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Spanish-American War



 
 
The Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
. The war began after American demand for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence was rejected by Spain. Strong expansionist
Expansionism

In general, expansionism consists of expansionist policies of government. While some have linked the term to promoting economic growth , more commonly expansionism refers to the doctrine of a nation's expanding its territorial base usually by means of military aggression....
 sentiment in the United States motivated the government to develop a plan for annexation
Annexation

Annexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities....
 of Spain's remaining overseas territories including the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
, and Guam
Guam

Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
.

The revolution in Havana
Havana

Havana is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 14 Provinces of Cuba. The city/province has 2.1 million inhabitants, and the urban area over 3.5 million, making Havana the largest city in both Cuba and the Caribbean....
 prompted the United States to send in the warship USS Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)

United States Navy ships Maine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of Maine, was a 6,682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship originally designated as Armored Cruiser #1....
 to indicate high national interest.






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The Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
. The war began after American demand for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence was rejected by Spain. Strong expansionist
Expansionism

In general, expansionism consists of expansionist policies of government. While some have linked the term to promoting economic growth , more commonly expansionism refers to the doctrine of a nation's expanding its territorial base usually by means of military aggression....
 sentiment in the United States motivated the government to develop a plan for annexation
Annexation

Annexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities....
 of Spain's remaining overseas territories including the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
, and Guam
Guam

Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
.

The revolution in Havana
Havana

Havana is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 14 Provinces of Cuba. The city/province has 2.1 million inhabitants, and the urban area over 3.5 million, making Havana the largest city in both Cuba and the Caribbean....
 prompted the United States to send in the warship USS Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)

United States Navy ships Maine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of Maine, was a 6,682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship originally designated as Armored Cruiser #1....
 to indicate high national interest. Tension among the American people was raised because of the explosion of the USS Maine, and the yellow journalist
Yellow journalism

Yellow journalism is a type of journalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers. It may feature exaggerations of news events, Scandal, sensationalism, or unprofessional practices by news media organizations or journalists....
 newspapers that accused the Spanish of oppression in their colonies
Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire was one of the largest empires in world history, and one of the first global empires. It included territories and colonies ruled by Spain in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania between the 15th and late 19th centuries....
, agitating American public opinion. The war ended after victories for the United States in the Philippine Islands and Cuba.

On December 10, 1898, the signing of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1898)

The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the Spanish-American War.American and Spanish delegates met in Paris on October 1, 1898 to produce a treaty that would bring an end to the war after six months of hostilities....
 gave the United States control of Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Historical background

The Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine is a United States policy introduced on December 2, 1823, which said that further efforts by European governments to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the United States of America as acts of aggression requiring US intervention....
of the 19th Century served as the political foundation for the support of the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Cubans had been fighting for self determination, on and off, since the Grito de Yara of 1868.

Cuban struggle for independence

In 1895, the Spanish colony of Cuba was the site of a small armed uprising against Spanish authority. Financial support for the "Cuba Libre" rebellion came from external organizations, some based in the United States.

In 1896, new Captain General for Cuba, General Valeriano Weyler
Valeriano Weyler

Valeriano Weyler Nicolau, marqu?s de Tenerife , known in Catalan language as Valeri? Weyler i Nicolau, was a Spain soldier.Weyler was born at Palma de Majorca on September 17, 1838 to a Spain mother and a Germany father, who was a military doctor, and educated in Granada, Spain....
 pledged to suppress the insurgency by isolating the rebels from the rest of the population ensuring that the rebels would not receive supplies.

By the end of 1897, more than 300,000 Cubans had relocated into Spanish guarded concentration camps. These camps became cesspools of hunger and disease where more than one hundred thousand died.

A propaganda war waged in the United States by Cuban émigrés attacked Weyler's inhuman treatment of his countrymen and won the sympathy of broad groups of the U.S. population. Weyler was referred to as a "Butcher" by yellow journalists
Yellow journalism

Yellow journalism is a type of journalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers. It may feature exaggerations of news events, Scandal, sensationalism, or unprofessional practices by news media organizations or journalists....
 like William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst I was an United States History of American newspapers Business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. The son of self-made millionaire George Hearst, he became aware that his father received a northern California newspaper, The San Francisco Examiner, as payment of a gambling debt....
. The American newspapers began agitating for intervention with stories of Spanish atrocities against the Cuban population.

USS Maine

In January 1898, a riot by Cuban volunteers, most of whom were Spanish loyalists, broke out in Havana
Havana

Havana is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 14 Provinces of Cuba. The city/province has 2.1 million inhabitants, and the urban area over 3.5 million, making Havana the largest city in both Cuba and the Caribbean....
 and led to the destruction of the printing presses of three local newspapers that were critical of General Weyler. These riots prompted the presence of an American Marine force in the island although there had been no attack on Americans during the rioting.This contemporary remark claims that no attacks were made on the American consulate, etc. yet there were still fears for the lives of Americans living in Havana. Concern focused on the pro-Spanish Cubans who harbored resentment of the growing support in the United States for Cuban independence. Washington informed the Consul-General in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee

Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War....
, a nephew of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
, that the Maine would be sent to protect United States interests should tensions escalate further.

The USS Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)

United States Navy ships Maine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of Maine, was a 6,682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship originally designated as Armored Cruiser #1....
 arrived in Havana on January 25, 1898. Her stay was uneventful until the following month. On February 15, 1898, at 9:40 p. m. the Maine sank in Havana Harbor after an explosion, resulting in the deaths of 266 men. The Spanish attributed the event to an internal explosion; but an American inquiry reported that it was caused by a mine.

A total of four USS Maine investigations
USS Maine (ACR-1)

United States Navy ships Maine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of Maine, was a 6,682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship originally designated as Armored Cruiser #1....
 were conducted into the causes of the explosion, with the investigators coming to different conclusions. The Spanish and American versions would carry on with divergences. A 1999 investigation
USS Maine (ACR-1)

United States Navy ships Maine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of Maine, was a 6,682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship originally designated as Armored Cruiser #1....
 commissioned by National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine

The National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to National Geographic, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society....
 and carried out by Advanced Marine Enterprises concluded that "it appears more probable than was previously concluded that a mine caused the inward bent bottom structure" and the detonation of the ship. However there is still much contention over what caused the explosion. Spanish and loyalist Cuban opinions included a theory that the United States government may have intentionally caused the detonation
False flag

False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which are designed to deceive the public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by other entities....
  as a pretext to go to war with Spain.

Path to war

Upon the destruction of the Maine, newspaper owners such as William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst I was an United States History of American newspapers Business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. The son of self-made millionaire George Hearst, he became aware that his father received a northern California newspaper, The San Francisco Examiner, as payment of a gambling debt....
 came to the conclusion that Spanish officials in Cuba were to blame, and they widely publicized this theory as fact. Their sensationalistic publications fueled American anger by publishing astonishing accounts of "atrocities" committed by Spain in Cuba. A common myth states that Hearst responded to the opinion of his illustrator Frederic Remington
Frederic Remington

Frederic Sackrider Remington was an United States painting, illustrator, sculpture, and writer who specialized in depictions of the American Old West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, Native Americans in the United States, and the U.S....
, that conditions in Cuba were not bad enough to warrant hostilities with: "You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war." Lashed to fury, in part by such press, the American cry of the hour became, "Remember the Maine, To Hell with Spain!" President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 William McKinley
William McKinley

William McKinley, Jr. was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected....
, Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The current Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic Party representing California's 8th congressional district....
 Thomas Brackett Reed
Thomas Brackett Reed

Thomas Brackett Reed, , occasionally ridiculed as Czar Reed, was a United States House of Representatives from Maine, and Speaker of the U.S....
 and the business community opposed the growing public demand for war.

Senator
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 Redfield Proctor's
Redfield Proctor

Redfield Proctor was a United States politician of the United States Republican Party. He served as List of Governors of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as United States Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senate for Vermont from 1891 to 1908....
 speech, delivered on March 17, 1898 thoroughly analyzed the situation concluding that war was the only answer. Many in the business and religious communities, which had heretofore opposed war, switched sides, leaving President McKinley
William McKinley

William McKinley, Jr. was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected....
 and Speaker Reed
Thomas Brackett Reed

Thomas Brackett Reed, , occasionally ridiculed as Czar Reed, was a United States House of Representatives from Maine, and Speaker of the U.S....
 almost alone in their opposition to the war. On April 11 President McKinley asked Congress
United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
 for authority to send American troops to Cuba for the purpose of ending the civil war
Civil war

A civil war is a war between organized groups to take control of a nation or region, or to change government policies. It is high-intensity conflict, often involving Regular Army, that is sustained, organized and large-scale....
 there.

On April 19, while Congress was considering joint resolutions supporting Cuban independence, Senator Henry M. Teller
Henry Moore Teller

Henry Moore Teller was a United States of America politician. United States Secretary of the Interior between 1882 and 1885.He served in the Senate and Cabinet for over thirty years, and was connected with the Free Silver question, beginning in 1880....
 of Colorado proposed the Teller amendment
Teller Amendment

The Teller Amendment was an amendment to a joint resolution of the United States Congress, enacted on April 19, 1898, in reply to President William McKinley's War Message....
 to ensure that the United States would not establish permanent control over Cuba following the cessation of hostilities with Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. The amendment, disclaiming any intention to annex Cuba passed Senate 42 to 35; the House concurred the same day, 311 to 6. The amended resolution demanded Spanish withdrawal and authorized the president to use as much military force as he thought necessary to help Cuba gain independence from Spain. President McKinley signed the joint resolution
Joint resolution

In the Congress of the United States, a joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires approval by the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and is presented to the President for his approval or disapproval, in exactly the same case as a bill....
 on April 20, 1898, and the ultimatum was forwarded to Spain. In response, Spain broke off diplomatic relations with the United States and declared war
Declaration of war

A declaration of war is a formal performative speech act or signing of a document by an authorised party of a government in order to initiate a state of war between two or more nations....
 on April 23. On April 25, Congress declared that a state of war between the United States and Spain had existed since April 20 (later changed to April 21).

Theaters of operations


Pacific


Philippines
The Spanish had first discovered the Philippines on March 17, 1521. Ever since then they had been a key holding for the Spanish Empire. The first battle between American and Spanish forces was at Manila Bay where, on May 1, 1898, Commodore
Commodore (rank)

Commodore is a military rank used in many navy for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy Captain , but is less than that of a rear admiral....
 George Dewey
George Dewey

George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy, best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War....
, commanding the United States Navy's Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron

The Asiatic Squadron was the fleet of United States Navy warships and supporting elements stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th century. The United States maintained naval presence in East Asia since 1835 to protect American interests against the turmoil of the Chinese rebellions....
 aboard the USS Olympia
USS Olympia (C-6)

USS Olympia was a protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War. She is most notable for being the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay....
, in a matter of hours, defeated the Spanish squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. Dewey managed this with only nine wounded.

With the German seizure of Tsingtao in 1897, Dewey's Squadron had become the only naval force in the Far East without a local base of its own, and was beset with coal and ammunition problems. Despite these logistical problems, the Asiatic squadron had not only destroyed the Spanish fleet but had also captured the harbor of Manila.

Following Dewey's victory, Manila Bay was filled with the warships of Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, and Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
; all of which outgunned Dewey's force. The German fleet of eight ships, ostensibly in Philippine waters to protect German interests (a single import firm), acted provocatively—cutting in front of American ships, refusing to salute the United States flag (according to customs of naval courtesy), taking soundings of the harbor, and landing supplies for the besieged Spanish. The Germans, with interests of their own, were eager to take advantage of whatever opportunities the conflict in the islands might afford. The Americans called the bluff of the Germans, threatening conflict if the aggressive activities continued, and the Germans backed down. ^

Commodore Dewey had transported Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo

General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Philippines general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role in Philippine independence during the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War that resisted United States occupation....
 to the Philippines from exile in Hong Kong in order to rally Filipinos against the Spanish colonial government. U.S. land forces and the Filipinos had taken control of most of the islands by June, except for the walled city of Intramuros
Intramuros

Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spain in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines....
 and, on June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo had declared the independence of the Philippines.

On August 13, with American commanders unaware that the cease fire had been signed between Spain and the United States on the previous day, American forces captured the city of Manila from the Spanish. This battle marked an end of Filipino-American collaboration, as Filipino forces were prevented from entering the captured city of Manila, an action which was deeply resented by the Filipinos and which later led to the Philippine–American War.

Guam
On June 20, 1898, a U.S. fleet commanded by Captain Henry Glass
Henry Glass

Henry Glass was a Rear admiral in the United States Navy, best remembered for his role in the bloodless capture of Guam in the Spanish-American War....
, consisting of the cruiser
Cruiser

A cruiser is a large type of warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. The first cruisers were intended for individual raiding and protection missions on the seas....
 USS Charleston
USS Charleston (C-2)

The second USS Charleston was a United States Navy protected cruiser and the first US protected cruiser to be built. Having a lack of experience in building steel cruisers, the design was commissioned from the United Kingdom company Armstrong Whitworth of Newcastle, the construction to be by an American shipyard....
 and three transports carrying troops to the Philippines entered Guam's Apia Harbor, Captain Glass having opened sealed orders instructing him to proceed to Guam and capture it
Capture of Guam

The capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War....
. The Charleston fired a few cannon rounds at Fort Santa Cruz without receiving any return fire. Two local officials, not knowing that war had been declared and, being under the misapprehension that the firing had been a salute, came out to the Charleston to apologize for their inability to return the salute. Glass informed them that the United States and Spain were at war. The following day, Glass sent Lt. William Braunersruehter to meet the Spanish Governor to arrange the surrender of the island and the Spanish garrison there. 54 Spanish infantry were captured and transported to the Philippines as prisoners of war. No U.S. forces were left on Guam, but the only U.S. citizen on the island, Frank Portusach, told Captain Glass that he would look after things until U.S. forces returned.

The Caribbean


Cuba
San Juan Hill By Kurz and Allison
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt , also known as T.R., and to the public as Teddy, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
 actively encouraged intervention in Cuba and, while assistant secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy

Assistant Secretary of the Navy is the title given to certain senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy. As of 2007, there are four Assistant Secretaries of the Navy:...
, placed the Navy on a war-time footing and prepared Dewey's Asiatic Squadron for battle. He worked with Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood

Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines....
 in convincing the Army to raise an all-volunteer regiment, the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. Wood was given command of the regiment that quickly became known as the "Rough Riders
Rough Riders

The Rough Riders was the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the United States' war with Spain and the only one of the three to see action....
".

The Americans planned to capture the city of Santiago de Cuba in order to destroy Linares' army and Cervera's fleet. To reach Santiago they had to pass through concentrated Spanish defenses in the San Juan Hills and a small town in El Caney
El Caney

El Caney is a small village 4 miles to the northeast of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Ta?no.It was known in centuries past as the site where Hern?n Cort?s received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianity Mexico....
. The American forces were aided in Cuba by the pro-independence rebels led by General Calixto García
Calixto García

Calixto Garc?a e I?iguez was a general in three Cuban uprisings, part of the Cuban War of Independence: Ten Years' War, the Little War and the History_of_Cuba#The_War_of_1895, itself sometimes called the Cuban War of Independence, which bled into the Spanish-American War, ultimately resulting in national independence for Cuba....
.

Land campaign
Between June 22 and June 24, the U.S. V Corps under General William R. Shafter landed at Daiquirí
Daiquiri

Daiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, lime juice, and sugar or other sweetener. There are several versions, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba....
 and Siboney
Siboney, Cuba

Siboney is a town in Cuba east of the city of Santiago de Cuba. In 1898 Siboney and the nearby village of Daiquir? were locations where United States forces came ashore in the Spanish-American War....
, east of Santiago, and established the American base of operations. A contingent of Spanish troops, having fought a skirmish with the Americans near Siboney on June 23, had retired to their lightly entrenched positions at Las Guasimas
Battle of Las Guasimas

The Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898, part of the Spanish-American War, unfolded from Major General "Fighting Joe" Joseph Wheeler attempt to storm a Spain position in the jungles surrounding Santiago de Cuba....
. An advance guard of U.S. forces under former Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 General Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler

Joseph Wheeler was an United States military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a General officer during war time for two opposing forces: first as a general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the United States Army during both the Spanish-Amer...
 ignored Cuban scouting parties and orders to proceed with caution. They caught up with and engaged the Spanish rear guard who effectively ambushed them, in the Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24. The battle ended indecisively in favor of Spain and the Spanish left Las Guasimas on their planned retreat to Santiago.

The U.S. army employed American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
-era skirmishers
Skirmisher

Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to either harass enemy troops or to protect their own troops from similar attacks by the enemy....
 at the head of the advancing columns. All four U.S. soldiers who had volunteered to act as skirmishers walking point at head of the American column were killed, including Hamilton Fish
Hamilton Fish

Hamilton Fish , born in New York City, was an United States statesman who served as Governor of New York, United States Senator and United States Secretary of State....
, from a well-known patrician New York City family and Captain Alyn Capron, whom Theodore Roosevelt would describe as one of the finest natural leaders and soldiers he ever met. The Battle of Las Guasimas showed the U.S. that the old linear Civil War tactics did not work effectively against Spanish troops who had learned the art of cover and concealment
Cover (military)

In military combat, the concept of cover refers to anything which is capable of physically protecting an individual from enemy fire. This differentiates it from the similar concept of concealment, in that an object or area of concealment only affords the benefit of stealth, not actual protection from small arms fire or artillery....
 from their own struggle with Cuban insurgents, and never made the error of revealing their positions while on the defense. The Spaniards were also aided by the then new smokeless powder
Smokeless powder

Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced....
, which also helped them to remain concealed while firing. American soldiers were only able to advance against the Spaniards in what are now called "fireteam
Fireteam

A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. It is the smallest unit in the militaries that use it and is the primary unit upon which infantry organization is based in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Air Force Security Forces, Canadian Forces, and Australian Army....
" rushes, four-to-five man groups advancing while others laid down supporting fire.

On July 1, a combined force of about 15,000 American troops in regular infantry, cavalry and volunteer regiments, including Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders
Rough Riders

The Rough Riders was the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the United States' war with Spain and the only one of the three to see action....
", notably the 71st New York, 1st North Carolina, 23rd and 24th Colored, and rebel Cuban forces attacked 1,270 entrenched Spaniards in dangerous Civil War style frontal assaults at the Battle of El Caney
Battle of El Caney

The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War....
 and Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill

The Battle of San Juan Hill was the bloodiest and most famous battle of the Spanish-American War. It was also one of the greatest victories for the Rough Riders....
 outside of Santiago. More than 200 U.S. soldiers were killed and close to 1,200 wounded in the fighting. Supporting fire by Gatling gun
Gatling gun

The Gatling gun was one of the most well known rapid-fire weapons to be used in the 1860s by the Union forces of the Civil War, following the 1851 invention of the mitrailleuse by the Belgian Army....
s was critical to the success of the assault. Cervera decided to escape Santiago two days later.

The Spanish forces at Guantánamo
Guantánamo

Guant?namo is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guant?namo Province.Guantanamo is served by the Caimanera port. Producing sugarcane and cotton wool are traditional parts of the economy....
 were so isolated by Marines and Cuban forces that they did not know that Santiago was under siege, and their forces in the northern part of the province could not break through Cuban lines. This was not true of the Escario relief column from Manzanillo, which fought its way past determined Cuban resistance but arrived too late to participate in the siege.

After the battles of San Juan Hill and El Caney, the American advance ground to a halt. Spanish troops successfully defended Fort Canosa, allowing them to stabilize their line and bar the entry to Santiago. The Americans and Cubans forcibly began a bloody, strangling siege of the city. During the nights, Cuban troops dug successive series of "trenches" (actually raised parapets), toward the Spanish positions. Once completed, these parapets were occupied by U.S. soldiers and a new set of excavations went forward. American troops, while suffering daily losses from Spanish fire and sniper rifles, suffered far more casualties from heat exhaustion
Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia, in its advanced state referred to as heat stroke or sunstroke, is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate....
 and mosquito
Mosquito

Mosquitoes are common flying insects in the family Culicidae that are found around the world. There are about 3,500 species. They have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and six long legs....
-borne disease. At the western approaches to the city, Cuban general Calixto Garcia began to encroach on the city, causing much panic and fear of reprisals among the Spanish forces. The Americans planned to capture the city of Santiago de Cuba in order to destroy Linares' army and Cervera's fleet. To reach Santiago they had to pass through concentrated Spanish defenses in the San Juan Hills and a small town in El Caney
El Caney

El Caney is a small village 4 miles to the northeast of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Ta?no.It was known in centuries past as the site where Hern?n Cort?s received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianity Mexico....
.

Naval operations
The major port of Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
 was the main target of naval operations during the war. The U.S. fleet attacking Santiago needed shelter from the summer hurricane season. Thus Guantánamo Bay with its excellent harbor was chosen for this purpose. The 1898 invasion of Guantánamo Bay
1898 invasion of Guantánamo Bay

The 1898 invasion of Guant?namo Bay happened June 6–June 10, 1898, during the Spanish-American War, when United States and Cuban forces invaded the strategically and commercially important area of Guant?namo Bay, Cuba, and took control of it from Spain forces....
 happened June 6–10, with the first U.S. naval attack
1898 invasion of Guantánamo Bay

The 1898 invasion of Guant?namo Bay happened June 6–June 10, 1898, during the Spanish-American War, when United States and Cuban forces invaded the strategically and commercially important area of Guant?namo Bay, Cuba, and took control of it from Spain forces....
 and subsequent successful landing of U.S. Marines
United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
 with naval support.

The Battle of Santiago de Cuba
Battle of Santiago de Cuba

The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on July 3, 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron ....
 on July 3, 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron (also known as the Flota de Ultramar). In May 1898, the fleet of Spanish Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete
Pascual Cervera y Topete

Pascual Cervera y Topete served as Almirante of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron during the Spanish-American War, and prior to this served his country in a variety of military and political roles....
, had been spotted by American forces in Santiago Harbor where they had taken shelter for protection from sea attack. A two month stand-off between Spanish and American naval forces followed. When the Spanish squadron finally attempted to leave the harbor on July 3, the American forces destroyed or grounded five of the six ships. Only one Spanish vessel, the speedy new armored cruiser Cristobal Colón
Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon

Crist?bal Col?n was a Guiseppe Garibaldi class armored cruiser armored cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War....
, survived, but her captain hauled down his flag and scuttle
Scuttling

Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the Hull . This can be achieved in several ways - valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives....
d her when the Americans finally caught up with her. The 1,612 Spanish sailors captured, including Admiral Cervera, were sent to Seavey's Island at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery, Maine on the southern boundary of Maine....
 in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine

Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 United States Census. The town declares itself to be the "Gateway to Maine." Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes the seaside district of Kittery Point, Maine and part of the Isles of Shoals....
, where they were confined at Camp Long
Portsmouth Naval Prison

Portsmouth Naval Prison is a former United States Navy and United States Marine Corps prison in Kittery, Maine, Maine on Seavey's Island, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard compound....
 as prisoners of war from July 11 until mid-September.

During the stand-off, United States Assistant Naval Constructor Richmond Pearson Hobson
Richmond Pearson Hobson

Richmond Pearson Hobson was a United States Navy Rear Admiral who served from 1907-1915 as a United States House of Representatives from Alabama....
 had been ordered by Rear Admiral William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson

William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War....
 to sink the collier
Collier (ship type)

Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships....
 Merrimac
USS Merrimac (1898)

USS Merrimac was a steamship in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War.Merrimac was built as Solveig in 1894, and purchased by the Navy in April 1898....
 in the harbor to bottle up the Spanish fleet. The mission was a failure, and Hobson and his crew were captured. They were exchanged on July 6, and Hobson became a national hero; he received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest Awards and decorations of the United States military awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action...
 in 1933 and became a Congressman.

Puerto Rico
Kentuckportorico
During May 1898, Lt. Henry H. Whitney of the United States Fourth Artillery was sent to Puerto Rico on a reconnaissance mission, sponsored by the Army's Bureau of Military Intelligence. He provided maps and information on the Spanish military forces to the U.S. government prior to the invasion. On May 10, U.S. Navy warships were sighted off the coast of Puerto Rico. On May 12, a squadron of 12 U.S. ships commanded by Rear Adm. William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson

William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War....
 bombarded San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan is the Capital and largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico. As of the United States Census Bureau, it has a population of 433,733, making it the List of United States cities by population city under the jurisdiction of the United States....
. During the bombardment, many government buildings were shelled. On June 25, the Yosemite
USS Yosemite (1892)

At the beginning of the Spanish-American War, El Sud?a merchant steamer built in 1892 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.?was acquired by the Navy from the Southern Pacific Co....
 blockaded San Juan harbor. On July 25, General Nelson A. Miles
Nelson A. Miles

Nelson Appleton Miles was an American soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.Early life...
, with 3,300 soldiers, landed at Guánica
Guánica, Puerto Rico

Gu?nica is a municipality in southwestern Puerto Rico located on southern coast, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, east of Lajas, Puerto Rico, and west of Yauco, Puerto Rico....
, beginning the Puerto Rican Campaign
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
. The troops encountered resistance early in the invasion. The first skirmish between the American and Spanish troops occurred in Guanica. The first organized armed opposition occurred in Yauco in what became known as the Battle of Yauco
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
. This encounter was followed by the Battles of Fajardo
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
, Guayama
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
, Guamani River Bridge
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
, Coamo
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
, Silva Heights
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
 and finally by the Battle of Asomante
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
. On August 9, 1898, infantry and cavalry troops encountered Spanish and Puerto Rican soldiers armed with cannons in a mountain known as Cerro Gervasio del Asomante, while attempting to enter Aibonito
Aibonito, Puerto Rico

Aibonito is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas, Puerto Rico; south of Barranquitas, Puerto Rico and Comerio, Puerto Rico; east of Coamo, Puerto Rico; and west of Cidra, Puerto Rico, and Cayey, Puerto Rico....
. The American commanders decided to retreat and regroup, returning on August 12, 1898, with an artillery unit. The Spanish and Puerto Rican units began the offensive with cannon fire, being led by Ricardo Hernáiz. The sudden attack caused confusion among some soldiers, who reported seeing a second Spanish unit nearby. In the crossfire, four American troops — Sargeant John Long, Lieutenant Harris, Captain E.T. Lee and Corporal Oscar Sawanson — were gravely injured. Based on this and the reports of upcoming reinforcements, Commander Landcaster ordered a retreat. All military action in Puerto Rico was suspended later that night, after the signing of the Treaty of Paris was made public.

Peace treaty

With defeats in Cuba and the Philippines, and both of its fleets incapacitated, Spain sued for peace.

Hostilities were halted on August 12, 1898, with the signing in Washington of a Protocol of Peace between the United States and Spain. The formal peace treaty
Peace treaty

A peace treaty is an agreement between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends an armed conflict. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to cease hostilities, or a surrender , in which an army agrees to give up arms....
 was signed in Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 on December 10, 1898, and was ratified by the United States Senate
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 on February 6, 1899. It came into force on April 11, 1899. Cubans participated only as observers.

The United States gained almost all of Spain's colonies, including the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Cuba, having been occupied as of July 17, 1898, and thus under the jurisdiction of the United States Military Government (USMG), formed its own civil government and attained independence on May 20, 1902, with the announced end of USMG jurisdiction over the island. However, the United States imposed various restrictions on the new government, including prohibiting alliances with other countries, and reserved for itself the right of intervention. The US also established a perpetual lease of Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on the shore of Guant?namo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba and has been used by the United States Navy for more than a century....
.

On August 14, 1898, 11,000 ground troops were sent to occupy the Philippines. When U.S. troops began to take the place of the Spanish in control of the country, warfare broke out between U.S. forces and the Filipinos resulting in the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War

The Philippine?American War was an armed military conflict between the United States and the Philippines, which arose from the First Philippine Republic struggle against U.S....
.

Aftermath

Tr On Horseback Back From Cuba 1898
The war lasted only four months. Ambassador (later Secretary of State
Secretary of State

Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a member of government. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the government....
) John Hay
John Hay

John Milton Hay was an United States statesman, diplomat, author, journalist, and private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln....
, writing from London to his friend Theodore Roosevelt declared that from start to finish it had been “a splendid little war”. This source provides a more complete quote:
It has been a splendid little war; begun with the highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence and spirit, favored by the fortune which loves the brave. It is now to be concluded, I hope, with that firm good nature which is after all the distinguishing trait of our American character.
The press showed Northerners and Southerners, blacks and whites fighting against a common foe, helping to ease the scars left from the American Civil War.

The war marked American entry into world affairs. Ever since, the United States has had a significant hand in various conflicts around the world, and entered into many treaties and agreements. The Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893

The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. This panic is sometimes considered a part of the Long Depression which began with the Panic of 1873, and like that of earlier crashes, was caused by railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing; which set off a series of bank failures....
 was over by this point, and the United States entered a lengthy and prosperous period of high economic growth, population growth, and technological innovation which lasted through the 1920s.

The war marked the effective end of the Spanish empire
Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire was one of the largest empires in world history, and one of the first global empires. It included territories and colonies ruled by Spain in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania between the 15th and late 19th centuries....
 in Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
, Oceania
Oceania

Oceania is a geography, often geopolitics, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The term "Oceania" was coined in 1831 by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville....
 and the Americas
Americas

The Americas are the region of the Western hemisphere that consists of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions....
. Spain had been declining as an Imperial power since the early 19th century as a result of Napoleon's invasion
Peninsular War

The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence was a contest between First French Empire and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Kingdom of Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars....
. The defeat caused a national trauma because of the affinity of peninsular Spaniards with Cuba, which was seen as another province of Spain rather than as a colony. Only a handful of territories remained of Spain's overseas holdings (e.g., Spanish West Africa
Spanish West Africa

Spanish West Africa is a former possession in the western Sahara Desert that Spain ruled after giving much of its former northwestern African possessions to Morocco....
, Spanish Guinea
Spanish Guinea

Spanish Guinea was an African colony of Spain that became the independent nation of Equatorial Guinea....
, Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara

Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975....
,Spanish Morocco
Spanish Morocco

Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonialism rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence....
, Canary Islands
Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a Spain archipelago which, in turn, forms one of the Spanish Autonomous Communities and an Outermost Region of the European Union....
).

The Spanish military man Julio Cervera Baviera
Julio Cervera Baviera

Julio Cervera Baviera was a Spain engineer, pioneer in the development of radio, educator, explorer, and military man. He also authored various scientific and geographic books and articles....
, involved in the Puerto Rican Campaign
Puerto Rican Campaign

The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago's capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico....
, blamed the natives of that colony for its occupation by the Americans: "I have never seen such a servile, ungrateful country [i.e. Puerto Rico]... In twenty-four hours, the people of Puerto Rico went from being fervently Spanish to enthusiastically American... They humiliated themselves, giving in to the invader as the slave bows to the powerful lord." He was challenged to a duel
Duel

As practiced from the 11th to 20th centuries in Western societies, a duel is an engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with their combat doctrines....
 by a group of young Puerto Ricans for writing this pamphlet.

Culturally a new wave called the Generation of 1898 originated as a response to this trauma, marking a renaissance of the Spanish culture. Economically, the war actually benefited Spain, because after the war, large sums of capital held by Spaniards not only in Cuba but also all over America were brought back to the peninsula and invested in Spain. This massive flow of capital (equivalent to 25% of the gross domestic product
Gross domestic product

File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy....
 of one year) helped to develop the large modern firms in Spain in industrial sectors (steel, chemical, mechanical, textiles and shipyards among others), in the electrical power industry and in the financial sector. However, the political consequences were serious. The defeat in the war began the weakening of the fragile political stability that had been established earlier by the rule of Alfonso XII
Alfonso XII of Spain

Alfonso XII was king of Spain, reigning from 1875 to 1885, after a coup d'?tat restored the monarchy and ended the ephemeral First Spanish Republic....
. from April 6, 1901. Caricaturizes an Easter bonnet
Easter bonnet

An Easter Bonnet represents the tail-end of a tradition of wearing new clothes at Easter, in harmony with the renewal of the year and the promise of spiritual renewal and redemption....
 made out of a warship that alludes to the gains of the Spanish-American War.]] Congress had passed the Teller Amendment
Teller Amendment

The Teller Amendment was an amendment to a joint resolution of the United States Congress, enacted on April 19, 1898, in reply to President William McKinley's War Message....
 prior to the war, promising Cuban independence. However, the Senate passed the Platt Amendment
Platt Amendment

The Platt Amendment was a rider appended to the Army Appropriations Act presented to the U.S. Senate by Connecticut United States Republican Party United States Senate Orville H....
 as a rider to an Army appropriations bill
Appropriation bill

An appropriation bill or running bill is a legislature motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending....
, forcing a peace treaty on Cuba which prohibited it from signing treaties with other nations or contracting a public debt. The Platt Amendment was pushed by imperialists who wanted to project U.S. power abroad (this was in contrast to the Teller Amendment which was pushed by anti-imperialists who called for a restraint on U.S. hegemony). The amendment granted the United States the right to stabilize Cuba militarily as needed. The Platt Amendment also provided for the establishment of a permanent American naval base in Cuba. Guantánamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on the shore of Guant?namo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba and has been used by the United States Navy for more than a century....
 was established after the signing of treaties
Cuban-American Treaty

The Cuban-American Treaty was signed on February 17, 1903 by the first President of Cuba, Tom?s Estrada Palma, and on February 23, 1903 by the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt....
 between Cuba and the US beginning in 1903.

The United States annexed the former Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam. The notion of the United States as an imperial power, with colonies, was hotly debated domestically with President McKinley and the Pro-Imperialists winning their way over vocal opposition led by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
 William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan was the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States in 1896, 1900 and 1908, a lawyer, and the 41st United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson....
, who had supported the war. The American public largely supported the possession of colonies, but there were many outspoken critics such as Mark Twain
Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an United Statesmerican author and humorist. Twain is most noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which has since been called the Great American Novel, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer....
, who wrote
The War Prayer
The War Prayer (story)

"The War Prayer," a short story or prose poem by Mark Twain, is a scathing indictment of war, and particularly of blind patriotism and religion fervor as motivations for war....
in protest.

Roosevelt returned to the United States a war hero, and he was soon elected governor
List of Governors of New York

The Governor of New York is the head of the executive branch of New York's government and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state New York National Guard....
 and then vice president
Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office in the United States of America created by the Constitution of the United States....
.
Promises
The war served to further cement relations between the American North and South. The war gave both sides a common enemy for the first time since the end of the Civil War in 1865, and many friendships were formed between soldiers of both northern and southern states during their tours of duty. This was an important development since many soldiers in this war were the children of Civil War veterans on both sides.

Buffalosoldiers Spanamwar
The African-American community strongly supported the rebels in Cuba, supported entry into the war, and gained prestige from their wartime performance in the Army. Spokesmen noted that 33 African-American seamen had died in the
Maine explosion. The most influential Black leader, Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington

Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, orator, author and the dominant leader of the African-American community nationwide from the 1890s to his death....
, argued that his race was ready to fight. War offered them a chance "to render service to our country that no other race can", because, unlike Whites, they were "accustomed" to the "peculiar and dangerous climate" of Cuba. One of the Black units that served in the war was the 9th Cavalry Regiment. In March 1898, Washington promised the Secretary of the Navy that war would be answered by "at least ten thousand loyal, brave, strong Black men in the south who crave an opportunity to show their loyalty to our land, and would gladly take this method of showing their gratitude for the lives laid down, and the sacrifices made, that Blacks might have their freedom and rights."

In 1904, the United Spanish War Veterans
United Spanish War Veterans

Soon after the Spanish-American War ended in early 1899, discharged veterans rushed to form fraternal societies. Among these were the Spanish War Veterans, the Spanish-American War Veterans, the Servicemen of the Spanish War, American Veterans of Foreign Service, the Army of the Philippines, the Veteran Army of the Philippines, the Legion of Spanis...
 was created from smaller groups of the veterans of the Spanish American War. Today, that organization is defunct, but it left an heir in the form of the Sons of Spanish American War Veterans, created in 1937 at the 39th National Encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans. According to data from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with United States Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans? benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors....
, the last surviving U.S. veteran of the conflict, Nathan E. Cook
Nathan E. Cook

Nathan Edward Cook was a sailor in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War. He was recognized as the Last surviving United States war veterans U.S....
, died on September 10, 1992, at age 106. (If the data are to be believed, Cook, born October 10, 1885, would have been only 12 years old when he served in the war.)

Finally, in an effort to pay the costs of the war, Congress passed an excise tax on long-distance phone service. At the time, it affected only wealthy Americans who owned telephones. However, the Congress neglected to repeal the tax after the war ended four months later, and the tax remained in place for over 100 years until, on August 1, 2006, it was announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS would no longer collect the tax.

Spanish-American War in film and television

  • The Rough Riders
    The Rough Riders

    The Rough Riders is a silent film, released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Noah Beery, Sr., Charles Farrell, George Bancroft , Charles Emmett Mack, and Mary Astor....
    , a 1927 silent film
  • Rough Riders
    Rough Riders (film)

    Rough Riders is a 1997 three hour television miniseries about Theodore Roosevelt and the regiment . The series chronicles the major land battles of the Spanish-American War of 1898....
    , a 1997 television mini-series directed by John Milius
    John Milius

    John Frederick Milius is an USA screenwriter, Film director, and producer of motion pictures. He helped write Dirty Harry and Apocalypse Now and directed Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn....
    , and featuring Tom Berenger
    Tom Berenger

    Tom Berenger is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning United States actor known mainly for his roles in action films....
     (Theodore Roosevelt
    Theodore Roosevelt

    Theodore Roosevelt , also known as T.R., and to the public as Teddy, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
    ), Gary Busey
    Gary Busey

    'William Gareth Jacob "Gary" Busey' is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a number of films, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , The Buddy Holly Story, Big Wednesday, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, The Firm , Gingerdead Man, Black Sh...
     (Joseph Wheeler
    Joseph Wheeler

    Joseph Wheeler was an United States military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a General officer during war time for two opposing forces: first as a general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the United States Army during both the Spanish-Amer...
    ), Sam Elliott
    Sam Elliott

    Samuel Pack Elliott is an American actor. In films, he is often characterized by his rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache and gruff speaking voice....
     (Bucky O'Neill
    Bucky O'Neill

    William Owen O'Neill , known as Buckey O'Neill, was a United States soldier, sheriff, newspaper editor, miner, politician, gambler and lawyer, mainly in Arizona....
    ), Dale Dye
    Dale Dye

    Captain Dale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired United States Marine Corps who served in combat during the Vietnam War....
     (Leonard Wood
    Leonard Wood

    Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines....
    ), Brian Keith
    Brian Keith

    Brian Keith was an United States stage, film and television actor....
     (William McKinley
    William McKinley

    William McKinley, Jr. was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected....
    ), George Hamilton
    George Hamilton

    George Hamilton may refer to:...
     (William Randolph Hearst
    William Randolph Hearst

    William Randolph Hearst I was an United States History of American newspapers Business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. The son of self-made millionaire George Hearst, he became aware that his father received a northern California newspaper, The San Francisco Examiner, as payment of a gambling debt....
    ), and R. Lee Ermey
    R. Lee Ermey

    Ronald Lee Ermey is a former United States Marine Corps drill instructor and later Golden Globe-nominated actor, often playing the roles of authority figures, such as Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning and Sheriff Hoyt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake....
     (John Hay
    John Hay

    John Milton Hay was an United States statesman, diplomat, author, journalist, and private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln....
    )
  • The Spanish-American War: First Intervention, a 2007 docudrama
    Docudrama

    A docudrama is a dramatization of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
     from The History Channel
    The History Channel

    History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an International Satellite channel and Cable channel TV channel, with shows on historical events and persons—often with observations and explanations by noted historians as well as historical reenactment and interviews with witnesses....


Military decorations


United States

United States awards and decorations of the Spanish-American War were as follows:

Wartime service and honors:
  • Medal of Honor
    Medal of Honor

    The Medal of Honor is the highest Awards and decorations of the United States military awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action...
  • Specially Meritorious Service Medal
    Specially Meritorious Service Medal

    The Specially Meritorious Service Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Navy which was created in 1898 by order of the United States Congress....
  • Spanish Campaign Medal
    Spanish Campaign Medal

    The Spanish Campaign Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those members of the U.S....
     — upgradeable to include the Silver Citation Star
    Citation Star

    The Citation Star was an Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Army which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918....
     to recognize those U.S. Army members who had performed individual acts of heroism.
  • West Indies Campaign Medal
    West Indies Campaign Medal

    The West Indies Campaign Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was issued for service in the West Indies campaign theater of the Spanish-American War....
  • Sampson Medal
    Sampson Medal

    The Sampson Medal is a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Navy which was first authorized in 1901. The decoration was awarded to those personnel who were assigned in the fleet of Admiral William T....
    , West Indies service under Admiral William T. Sampson
    William T. Sampson

    William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War....
  • Dewey Medal
    Dewey Medal

    File:Blueyellowribbon.jpgThe Dewey Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Navy which was established by the United States Congress on June 3, 1898....
    , service during the Battle of Manila Bay under Admiral George Dewey
    George Dewey

    George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy, best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War....
  • Spanish War Service Medal
    Spanish War Service Medal

    The Spanish War Service Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Army which was established by an act of the United States Congress on July 9, 1918....
    , U.S. Army homeland service


Postwar occupation service:
  • Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal
    Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal

    The Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Army which was created by an act of the United States War Department on February 4, 1919....
  • Army of Cuban Occupation Medal
    Army of Cuban Occupation Medal

    The Army of Cuban Occupation Medal was a Awards and decorations of the United States military which was created by the United States War Department in June 1915....


Other countries

The governments of Spain and Cuba also issued a wide variety of military awards to honor Spanish, Cuban, and Philippine soldiers who had served in the conflict.

See also

  • Battles of the Spanish-American War
    Battles of the Spanish-American War

    The following are known Battles of the Spanish-American War...This list includes all major engagements and most reported skirmishes of the Spanish American War....
  • Cuban Independence
    Cuba

    The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
  • Spanish-American relations
    Spanish-American relations

    Spain ? United States relations refers to interstate relations between the Spain and the United States. Its groundwork was laid by the European colonization of the Americas of parts of the Americas by Spanish colonization of the Americas....


Further reading


Diplomacy and causes of the war

  • James C. Bradford, ed., Crucible of Empire: The Spanish-American War and Its Aftermath (1993), essays on diplomacy, naval and military operations, and historiography.
  • Lewis Gould, The Spanish-American War and President McKinley (1982)
  • Philip S. Foner, The Spanish-Cuban-American War and the Birth of American Imperialism, 1895-1902 (1972)
  • Richard Hamilton, President McKinley, War, and Empire (2006).
  • Kristin Hoganson, Fighting For American Manhood: How Gender Politics Provoked the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars (1998)
  • Paul S. Holbo, "Presidential Leadership in Foreign Affairs: William McKinley and the Turpie-Foraker Amendment," The American Historical Review 1967 72(4): 1321-1335.
  • Walter LaFeber
    Walter LaFeber

    Walter LaFeber was a Marie Underhill Noll Professor and a Steven Weisse Presidential Teaching Fellow of History in the Cornell University Department of History at Cornell University....
    ,
    The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion, 1865-1898 (1963)
  • Ernest May, Imperial Democracy: The Emergence of America as a Great Power (1961)
  • Paul T. McCartney, American National Identity, the War of 1898, and the Rise of American Imperialism (2006)
  • Mellander, Gustavo A.(1971) The United States in Panamanian Politics: The Intriguing Formative Years. Daville,Ill.:Interstate Publishers. OCLC 138568.
  • Mellander, Gustavo A.; Nelly Maldonado Mellander (1999). Charles Edward Magoon: The Panama Years. Río Piedras, Puerto Rico: Editorial Plaza Mayor. ISBN 1563281554. OCLC 42970390.
  • Richard H. Miller, ed., American Imperialism in 1898: The Quest for National Fulfillment (1970)
  • Walter Millis, The Martial Spirit: A Study of Our War with Spain (1931)
  • H. Wayne Morgan, America's Road to Empire: The War with Spain and Overseas Expansion (1965)
  • John L. Offner, An Unwanted War: The Diplomacy of the United States and Spain over Cuba, 1895–1898 (1992).
  • John L. Offner, "McKinley and the Spanish-American War" Presidential Studies Quarterly 2004 34(1): 50–61. ISSN 0360-4918
  • Louis A. Perez, Jr., "The Meaning of the Maine: Causation and the Historiography of the Spanish-American War," The Pacific Historical Review 1989 58(3): 293-322.
  • Julius W. Pratt, The Expansionists of 1898 (1936)
  • Thomas Schoonover, Uncle Sam's War of 1898 and the Origins of Globalization. (2003)
  • John Lawrence Tone, War and Genocide in Cuba, 1895–1898 (2006)
  • David F. Trask, The War with Spain in 1898 (1996)
  • Fareed Zakaria
    Fareed Zakaria

    Fareed Zakaria is an Indian-born Naturalization United States journalist, author, and television host specializing in international relations....
    ,
    From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America’s World Role (1998)


War

  • Donald Barr Chidsey, The Spanish American War (New York, 1971)
  • Cirillo, Vincent J. Bullets and Bacilli: The Spanish-American War and Military Medicine (2004)
  • Graham A. Cosmas, An Army for Empire: The United States Army and the Spanish-American War (1971)
  • Philip Sheldon Foner, The Spanish-Cuban-American war and the birth of American imperialism (1972)
  • Frank Freidel, The Splendid Little War (1958), well illustrated narrative by scholar
  • Allan Keller, The Spanish-American War: A Compact History (1969)
  • Gerald F. Linderman, The Mirror of War: American Society and the Spanish-American War (1974), domestic aspects
  • Joseph Smith, The Spanish-American War: Conflict in the Caribbean and the Pacific (1994)
  • G. J. A. O'Toole, The Spanish War: An American Epic—1898 (1984)
  • John Tebbel, America's Great Patriotic War with Spain (1996)


Historiography

  • Duvon C. Corbitt, "Cuban Revisionist Interpretations of Cuba's Struggle for Independence," Hispanic American Historical Review 32 (August 1963): 395-404.
  • Edward P. Crapol, "Coming to Terms with Empire: The Historiography of Late-Nineteenth-Century American Foreign Relations," Diplomatic History 16 (Fall 1992): 573-97;
  • Hugh DeSantis, "The Imperialist Impulse and American Innocence, 1865–1900," in Gerald K. Haines and J. Samuel Walker, eds., American Foreign Relations: A Historiographical Review (1981), pp. 65-90
  • James A. Field Jr., "American Imperialism: The Worst Chapter in Almost Any Book," American Historical Review 83 (June 1978): 644-68, past of the "AHR Forum," with responses
  • Joseph A. Fry, "William McKinley and the Coming of the Spanish American War: A Study of the Besmirching and Redemption of an Historical Image," Diplomatic History 3 (Winter 1979): 77-97
  • Joseph A. Fry, "From Open Door to World Systems: Economic Interpretations of Late-Nineteenth-Century American Foreign Relations," Pacific Historical Review 65 (May 1996): 277-303
  • Thomas G. Paterson, "United States Intervention in Cuba, 1898: Interpretations of the Spanish-American-Cuban-Filipino War," History Teacher 29 (May 1996): 341-61;
  • Louis A. Pérez Jr.; The War of 1898: The United States and Cuba in History and Historiography University of North Carolina Press, 1998
  • Ephraim K. Smith, "William McKinley's Enduring Legacy: The Historiographical Debate on the Taking of the Philippine Islands," in James C. Bradford, ed., Crucible of Empire: The Spanish-American War and Its Aftermath (1993), pp. 205-49
  • Richard W. Stewart, General Editor, Ch. 16, , in , Center of Military History, United States Army, ISBN 0-16-072362-0


Memoirs

  • Funston, Frederick. Memoirs of Two Wars, Cuba and Philippine Experiences. New York: Charles Schribner's Sons, 1911
  • U.S. War Dept. Military Notes on Cuba. 2 vols. Washington, DC: GPO, 1898.
  • Wheeler, Joseph. The Santiago Campaign, 1898. Lamson, Wolffe, Boston 1898.


  • kaylaMagazine. The perils of Evangelina. Feb. 1968.
  • Cull, N. J., Culbert, D., Welch, D. Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia, 1500 to the Present. Spanish-American War. Denver: ABC-CLIO. 2003. 378-379.
  • Ensayos sobre la Guerra Hispano-Cubana-Estadounidense. 2000.
  • Davis, R. H. New York Journal. Does our flag shield women? 13 February, 1897.
  • Duval, C. New York Journal. Evengelina Cisneros rescued by The Journal. 10 October, 1897.
  • Kendrick M. New York Journal. Better she died then reach Ceuta. 18 August, 1897.
  • Kendrick, M. New York Journal. The Cuban girl martyr. 17 February, 1897.
  • Kendrick, M. New York Journal. Spanish auction off Cuban girls. 12 February, 1897.*Muller y Tejeiro, Jose. Combates y Capitulacion de Santiago de Cuba. Marques, Madrid:1898. 208 p. English translation by US Navy Dept.
  • Adjutant General's Office Statistical Exhibit of Strength of Volunteer Forces Called Into Service During the War With Spain; with Losses From All Causes. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899.


Media

  • Harrington, Peter, and Frederic A. Sharf. "A Splendid Little War." The Spanish-American War, 1898. The Artists' Perspective. London: Greenhill, 1998.


External links

  • (Headline, NY Times, April 24, 1898)
  • (an extract from Matloff's American Military History)
  • (an extract from American Military History — revised 2005)
  • by Charles Hendricks
  • —General John J. Pershing’s service in the Spanish-American War, by Kevin Hymel
  • by Lincoln Cushing
  • from the state archives of Florida
  • Individual state's contributions to the Spanish-American War: ,
  • by Albert Nofi
    Albert Nofi

    Albert A. Nofi , is an American military historian, and designer of board and computer wargaming systems.A native of Brooklyn, he attended New York City public schools, graduating from the Boys' High School in 1961....
  • , by Edward Augustus Johnston, published 1899, hosted by the
  • The Spanish-American War from a Spanish perspective (in English).
  • Article in Spanish about naval operations during the Spanish-American war.
  • , via Calisphere, California Digital Library