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U.S. attempt to purchase Cuba
In 1854, U.S. diplomats told President Franklin Pierce that he should buy Cuba. We wanted Cuba because it would be a great place to farm and export sugar. We asked the Spain leaders if we could work out a deal and buy Cuba from them. Spain said that they would rather watch Cuba sink than sell it to America. When Cuba revolted from Spain, we took their side because we wanted the sugar. -
Cuba's First War For Independence
The war was started by local planters and farmers who had freed their slaves and declared war on the Spanish royalty. Ateneo Maceo rose to be the rebellion’s leader and he led troops for ten years. On February 11, 1878 both sides signed a treaty named the Treaty of Zanjón at a meeting in Zanjón, Camagüey. This agreement said slaves who fought on either side were freed, but slavery was not yet abolished and Cuba stayed under Spanish rule. -
Cuba’s First War for Independence (Part 2)
Ateneo Maceo wasn’t happy with the treaty because it didn’t highlight the abolishment of slavery or the independence from Spain that they had began fighting for. -
Jose Martí led Cuba’s Second War for Independence (Part 2)
He used his written influence in Cuba to get the Cuban people to burn sugar plantations and mills which forced Americans to get involved. Jose Martí was elected as delegate of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and he planned on invading Cuba with Máximp Gomez. They sailed from New York to Santo Domingo and arrived in Cuba on April 11th in 1892. Jose was killed in battle seven years before Cuba received their independence, but he continued to be a martyr for the country’s efforts. -
Jose Martí led Cuba’s Second War for Independence
Jose Martí’s leadership started while he was working in New York City as a journalist. He wrote an essay titled “Our America” in order to unite Latin America countries. He urged countries to model the U.S. government but still keep in mind the needs of their people. He began his plans for the Cuban rebellion while he was writing for children’s magazines and nature articles for the public. -
The Yellow Press began to shape American public opinion with respect to Cuba’s Civil War
William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were competing newspaper sellers that were competing. Hearst was trying to find new and improved ways to outsell Pulitzer. He thought of creating his own news, and making it interesting enough to sell a bunch of papers. Hearst wanted a war with Spain so he could sell even more newspapers. -
The Yellow Press began to shape American public opinion with respect to Cuba’s Civil War (Part 2)
Some people even say he made efforts to get the war going. He even put a reward out for whoever found the “nasty Spaniard” that was responsible for the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine. -
Valeriano Weyler was sent to Cuba by Spain (Part 2)
The spanish Army failed to give the cuban people in these concentration camps the right care, and thousands of people died of hunger and disease. William Randolph hearst and Joseph Pulitzer wrote in the New York Journal and New York World about General Valeriano Weyler treatment of the cuban people. Because of these news articles many American felt sympathy for the rebels. -
Valeriano Weyler was sent to Cuba by Spain
In 1896 Spain sent General Valeriano Weyler the cuba to stop the rebellion and restore the political order and the sugar industry. The rebels used Guerrilla warfare on the Spanish Army and hide between the normal civilians, this took a toll on the Spaniards. To stop this from happening General Weyler separated the civilians from the rebels and put the civilians into “Reconstruction camps”. More than 300,00 cubans were put into these camps, until the rebels were defeated. -
Publication of the De Lome Letter
When McKinley became president, Americans were wanting to get involved with the problems in Cuba. McKinley decided to take a more diplomatic approach by talking things through and negotiating with Spain and Cuba. His techniques were working and the conflicts in Cuba were slowly decreasing. Spain brought General Weyler out of Cuba, the Spanish recalled their concentration camp regulations and they even began to give Cuba the opportunity to self-govern their country. -
Publication of the De Lome Letter (Part 2)
However, in 1898, the New York Journal published a letter that had been given to them by a Cuban rebel. Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, the Spanish minister to America, had written a letter demeaning McKinley and his administration. When the letter was published, the Spanish government publicly apologized for the embarrassment but the damage had been done and Americans were angry and hurt over the insults made about their president. -
Explosion of the USS Maine
In 1890 President McKinley ordered the U.S.S Maine to bring home Americans in danger and protect land in Cuba. On February 15, 1898 the U.S.S. Main blew up in the Harbor of Havana killing 268 people.Only 200 bodies were recovered and 76 bodies identified from the ship. No one knew why the ship blew up one prediction was made by the Journal newspaper. -
Explosion Of the U.S.S Main (Part 2)
They believed that the spanish were the ones that destroyed the ship, the paper also offered a $50,000 to who could find the spaniards that blew up the U.S.S Main. Many Americans got mad a Spain because of this news article which was not accurate. The destruction of the U.S.S Main drove America to be involved in the Spanish-American War. -
U.S Declares War on Spain
U.S. already had interest on Cuba because it was close to Florida (90 miles south of Florida), but Spain would not agree to sell Cuba to the U.S. In 1895 Jose Marti started a new approach to stopping Spain settlement by destroying Cuban and U.S. property. Most of the U.S. properties were sugar cane plantations. After Cuba tried rebelling against Spain but only failed in addition to finding most of their civilians in concentration camps thanks to Valeriano Weyler. -
U.S. Declares War on Spain (Part 2)
When William Mckinley started his presidency in 1897 his goal was to not start a war with Spain and soon after General Mckinley was recalled. When Spain made the mistake of calling Mckinley weak the Americans got angry. When the Americans got angry they pushed for war against Spain over Cuba so Mckinley sent the U.S.S Maine. On February 15, 1898 the U.S.S. Maine blew up causing Mckinley to ask congress for force on Spain.
