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Sympathy
American sympathies went out to the Cuban people in their cry for freedom. Because Americans knew what it was like to be controlled by another power, they were more interested in Cuba. -
Abolishment
Cuban people made Spain abolish slavery. American capitalists began investing millions of dollars in sugar cane plantations on the islands. I think that the reason the Americans invested after the abolishment of slavery was because they felt that investing in the plantations is like investing in the slaves working there. -
Yellow Journalism
Joseph Pullitzer (New York World) & William Randolf Hearst (New York Journal) went into a circulation war where they used Yellow Journalism to exaggerate the war struggles in Cuba. Their exaggerated efforts sparked interest from Americans in the Cuban people. Many other news editors would critisize Pullitzer and Hearst, and make cartoons in their papers of "The Unintelligent" wearing yellow, usually toasting with wine. -
Concentration Camps
Spain sent General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba. He put the Cuban people in concentration camps to restore order, which sparked even more attention from Americans. -
The de Lome Letter
Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister to the U.S, wrote a letter that criticized President McKinley, calling him "weak". The letter leaked into the public and hit the news papers. This angered Americans. -
Remember The Maine
The U.S.S Maine exploaded. Although there was no proof of how the ship exploaded, the news papers claimed that the Spanish blew it up. This made Americans furious. -
More Yellow Journalism
News Paper headlines read, "The Warship Maine was split in two by an enemy's secret infernal machine." Hearst's paper offered a reward of $50,000 for the capture of the Spaniards. -
Manila
George Dewey's men opened fire and destroyed every spanish ship at the Philippines' capital, Manila. -
Converging
American forces landed in Cuba and began to converge on the port city of Santiago. The arny of 17,000 included the Rough Riders and four African American regiments. -
The Battle at San Juan Hill
In the first part of the battle, there was a dramatic uphill charge (by the Rough Riders and four African American regiments) followed by their victory clearing the way for an infantry attack on San Juan Hill. -
The Surrender
Spanish troops in Manila surrender to U.S. -
Treaty of Paris
U.S. and Spain met in Paris to agree on the treaty. Spain freed Cuba and sold the U.S. the islands of Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico for $20 million. -
Foraker Act
The Foraker Act ended the military rule and set up a civil government for Cuba. It gave our president the power to apoint Puerto Rico's governor and members of their upper house legislature. -
Platt Amendment
Since Cuba's constitution didn't specify the relationship between them and the United States, the U.S. insisted that Cuba added to it's constitution several provisions, known as the Platt Amendment. It stated Cuba couldn't made treaties that might limit it's independence or permit a foreign power to control any part of it's territory, the U.S. reserved the right to intervene in Cuba, Cuba was not to go into debt, & the U.S. could buy or lease land on the island for naval, & refuling stations.
