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20 April 2015

Spanish-American War (1898)

Students will be able to:

Explain the causes and effects of major wars involving the United States.
Evaluate the justifications for United States involvement in major wars.

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War Notes Packet

This is the packet you will use this week to take notes on each war according to the unit framework. Some wars will have further info/notes/activities. You should have all of the following for every war:

causes of the war
reasons the United States entered the war

match each reason to one of the 5 P’s for going to war

elements that help you determine if it was a just war*

jus ad bellum, jus in bello, jus post bellum
*not all elements in each category will be addressed

impact of the war on the U.S. & the world

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Notetaking Instructions

use chart in the war notes packet to take notes on the Spanish-American war
words that are in yellow are key terms that may appear on the final
items that are in red are the most important pieces of information to note in your chart
while the information presented is pretty much in order, it is not labeled according to the chart: you need to determine where information should go

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United States Imperialism

manifest destiny

belief that the United States is destined to expand its beliefs and acquire more territory
imperialism - expanding influence over other countries/territories (directly or indirectly)

Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

victory in war caused by border dispute results in the U.S. gaining territory in what is now the southwest

Alaska

purchased from Russia in 1867

Hawaii

annexed in 1898
annexation - to take control of a territory and add it to a country

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Rebellion in Cuba

Cuba still a colony of Spain in 1895
different groups of Cubans are unhappy for different reasons
some Cubans wanted complete independence, others wanted the United States to annex Cuba
richer landowners wanted an outside power to maintain control to help protect their plantations
Cubans calling for full independence also hoped to destroy the social structure that kept rich (Spanish) landowners in power
rebellion starts in the East, spreading west when Spain refuses to enact political reforms

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The Spanish in Cuba

Spain sent General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba to end the rebellion
Weyler made thousands of Cubans go to “reconcentration camps”, where many died of disease and starvation
Weyler was unsuccessful at stopping the rebellion in Cuba

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US Interest in Cuba

many American businessmen had investments in Cuba
the United States was the largest consumer of Cuban sugar at the time
some groups in the United States wanted to end the atrocities carried out by Spain
the United States had claimed dominance over the Western Hemisphere earlier (Monroe Doctrine, 1823)

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Yellow Journalism

yellow journalism = sensational news reporting designed to increase sales and change public opinion
yellow journalism was primarily used to increase public support for war against Spain
yellow journalists highlighted the brutality of Spain’s response to the rebellion in Cuba

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de Lôme Letter

the Spanish ambassador to the United States wrote a letter saying that President McKinley was “weak” and easily swayed by public opinion
this was leaked in the New York Journal and further increased support for war against Spain

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Remember the Maine!

the USS Maine was docked outside Havana to protect American citizens and property during the rebellion
on 15 February 1898, the Maine sank due to an explosion
investigators believed that an underwater mine sank the Maine, though now Naval researchers believe ammunition on board exploded because it was to close to a fire
this incident angered Americans even more, as shown by the phrase “remember the Maine - to Hell with Spain!”

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Declaring War

pressured by the public and Congress to go to war, McKinley gave Spain one last chance:

declare an armistice (end to fighting)
close the reconcentration camps
move towards granting Cuba independence

Spain refused to give up Cuba
McKinley asked Congress to declare war
the Congressional resolution authorized use of military force to liberate Cuba

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Teller Amendment

included in the resolution that authorized war with Spain was the Teller Amendment, which stated that after Cuba was freed and peace regained, the United States would “leave the government and control of the Island to its people”

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The US in the Philippines

fighting started with a naval attack on the Philippines, another Spanish colony, on 1 May 1898
this quick victory helped convince Americans to volunteer to join the war
this was important for American success, as the United States was ill-prepared for a long-term fight

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The US in Cuba

future President Theodore Roosevelt resigned from his post as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to lead a force called the Rough Riders into battle in Cuba
after success at the battle for San Juan Hill, American forces in Cuba won quick victories
overall, the Spanish-American War only lasted a few months

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Peace Agreement

Cubans not invited to negotiate terms of peace
Congress interpreted the Teller Amendment to mean that peace and stability must come before Cuban independence
terms of The Treaty of Paris (12 August 1898):

Cuba gains “independence”
the United States gains Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines
Spain gets $20 million (for the Philippines)

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Platt Amendment

this amendment was added to the U.S. Army funding bill and the Cuban Constitution as a condition for the withdrawal of U.S. troops
the Platt Amendment essentially did the following:

limited Cuban control over foreign affairs
limited Cuban control over domestic affairs by giving the U.S. the right to intervene to maintain stability
retained U.S. control of the naval base at Guantánamo

consequently, the United States maintained political and economic dominance over Cuba for the first half of the twentieth century

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Why Did the United States Go to War Against Spain?

“keep the island so it won’t get lost”

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