Often referred to as the beginning of American imperialism, the Spanish-American War was a brief conflict between Spain and the United States in 1898, preceded by the sinking of the battleship “USS Maine” in Havana harbor on February 15 of that year. The war consisted of two major naval battles, one in the Philippines and the other off the coast of Cuba, and several smaller clashes. In the end, Spain lost control of the last of its worldwide empire.
The influence of the expansionist doctrine of “Manifest Destiny” (1840’s) still directed American foreign policy under United States President McKinley (1897-1901). Strained relations between the U.S. and Spain, strategic interests connected with the prospective Panama Canal, and concern for U.S. commercial sugar interests prompted the U.S. to declare war.
Aspects of the war familiar to Americans are the slogan “Remember the Maine!” and stories of Lt. Col. Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt’s U.S. Cavalry volunteers, the “Rough Riders,” who stormed Kettle Hill, Cuba, on July 1, 1898. It is also the first conflict referred to as the “media war” for the sensational “yellow journalism” that helped ignite popular support.
The Spanish-American war ended with the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898, which established the independence of Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and allowed for the sale of the Philippine Islands to the U.S. by Spain for $20 million.
Web Sites
- Spanish-American War & the Philippine Insurrection (National Archives)
- The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Library of Congress)
- Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill
- Yellow Journalism and the Spanish-American War (PBS)
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for:
Spanish-American War,
Cuba,
Theodore Roosevelt,
William Randolph Hearst.
Databases
Enter Spanish-American War in these databases:
**Survey: Provide Feedback About the Web Site, Including This Page**