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The Spanish-American War lasted from April to August 1898 when, through a series of rapid military campaigns, the U.S. Armed Forces took control of some overseas possessions in Spain: the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
The event that triggered the war was the explosion and sinking of the warship USS Maine, on February 15 at 9:40 p.m., which had been sent to Havana Bay by the United States as a sign of goodwill after the Americans had already intervened through diplomatic channels in the hostilities between Cuba and its metropolis: Spain. The official U.S. reports issued that year and in 1911 pointed to sabotage, but the investigations carried out in 1969 (which came to light in 1976 and were known as the "Rickover report") showed that the explosion had been caused by a faulty boiler.
Causes of the war
Economic
By the end of the 19th century, there were mainly U.S.-capital economic interests in Cuba in the field of the sugar industry. Throughout the island's colonial history, there was always frustration among the Creoles because they could not freely trade with the United States, whose development and geographical proximity gave it an advantage as a trading partner over distant Spain.
Policies
Since 1868, Cubans, determined to gain independence from Spain, were engaged in a long and bloody war against the Spanish on the island. After a first phase from 1868 to 1878, the Cubans took up arms again in 1895. To combat them, the metropolis sent General Valeriano Weyler and Nicolau to the island, who imposed a cruel campaign to cut off the population's support for the rebels, known as the "Weyler Reconcentration".
The campaign consisted of moving the peasants from their homes to other locations, and concentrating them in camps along with anyone who was suspicious. This unleashed a wave of famine and cruelty that caused the deaths of 100,000 people, according to reports at the time.
President Grover Cleveland and then Senator William McKinley (who later became president) intervened through diplomatic channels and Weyler was called back to Spain in 1897. But soon after that, incidents of protest by Weyler's supporters followed. So the US government sent the USS Maine concerned about the political situation and its possible consequences for the Americans on the island.
In the wake of the explosion, for which the Spanish were blamed although the real cause has never been known, now President McKinley demanded that Spain grant independence to Cuba.
Teller Amendment
The U.S. government in April declares Cuba independent through the Teller Amendment, precipitating Spain's declaration of war.
Humanitarian
The situation on the island after Weyler's reconcentration, where thousands died in the concentration camps, and the sympathies for the struggle of the Cubans against the colony had become deeply rooted among the Americans, especially because of the press campaigns that gave rise to the so-called yellow or sensationalist journalism.
Military Actions
Theodore Roosevelt was President McKinley's Secretary of the Navy. He sent Commodore George Dewey to take Manila Bay in support of Emilio Aguinaldo, who had rebelled against the Spanish. Aguinaldo continued to fight later against the United States.
Roosevelt went to command the so-called "Rough Riders" regiment to take the Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba at the battle of Sn Juan Hill.
Both the Spanish and American military forces are unprepared for military actions of this caliber.
End of the war
The Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain ended the Six-Month War in 1898 and resulted in U.S. control of Guam and Puerto Rico, independence for Cuba, and control of the Philippines for $20 million.
Consequences
- Independence from Cuba, in whose Constitution the Platt Amendment guaranteeing dependence on the United States was approved.
- The United States becomes a power with control of the Caribbean and parts of Asia, which made possible the construction of the Panama Canal and the construction of trade routes with Asia.
- Annexation of Hawaii.
- Theodore Roosevelt gained great popularity which propelled him into the presidency.
- Tabloids became the effective form of the press controlled by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.
