Preview

spanish america war

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1639 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
spanish america war
There were many reasons why the Americans wanted to go to war with the Spanish. There were several reasons to be exact why the Spanish-American War had an outbreak. The Americans wanted an empire and they thought it would put the civil war behind us; the excitement would be great, yellow journalism Valeriano “Butcher” Weyler and finally the Delome letter.
Cubans were in revolt against Spain, and wanted to declare their independence. Many Americans supported their efforts. Newspapers in America favored American involvement in Cuba. This was known as "yellow journalism." Reporters were sent to Cuba and the Spanish often altered their reports into horror stories about crimes against the Cuban population. Those reporters made and sold those papers. Imperialists in America favored the war, which would bring Cuba and its people into the economic sphere of the US. We could provide products to the Cubans and we could enter the economic system of the island with our industries. The major cause was the explosion of the USS Maine, which was stationed in Havana. The American press claimed the Spanish caused the explosion with the loss of approximately 260 American sailors, but there was no evidence the Spanish caused the ship to explode. Later, evidence was found that the reason for the explosion was because of the boiler. President McKinley made a list of demands to the Spanish, because he wanted to stop the concentration camps, and he wanted an order of cease-fire, the Spanish gave in, and they still went to war. The American public continued to put pressure on President McKinley until he finally asked Congress to declare war on Spain in April of 1898. They wanted to declare their independence. One of the major causes that many people would say triggered the Spanish American war was the Delome letter, The Delome letter was written by Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister with the selection of Cuba. It was a letter that criticized the President McKinley of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Spanish American War

    • 1674 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Spanish-American War was a four-month conflict between Spain and the United States, provoked by word of Spanish colonial brutality in Cuba. Although the war was largely brought about by the efforts of U.S. expansionists, many Americans supported the idea of freeing an oppressed people controlled by the Spanish. At war's end, America emerged victorious with newly acknowledged respect as a world power.…

    • 1674 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican American War DBQ

    • 528 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The United States never tried to provoke the war actually quite the opposite. President Polk was negotiating for peace. Polk even stated in his letter to Senator William H. Haywood (August 1845) that all military and naval movement against Mexico be strictly defensive. Polk did not want to be the aggressor. He also made it clear that if the Mexican Army were to invade Texas (which was now part of U.S.) that the U.S. army would come to her aid, and if possible drive the Mexican army back to its territory. This is another fine example of how this war was provoked. Even though Mexico had declared war upon The U.S. we refused to take the offensive, and only acted in self-defense.…

    • 528 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Mexican American War

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages

    On May 9th, 1846 President James K. Polk delivered a war message to Congress, stating that "Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon the American soil." Four days later, Congress declared war against Mexico, and across the nation large shows of support for the action followed. So began the Mexican-American War that resulted in acquiring of lands that today make up the American southwest; the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican American War

    • 4451 Words
    • 18 Pages

    The Mexican American War began on April 25, 1846. The war lasted two years losing many men on both sides. The Mexican war was the third major fought by the United States. In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla triggers the beginning of Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain. Mexico gained its independence in 1821 after a long and bloody revolution against Spain. For Mexico, the war between them and the United States was a fight to keep their institutions and national integrity intact, to protect themselves from present and future aggressions by the Americans, but more than anything else, the war was a struggle for land. In the early days of the republic, most Americans made their living by farming, so in 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Purchase Territory because he wanted to provide “room enough for out descendants to the thousandth and ten thousandth generation.” In 1803 the United States purchased land from Napoleon west of the Mississippi, also known as the Louisiana Purchase. The Unites States nearly doubled in size, extending its borders two thirds of the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. In 1804-1806 the Lewis and Clark expedition explores western North America. Mexico had a population of only about 2,500 living in Texas, they offered cheap land to attract Americans and build up the territory. Mexico only allowed one religion which was Catholicism and for everyone to follow the teachings of the church. The U.S government marked the route of the Santa Fe Trail so settlers in New Mexico can get goods from the U.S that they have not been able to get from Mexico. By the early 1800s many of the inhabitants of Mexico didn’t like the Spanish Rule and wanted to establish a democratic government. In 1810 there were several executions. The gachupines (those born in Spain) executed Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla who had led a large group of mestizos (the offspring of mixed marriages) who were rebels in…

    • 4451 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mexican-American War

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The physical beginning of the Mexican-American war between the United States and Mexico began with a Mexican attack on American troops who were stationed on the southern border of Texas on April 25, 1846. The swift conclusion to the war took place as General Winfield Scott occupied the Mexican capitol city, Mexico City on September 14, 1847. Within a few months, the Treaty of Guadalupe was signed with Mexico recognizing the US annexation of Texas as well as Mexico succeeding from California and New Mexico.1 The causes of the Mexican-American war varies from historian to historian. Some blame a dictatorial Centralist government of Mexico beginning the war by continuing to claim Texas even after its establishment of an independent republic. Others argue the United States provoked war with Mexico by annexing Texas as well as stationing troops at the Mexican border. A final thought is that the greed of United States President James Polk who “forced Mexico to war in order to seize California and the Southwest”.2 The most likely cause of the Mexican-American War is a combination of the three.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican American War

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Mexican American war was the result of the idea of “manifest destiny.” James K. Polk (the president at the time) wanted to expand America’s western border to the pacific. After the annexation of Texas, Mexico became furious and threatened to take Texas back in a powerful way. Polk had about 4000 soldiers guarding Texas while he sent John Slidell to consult with Mexicans to sell both California and New Mexico for $30,000,000. Soon Mexico’s president found out about the deal Slidell had in mind and refused to see him.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Spanish-American War originally started off as The United States protecting Cuba from its Spanish rulers essentially, but quickly evolved into colonial expansion. The war became a war of imperial expansion in the late 1800’s due to America’s new “outward” focuses on global markets and growing concerns of economic competition/expansion from other world powers. America, once a colony itself was now looking to expand its influence into other parts of the globe as its European cousins had been doing for quite some time.…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the 1890's the United States became more aggressive and expansionistic than it had been for the past few decades. There was apparently a hunger for foreign conquest. The conflict with Spain derived mainly from the American desire to help the beleaguered Cubans with their independence from Spain. Americans wanted the war, which could well have been avoided, but they had little understanding of what the reults of the war would be. I believe American entry into the Spanish-American war was not justified.…

    • 1204 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    History 1302

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The causes of the American Spanish war, united states had little interest in economic cuba and the south had yet to regain its stature. The Cuban rebels began to attack Americans owned properties, McKinley sent the battleship maine to Havana to protect the American interests, the battleship blew up due to coal dust or the magazine too close to the boiler room, Theodore Roosevelt also wanted war, he dispatched dewey to the Philippines with out the knowledge of the secretary of navy or the president of united states. America was in the mood for war to demonstrate its strength, and what better nation to go to war with, manifest destiny, racism and imperialism were also cause to the war.…

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Spanish-American War Essay

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Spanish-American War was not a random act of violence. There were many aspects that helped to lead to the beginning of the war. In 1868, Cuba and Spain had a war, Ten Years’ War, fighting for Cuba’s independence. The war did not end with Cuba gaining their independence, but the Cubans were not going to stop trying. In 1895, Jose Marti landed in Cuba to begin a war. However, a few weeks later, Marti was killed by Spaniards. The cry “Cuba Libre”, meaning, free Cuba, is associated with Marti and his attempt to gain independence; after this mishap with Marti, Spain sent 200,000 soldiers to try to stop Cubans from creating a rebellion.…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican American War

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Mexican American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico. This was a battle for land where Mexico was fighting to keep what they thought was their property and the U.S. desired to retain the disputed land of Texas and obtain more of Mexico’s northern lands. There were two main causes of the Mexican War. First, the idea of “Manifest destiny” meaning the belief that America had a God-given right to occupy and civilize the whole continent. As large number of Americans migrated towards the west searching for land, the fact that most of those areas already had people living in them was ignored. Instead, an attitude and belief that democratic Americans would do a better job of running the lands than the Native Americans prevailed. President Polk shared and led the vision of Manifest Destiny, and did offer to buy the southwest land from Mexico. However, the Mexican government refused the offer, and because of this tensions continued to rise. The second major cause of the Mexican War actually started off with the Texas War of independence .During the 1830s, Mexico needed settlers in the under populated northern parts of the country and therefore allowed U.S. citizens to come and live in the Texas area as long as they took an oath of allegiance to Mexico and converted to Catholicism. Thousands of Americans accepted the invitation and migrated to the Mexican province of Texas. However, many of the new “Texans” were not satisfied with the way the Mexican government tried to run the province. So that led to the Texas Revolution began as both Mexicans and Americans living in Texas fought for independence from the Mexican government. A final victory resulted in the capture of the Mexican President who was forced to sign the Treaty of Velasco, granting Texas its…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When speaking of the Spanish-American War and World War 1 there are many differences and similarities between the two historical wars. The Spanish War began in April of 1898 and ended in August of 1898. World War 1, however, began in July of 1914 and ended in November of 1918. Both of these wars were very important in history and they have helped make America the way that it is today. Some of the differences between the wars include; the reasons for the wars, weapons, casualty numbers, as well as, who the wars were against. On the other hand, there are many similarities such as battle strategies, sinking of ships, the use of propaganda, and the end results.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mexican American War

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages

    How did American life during the period of the Age of the Common Man reflect both the influence of the frontier and the impact of newer rationalistic concepts? (Think inventions, religion, peace, prosperity, literature, art, education, etc)…

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    “The immediate origins of the 1898 Spanish-American War began with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894. The American tariff…put restrictions on sugar imports to the United States; severely hurt the economy of Cuba, which was based on producing and selling sugar” (SparkNotes: The Spanish American War, 1898-1901,: Summery). Spain began imposing unreasonable high taxes on Cuba. Spanish troops ambushed and killed Cuba’s leader, José Martí and appointed General Valeriano Weyler as governor with orders to crush the Cuban rebellion. Weyler instituted concentration camps and forced the Cuban citizens into them so they could not aid the fight for freedom. These innocents starved and died from disease in the unlivable conditions of these camps.…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spanish American War Dbq

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Imagine fighting for freedom against a country that won’t listen to you and treats you with cruelty. You don’t have much military power, so this other, more powerful country helps you gain independance. However, as soon as you win, the country that helps turns around and puts you in the same situation, just with them instead of the original country. This is what it was like in the Philippines! Before the Spanish-American war, the Philippines were a territory of Spain, along with some other countries like Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spain mistreated the people of these territories. They moved them into camps, that had shelters with no roofs. If they didn’t get there in time, they were executed. The United States stepped in and went to war with Spain for the independance of these territories. When we won the war, we got control of these…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays