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U.S. Attempts to buy Cuba
US was interested in Cuba, but didn’t try to go after it until diplomats recommended this to Franklin Pierce, which was the president at this time. The spanish did not want this to happen and they said that “they’d rather see Cuba sunk in the ocean.” America continued to go after Cuba. But when Cuba rebelled against Spain from 1868-1878, we stopped going after Cuba. -
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The Yellow Press
Yellow journalism was a style of newspaper reporting that emphasized shocking stories rather than actual facts. During its time it was one of many factors that helped push the United States and Spain into war in Cuba and the Philippines, leading to the assets of overseas territory by the United States. -
Jose Martí led Cuba’s Second War for Independence
Jose Martí was a Cuban poet and journalist in New York. He took it upon himself to launch a revolution in 1895, known as Cuba’s Second War for Independence. Martí organized Cuban resistance against Spain, using an active guerrilla campaign and deliberately destroying property, especially American-owned sugar mills and plantations. Overall he said he was trying to help Cuba attain “Cuba Libre!” which meant A Free Cuba. -
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The Cuban War of Independence
Also known as the ten year war, the Cuban War of Independence was fought by Cuban revolutionist and the Spanish. All because the Spanish Government started taxing the Sugar crops the farmers were growing. This angered the farmers and therefore started a revolution known as the Cuban War of Independence. However after ten years neither side could gain an upper hand, causing the Spanish Government to give them some of the things the revolutionist wanted to make peace. -
Valeriano Weyler
Valeriano Weyler was A General when he was sent into Cuba to restore order from all the Rebellions they were dealing with. Weyler later attempted to destroy the rebellion by rounding up the entire rural population of central and western Cuba into barbedwire concentration camps. There the civilians could not give aid to rebels. Overall an estimated 300,000 Cubans filled these camps, and thousands died from hunger and disease. -
Publication of the De lome letter
The Letter was written by the Spanish Ambassador to the United States. The letter greatly criticized American President William McKinley by calling him weak and concerned only with gaining the favor of the crowd. Although the Publication of the letter actually helped generate public support for a war with Spain over the issue of independence for the Spanish colony of Cuba. -
Explosion of the USS Maine
In 1898, president McKinley sent the USS Maine to Cuba to take home Americans because they wanted to protect them from the fighting going on there. In February, the ship blew up in the harbor of Havana. No one knew why the ship exploded, but American reporters said that Spain blew it up. There was more than 260 killed. -
U.S. Declares war on Spain
After the explosion of the USS Maine no one really knew how it had exploded. Then the newspapers came out declaring that Spain had been the ones to blow up the USS Maine. This made the people extremely angry and this made them want a war.