Causes of the Spanish and American War

When the Cuban patriots started their quest for independence from Spanish rule
it immediately brought the United States attention. The United States first off
had business interests in Cuba. But, what of the Monroe Doctrine, could Spain
possibly be violating it? Americans fairly quickly vilified the Spanish. The United
States saw the stronger, tyrannical, ruling country, to be similar to something in
their own history. The Revolutionary War and the Cuban war for independence had
the potential to be two and the same. Americans made a quick judgment to which
side they supported. It also did not help that Yellow Journalism brought the
stories of the evils of the Spanish leaders and the poor Cuban rebels. Some of this
was valid with the Reconcentrado Policy, but much of it was fabricated and
falsified. Most Americans at the time however did not want to go to war. In fact,
the president of the United States did not want to go to war. Mckinley did not
support going to war. Many Americans changed their mind when the publication of
the de Lome letter occurred. This letter had been written by the Spanish minster
at Washington, and it presented contempt for Mckinley. That did not help the
American opinion of the Spanish, the Cuban efforts, or a possible war. This was
soon followed by the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in the Havana harbor, owned by
Spain in Cuba. Some Americans called for war. Some demanded something to be
done. There of course was no full-proof evidence that the Spanish had done this, it
was just simply a very peculiar coincidence. American thoughts immediately went
to subterfuge and sabotage. The Spanish tried to reconcile, and they suggested it
was an accident (as it was later proved to be). Finally the war was started due to
the effect of the Reconcentrado Policy, in which Cubans were put into
concentration camps with horrible conditions.
Sources:
""Shameful Treachery": Hearst's Journal Blames Spain." "Shameful Treachery":
Hearst's Journal Blames Spain. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
"Spanish-American War Causes of the War." Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
"The Spanish-American War in Motion Pictures." The Spanish-American War in
Motion Pictures. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.