Spanish American War

Imperialism: a period of time when strong

countries take over weak countries
 U.S. Helps Cuba
• The United States trades
with Cuba
• Spain controls Cuba
• Cuba wants
independence from
Spain
• America promises to
support Cuba’s
independence in order to
protect our business
U.S. Helps Cuba
• 1898- President McKinley
is hoping to avoid war
• Extreme journalists call
for war (yellow
journalism)
– Joseph Pulitzer
– William Randolph Hearst
• McKinley sends the USS
Maine- a ship- to Cuba
USS Maine EXPLODES!
• On Feb 15, 1898- the USS Maine blew up!
• No one knows what caused the explosion
• Yellow Journalists blamed Spain
• They called for war!
• On April 20, 1898 the US declared war on Spain
 Causes of the War
• USS Maine Explodes.
• Protect American business in Cuba.
• America supports Cuba’s independence from
Spain.
• Yellow Journalists call for war.
 The Spanish American War
• War lasts from April to August
1898
• Only 460 Americans die in
battle
• 5,200 Americans die of disease
• Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Theodore Roosevelt has the
Navy battle Spanish ships in
the Philippines and destroy
Spanish fleet in the Pacific
Rough Riders
• Roosevelt volunteers as a
Rough Rider
• The Rough Riders battle
Spain in Puerto Rico
• Theodore Roosevelt
becomes a national hero.
• The US Army defeats Spain
at the Battle of San Juan
Hill in Puerto Rico
• The United States wins the
war in less than 5 months
Outcome of the War
• Cuba gains their
independence
• America becomes a world
power
• Territories (US controls all
3):
– Puerto Rico
– Guam
– The Philippines
 After the War
• After the Spanish
American War, America
was a world power
• We held territories in
Puerto Rico, the
Philippines and Guam
• After McKinley is shot in
1901, Roosevelt
becomes president