Spanish American War and acquisition of Guam, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba
The Spanish American War
The Spanish American war is a war that started on April 15th, 1898, between the United States and Spain. There were many events that led the United States to declare war on Spain. At first, the purpose of the war was to give independence to Cuba. There were many Cuban rebels fighting Spain for their independence. There were "American yellow journalists" who published reports on Cuba. These reports changed the United States' public view. Then there was a letter was intercepted from Cuban rebels and was soon published saying, "President McKinley was weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd.” This letter was written by the Spanish Ambassador to the U.S. Also, on February 15th, 1898, the USS Maine was destroyed by Havana Harbor, Cuba. With the United States' public view already down towards Spain, the U.S. blamed the sinking of the ship on Spain. These are some e vents which led to the Spanish American War.
More Info:
- How it affected the United States
- Sources