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The USA attempts to buy Cuba from Spain
Americans had always had an interest in Cuba, and in 1854, it was recommended that President Franklin Pierce purchase Cuba.
The Spanish were not fans of that idea and they even said they would rather see Cuba sink into the ocean than to see it in the hands of the Americans.
This was important because it was one of the factors that pushed US into war with Spain. -
Cubas first war for independence
Native planters and other rich Cubans tried to rebel against the Spanish, which was unsuccessful. Seeing this, American capitalists began to invest in sugar cane on the Islands.
This is important because Cubans were making moves to free themselves, and slaves were even abolished. -
José Martí led Cuba's second war for independence
Cuban journalist named José Martí began this revolution for the Anti-Spanish portion of Cuba. José had given orders for rebellious Cubans to go out and destroy Spanish and American property intentionally. He hoped that this would help the US to assist them to free themselves from Spain.
This revolution was important because the US noticed the call for help from the Cubans, as the first revolution went unnoticed by the US -
They sent Valeriano Weyler to Cuba by Spain
In an attempt to restore order after the first and second wars for Independence Weyler crowded 300,000 central and western Cubans into concentration camps and most died of hunger and disease.
This is important because Weyler's actions made Americans have sympathy for the Cubans. No one wants to watch people suffer and die in concentration camps. -
The Yellow Press began to shape American public opinion with respect to Cuba's Civil War
Weyler's actions started a war between the press - Especially between William Randolph and Joseph Pulitzer. Pulitzer began to publish very exaggerated papers of what actually went on in the camps. This soon became known as yellow journalism.
some of the accounts stated that Weyler was poisoning wells and feeding kids to sharks.
This is important because the stories deepened America’s sympathy for the Cuban people. It angered them to hear this because they didn’t know that they were false -
Publication of the De Lome Letter
A Cuban took the letter from a post office and put it in the newspaper. The letter was never supposed to be seen by anyone. It was written by the Spanish minister to the U.S.
The letter called President McKinley weak and hungry for admiration. The minister tried to apologize, but the damage was done. American’s were enraged over the disrespect to their President. This was important because it was a hurtful letter from the Spanish, making the Americans want nothing to do with Spain, except war -
Explosion of the USS Maine
The USS Maine was sent to Cuba to go pick up any endangered Americans. The ship had blown up in Havana Harbor, and 260 men died. Americans blamed the Spanish for what happened.
This was important because Spain was on America's last nerve, and this was the last straw. Americans wanted war -
The U.S. declares war on Spain
McKinley went to Congress, declaring war on Spain. Congress agreed after about 5 days and the US declared war.
This is important because it needed to happen so that the Americans could help free Cuba from the evil Spaniards. -
The naval blockade of Cuba
Admiral Pascual Cervera and his fleet arrived in Santiago. The Spanish were blockaded by the U.S. warships, The US navy was dominant in this battle, purely because of our naval strength, which we have Teddy Rosevelt to thank for that.
The blockade was important because we stopped the evil Spaniards from injuring more Cubans. -
U.S. attack on Manila Bay
The attack on Manila Bay was the second big naval victory, we beat the Spanish again. This defeat of the Spanish gave way to the fall of the Phillippines and led to the US victory in the Spanish-American war. The attack on Manila Bay was important because it ended any threat from the Spanish naval forces involved. The U.S. did not lose a single man in this attack and we became known as a world power, virtually overnight. -
U.S. invades Cuba
American forces began to converge on the port city of Santiago shortly after they landed in Cuba. Our army contained roughly 17,000 men including the Rough Riders and other African regiments. They started making their way through Cuba.
This is important because the US landed in Cuba, our men were on the ground, actually able to help the Cubans -
Battle of San Juan Hill
The battle of San Juan Hill happened to the east of Santiago. US soldiers took over the hill. Many U.S. soldiers died fighting for the hill.
the Rough Riders are credited with helping us achieve this victory. This is important because the Battle of San Juan Hill led to the surrender of Puerto Rico and the capture of Cuba. It also launched Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders into popularity. -
Destruction of the Spanish fleet in Cuba
the American navy blockaded the Spanish fleet in Santiago de Cuba. The Spanish tried to save themselves, but they were no match for the great American navy
This is important because it shows that the American navy that Teddy Roosevelt built us was overly superior to the "world power navy" that the Spanish were credited to have. This also led the US into gaining Puerto Rico -
Capture of Puerto Rico
General Nelson A. Mies led the invasion of Puerto Rico. He secured the island with minimal resistance with 7 deaths. This was important because it aided in increasing our empire. This also helped the US grow and become even more of a world power -
Armistice is signed between the U.S. and Spain
This was almost like a temporary treaty and it made a sort of truce, or an end to the war, between America and Spain until the Treaty of Paris was signed.
This was important because it halted the fighting, which means fewer deaths until there was more of a permanent solution -
Spanish surrender the Philippines
The US troops landed in the Philippines. The troops had gained the support of the Philippines solely because they wanted freedom from the Spanish, as well. Emilio Aguinaldo led 11,000 Americans in the surrender of the Philippines. Spanish troops later surrendered to the US.
This was important because helped the US become even more of a world power because we were gaining countries to form our empire -
Treaty of Paris of 1898
Treaty of Paris between America and Spain was signed, meaning that this was the official ending of the war. The US got Guam, Puerto Rico, the Phillippines, and Cuba. This is important because It stopped the fighting permanently and it gave us our empire that we originally wanted, The US had become a world power.
