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United States Attempts to Purchase Cuba
The people of the United States recommended that President Franklin Pierce try to buy Cuba from Spain. The Spanish said they rather have Cuba disappear than to give it to the United States. When the revolution broke out in Cuba, the United States decided to invest so money into sugarcane plantations. -
Cuba’s First War for Independence
The Cuban's organized a resistance against Spain by using an active guerrilla campaign. With this campaign, they destroyed property and especially attacked and destroyed American-Owned sugar mills and plantations. Cuba's fight for independence was not ignored by the United States. The war lasted ten years, 1868 - 1878. -
United States Declares War on Spain
On April 11, McKinley asked the Congress use force against Spain. The congress agreed. On the 20th the United States declared war. When the war started the Spanish were surprised that the Americans didn’t invade Cuba first. The Americans decided to invade where a Spanish colony was. The first battle took place on the Philippine Island. -
José Martí Led Cuba’s Second War for Independence
José Martí decided to launch another revolution. He also decided to use an active guerrilla campaign to help organize Cuban resistance against Spain. He also helped them destroy the American-owned sugar plantations and mills. -
Valeriano Weyler Was Sent to Cuba by Spain
Spain decided to send General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba after the Cuban Revolt. They wanted him to restore order while he was in Cuba. Weyler wanted to decrease the population of western and central Cuba. To do this he decided to put the Cubans into concentration camps. In the end Weyler decreases the population like he wanted to. -
The Yellow Press Begun to Shape American Public Opinion With Respect to Cuba’s Civil War
The Yellow Press took events and made them into huge lies. They did this just to entertain readers. They wrote of children being thrown off ships and fed to sharks. This entertained the readers and was used to exaggerate the news to make readers mad and to blow up the current situation. Eventually the Yellow Press stopped because they figured out it was wrong to over exaggerate the stories. -
Publication of the De Lôme Letter
Enrique Dupuy de Lôme wrote a private letter to a friend in Cuba insulting President McKinley. During the delivery some Cubans stole the letter and decided to send it to the United States. It was published in the New York Journal. After all this happened America’s resentment and anger towards Spain grew. -
Explosion of the USS Maine
President McKinley ordered the U.S.S. Maine to bring home American citizens and to protect American property. Five months later the ship exploded in the harbor of Havana. More than 260 men were killed. After the incident newspapers in America blamed the Spanish for blowing up the ship.
