that served as a “safe haven” in the bahamas. The creole was significant because it sparked fear in southern farmers because they believed that the Caribbean would be a haven for runaway slaves. This was as well significant because it trained the relationship of the US and Britain even...
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...#1 Foreign policies * Imperialism-a policy or practice by which a country increases its power by gaining control over other areas of the world. ~The discussion of imperialism can be very broad, encompassing many different elements. It allows for not only a discussion of political or military imperialism, which is what most often comes to mind, but also imperialism within America and movements that have mobilized groups of people. Imperialism can refer to many things including, cultural imperialism, economic imperialism and military or territorial imperialism. ~Specific application of policy: Spanish American War The Spanish-American War was officially declared on April 25th, 1898 after the sinking of the Maine battleship in Havana of February earlier that year. This sinking has been commonly thought of as the final action that provoked the declaration of war. However, there were other underlying reasons for going to war. Those included but were not limited to economic interests and general humanitarian concern. The American public had become intolerant of “yellow journalism” and was unwavering in their demand for a completely independent Cuba. After a series of battles, the war ended with the capture of Manila Bay on August 13th 1898. After the capture the Spanish surrendered and the Peace Treaty was signed in Paris on December 10th 1898. The Treaty established Cuba as a completely independent state and assigned Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. It also outlined...
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...If the United States is threatened in any way possible a course of action needs to taken, even if it means war, for example the declaration of war against Spain. As a result of this war America gained tremendous recognition of becoming a world power. Near the end of the 1800s Cuba was revolting against the Spaniards. America was more interested in the idea of better businesses with the Cubans. Newspapers were interested also; they were basically war hungry. These people were known as the Yellow Journalist. The Yellow journalist exaggerated most of the Spanish’s actions against the Cubans during the revolt. Their actions brought un wanted problems throughout the Cuban revolt. The main cause of the war against Spain was the sinking of the Maine. The USS Maine was a battleship sent to Havana to protect United States interest in Cuba. At this time Cuba wanted to declare Independence against Spain. The U.S suspected Spain of blowing up the battleship causing the death of over 260 seamen. America took quick action and declared war against Spain. The war only lasted 3 months. About 400 soldiers died or wounded. As a result of this short war against Spain America gained the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam also posing a threat to other nations that might of underestimated them. Cuba also gained independence from Spain. In conclusion, I believe that without the false accusations of the Yellow journalist America would not have lost so many lives. On the other hand America profited well...
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...Spanish American War which took place in 1898, was the United States first time broke the geographic boundaries and began to set goals to make itself one of most powerful countries in the world in 20th century. From isolating to expansion the Spanish American War led America into the modern era. The War was a symbol that the United States was rising power. The Spanish American War was a War which launched in order to raid the Spanish colonies. At that time, the Philippines not only had the important economic value but also was the strategic base of America so it was important to occupy the Philippines. On February 15th the American vessel the Maine sunk in Havana harbor, and the United States seized the chance as an excuse to began to take military actions to declare war to Spain. This fact was overlooked at the time. “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!” was said by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. This is thought to be the rallying cry used to propel Congress into a declaration of war. Theodore Roosevelt kept on President Mckinley and others that if War came to be that he wanted to leave from behind the desk in Washington and head to the front to fight. He contacted both General Tillinghast and General Greene of the New York National Guard mentioning that he wanted a frontline position. He also discussed the possibility with Leonard Wood and William Astor Chandler if either of them were planning to raise a regiment. As time wore on and President Mckinley...
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...It seemed as though a compromise might be reached. Americans were angered by articles from yellow press. Americans were demanding though and swift action. "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!" was the cry. President McKinley wanted the rest of the world to see that the US was interested in Cuban independence and, not so much on American colonization. On April 11, 1898, McKinley asked the Congress for permission to use force in Cuba. Congress passed the Teller Amendment, which promised that America would not annex the islands. After the Teller Amendment was passed, American leaders declared open war on the...
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...The explosion and the consequent sinking of the USS Maine in 1898 is undeniably one of the greatest mysteries that would go down in the cannons of American history. In the Key West Cemetery on 701 Passover Lane stands the statue of a USS Maine sailor, looking into the horizon as if he is trying to find those left behind at Havana’s harbor. Like this sailor, we have attempted to look back at that fateful day to gain a better understanding of what caused the explosion, but also to understand what motivated the United States to invade Cuba thereafter. It had seemed to be a deliberate tactic on the part of the U.S. to declare war against Spain. The United States had an array of ulterior motives behind the dispatch of the USS Maine to Cuba, and...
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...insurrectos began a revolt against the ruling Spanish colonial regime. Spain sent in General "Butcher" Weyler to stabilize the situation in Cuba. Weyler was a Spanish General sent to Cuba in 1896 to put down the insurrectos' rebellion. Weyler put much of the Cuban population into unsanitary concentration camps. The men who had investment interest in Cuba became very worried because they were unsure if we were going to go to war, but President Grover Cleveland promised he would not go to war with them. By the time 1898 came, when President William McKinley was in office, the US dispatched the USS Maine on a "friendly" mission to Cuba. Monday, April 25, 1898 House and Senate unanimously declared war on Spain. While it took the House no time at all to pass the bill, it took the Senate two-hours to say yes. The United States declared war against Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in the Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. The Teller Amendment was passed to make sure the world knew that it was fighting only for the good of Cuba and not for colonial gain, and it was promised to make Cuba independent after the war was over. On April 29 Brig. Gen. William R. Shafter was chosen to lead the expeditionary troops to Cuba from Tampa. He led over 6,000 troops to a secret landing somewhere in Cuba. After many failed attempts when led by Brig. Gen. William R. Shafter, May 7, 1898, Commodore Dewey finally reported that he had made a sweet victory. Because of his victory Dewey estimated...
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...3. Prepare an essay in which you offer a history of American imperialism in the late nineteenth century. How did the United States so quickly acquire an “empire” with possessions in both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea in the 1890s? Why were some individuals in favor of American overseas expansion and why were others against it? Overall, do you think that American imperialism was driven more by humanitarian goals or economic ones, or is it perhaps best understood as a balance between the two? Explain. 1. brief history: farewell address, manifest destiny, Monroe doc. Getting Hawaii, getting Philippines, Spanish American war (sinking of the maine), cuba, idependance. 2. people: many people believed in manifest destiny, mark twain didn’t approve, people thought it would lead to diversity (good and bad) 3. The United States expansionism during the late nineteenth century was mainly fueled by economic goals in the sense that the expansion into the pacific increased trade by gaining resources from acquired islands as well as using these islands for refilling ships coal on their way to China. . Elaborate… 4. conclusion. 4. The Progressive Reform Movement was the first great reform movement of the twentieth century. What was the general motivation behind the Progressive reforms and what segment of American society had the greatest interest in promoting them? Why? Give a general overview of private and government-sponsored reform efforts and describe how government reform...
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...fermenting since the end of the Civil War, was about to reach it's realization. While there were still many voices which supported inward looking policy and a non-involvement stance when it came to the international arena, the pendulum had swung toward a populace which viewed itself and it's country with a great sense of pride and self-importance, which would soon be exercised. When rebellion against Spanish rule again flared up in Cuba in 1895 (largely due to the detrimental economic effects of US tariff policies concerning imported Cuban sugar), many clamored for the United States to become involved. McKinley, though, did not want to entangle the country in any international disputes and thus acted cautiously. Even with the sinking of the US naval vessel, the Maine, in 1898 and negative remarks made by the Spanish minister to Washington, which referred to McKinley as "weak and a bidder for the admiration of the...
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