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U.S. attempt to purchase Cuba
The United States had long held an interest in Cuba. In 1854 diplomats recommended to President Franklin Pierce that the United States buy Cuba from Spain. The Spanish responded by saying that they would rather see Cuba sink in the ocean. -
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Cuba's First War For Independence
When the Cubans rebelled against Spain between that lasted for 10 years American sympathies went out to the Cuban people because it made them remember their own fight for independence. The Cuban revolt against Spain was not successful, but in 1886 the Cuban people forced Spain to abolish slavery. After the emancipation of Cuba’s slaves, Americans began investing millions of dollars in large sugar cane plantations on the island. -
Jose Marti led Cuba's second war for independence
José Martí was a Cuban poet and journalist. Resistance against Spain was formed by deliberately destroying property. The rebels provoked the US to help achieve a free Cuba. This is important because unlike the first Cuban war, the second war was not unnoticed by the US. -
Valeriano Weyler was sent to Cuba by Spain
Cuban revolts were responded by the Spanish by sending General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba to restore order. To destroy the rebellion, Weyler gathered the entire population into barbed wire concentration camps. Many of the 300,000 Cubans in the camps died of hunger and disease. This is important because Weyler's actions made Americans sympathize for the rebels. The feelings of the citizens of the US only pushed to help the Cubans being mistreated. -
the Yellow Press began to shape American public opinion with respect to Cuba's Civil War
Exaggerated news to lure and enrage readers, used for Americans to become more engrossed in how Spain was treating Cubans and pushed them towards a war. -
Spanish surrender the Philippines
after the US they join forces with the Filipino rebels and then then the Spanish surrendered to the US. This gave the US the higher up because it helps the US be secretly imperialistic. -
Publication of the De Lome Letter
Enrique Dupuy de Lôme was the Spanish minister to Washington. On February 9, 1898, a letter he had written to a government official in Havana was published in the American press. The private correspondence labeled President McKinley as “a low politician" and a man who was weak and catered to the rabble. The letter is important because it caused the Spanish to upset the United States. This made Spain a target to the US for insulting their president and the mistreating of the rebels. -
U.S Invades Cuba
The US went to Cuba's coast and unloaded their ships and was unprepared because most of the soldiers were untrained and were not prepared for the climate. this important because we are taking charge into Cuba. -
explosion of the USS Maine
McKinley ordered the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba to bring home American citizens in danger from the fighting and to protect American property. The ship blew up in the harbor of Havana, and more than 260 men were killed. No one knew why the ship exploded but everyone assumed it on Spain. Made Americans even more outraged to get payback on the Spanish -
U.S. declares war on Spain
The public opinion of America favored any war. We went to Congress on April 11, asking to declare war on Spain. After a week of thinking and debating, Congress finally agreed and the US declared war. The main reason for war out to the public was to free Cuba from the Spanish. This is important because if we hadn't gone into war against the Spanish, then we might not have had Cuba or other countries at this time. -
Naval blockade of Cuba
The naval blockade was when the Americans took their ships and they trapped them in so that the Spanish couldn't leave. This is important because this was the Americans' first move in the Spanish-American war. -
U.S. attack on Manila Bay
The defeat of the Spanish Pacific fleet by the US Navy resulted in the fall of the Phillippines and contributed to the final US victory in the Spanish-American war. After an explosion sank USS Maine in Havana harbor in February 1898, the United States declared war with Spain on 25 April in support of a Cuban rebellion against Spanish colonial rule. -
Battle of San Juan Hill
This occurred east of Santiago and was on Kettle Hill. US soldiers tried taking over the hill and gained an advantage to take San Juan Hill. It managed to hold off a much larger US force from advancing. Many U.S. soldiers were gunned down trying to take the hill. Rough Riders led us to victory in this battle. This is important because this was a huge factor in succeeding in the capture of Cuba. -
Destruction of the Spanish fleet in Cuba
Spanish fleet got blockaded by the American ships in Santiago de Cuba. The Spanish fleet tries to break out but they get destroyed This is important because it shows that America has more power of the Spanish during that time. -
Capture of Puerto Rico
The United States and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. At the peace talks, the Spanish freed Cuba and turned over the Guam islands and Puerto Rico to the United States. This is important because it increased our empire. -
Armistice is signed between the U.S. and Spain
A cease-fire agreement was signed between the US and Spain ending the small war. This is significant because this ended the war and helped lead to the treaty of pairs. -
treaty of Paris of 1898
The United States and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. At the peace talks, Spain freed Cuba and turned over the islands of Guam in the Pacific and Puerto Rico in the West Indies to the United States. Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million This is important because it helped us succeed in being imperialistic.