Causes of the Spanish – American War.

The Battleship Maine

Pan-American Union – a group of nations organized to solve the problems of the Western Hemisphere

Lola Rodríguez de Tió – Puerto Rican poet that wrote patriotic poems in favor of Puerto Rican and Cuban independence from Spain

War With Spain

José Martí - Cuban patriot that wrote about the need for Cuban independence. He died fighting the Spanish in 1895.

Listen to La Guantanamera, Cuba's most famous song, based upon Jose Martí's poem Versos Sencillos.

José Martí - 1875

José Martí - Quotations

On Liberty:

“Like bones to the human body, the axle to the wheel, the wing to the bird, and the air to the wing, so is liberty the essence of life. Whatever is done without it is imperfect.”

On Morality and Human Behavior:

“Just as he who gives his life to serve a great idea is admirable, he who avails himself of a great idea to serve his personal hopes of glory and power is abominable, even if he too risks his life. To give one's life is a right only when one gives it unselfishly.”

General Valeriano Weyler – Spanish governor of Cuba that used brutal tactics against the Cubans. He was responsible for detaining over 500,000 Cubans and killing over 100,000.

* Americans sympathized with the Cuban desire for freedom.

- Joseph Pulitzer’s World and William Randolph Hearst’s Journal competed to publish the most grisly stories of Spanish cruelty.

Yellow Journalism

(left) Joseph Pulitzer and (right) William Randolph Hearst

• bold headlines and articles

Examples of Yellow Journalism:

· political cartoons that portrayed the Spanish as bloodthirsty.

· Joseph Pulitzer once stated, “You supply me the photos, I’ll supply you the war.”

- President McKinley, however, wanted to avoid war with Spain.

Remember the Maine!

· President McKinley sent the battleship Maine to Cuba to protect American citizens and property.

· An explosion destroyed the Maine killing 260 U.S. sailors.

· Spain was accused of destroying the Maine, even though it has never been proven.

· On April 25, 1898, Congress declared war on Spain.

Video - wreckage of the battleship Maine

Video - burial of the Maine victims

Roosevelt Fights in Spanish American War (3:20)

Audio

War Front 2: Philippines• Group of islands east of Vietnam between

Vietnam and the Philippine sea.• Spain claimed the land since 1500’s

Spanish American War

• Fought in Cuba and Philippines• Assistant Secretary of the Navy sent

orders to Commodore George Dewey an order that if war broke out with Spain that he should attack Spain in the Philippines…he did just that.

• Spanish forces surrendered to the Philippines.