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Treaty of Paris
September 3rd, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and British representatives officially ending the American Revolutionary War. The British Crown recognized their independence and gave up most of their territory east of the Mississippi River to the United States. -
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964) was a rebel from the Philippines who was aligned with the U.S. in the fight against Spain. After the war, Aguinaldo became the president of Philippines when it was a provisional republic; but the U.S. didn't want to lose control of the Philippines, leading to conflict between the two. -
General Valeriano Weyler
General Valeriano Weyler (1838-1930) was born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain; he was sent to Cuba to win it back for Spain. Weyler is know for his reconcentration camps, here he would send the citizens of Cuba to protect them, but this ultimately failed because of the hunger and disease spreading in these camps killing thousands. -
Teddy Roosevelt and Rough Riders
May of 1898, Teddy Roosevelt gathered a group of frontier riflemen, skilled horsemen, Texas Rangers, and other elites. Roosevelt and his Rough Riders rode to fight against the Spanish in Cuba showing the ideals of the brave Americans. -
Yellow Journalism
Yellow journalism is when the news on a subject are significantly more emphasized or exaggerated to get more attention. During its height in 1898, yellow journalism continued to exaggerate news events during the conflict between the Americans and Spanish, increasing the tension. -
De Lome Letter
February 9th, 1898, the De Lome letter was written by Spanish ambassador Enrique Dupuy de Lome to his friend Jose Canalejas in Cuba, this fell into American hands. This letter ridiculed President McKinley and his policies on Cuba, this brought the U.S. and Spain closer to war. -
USS Maine
February 15th, 1898, the U.S.S Maine was blown up, it was caused by a mine in Cuba's Havana Harbor. It wasn't declared that Spain was responsible, but the American people thought so and wanted to declare war. -
Teller Amendment
The Teller Amendment, created by senator Henry M. Teller, ensured that the U.S. would not take over Cuba and control it after the liberation from Spain. Though this allowed the U.S. to build a base there, but no control over the people or the land.