Spanish American War Timeline

Ultimately, why do you believe the Spanish American War was fought?

It was fought for the ownership of the Philippines.

In your opinion who is to blame for the war?

America because of how they wanted more land.

What makes the Spanish American War a significant event in U.S. history?

It's was when the U.S. was an imperialist.

• 1776: America Fought for Liberation (Doc A)
• 1868:1878: Cuba wanting freedom, one revolt. (Doc B)
• 1895: Another revolt started was suppressed by the 160,000 spanish soldiers. (Doc B)
• Two newspapermen, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst supported the rebels from America. Both saw Cuba’s trouble.
• Joseph Pulitzer- Started the New York World in 1896 featuring The Yellow Kid, a cartoon on cheap yellow paper.
• William Randolph Hearst- admired Pulitzer, and tailored the Examiner to resemble Pulitzer's paper. In 1895, Hearst purchased the New York Journal and became Pulitzer’s competitor.

• 1899: Havana Strike for "8 hour day" (Doc A)
• Philippines "revolt" for no American rule (Doc A)
• 1900- McKinley sends in Taft to Manila and earn the Filipinos trust. (Doc B)
• 1901: Platt Amendment was passed by congress and put in the Cuban Constitution (Doc A)

Leonard Wood:

"There is, of course, little or no independence left for Cuba under the Platt Amendment." (Doc A)

• 1916- Jones Act, to grant Philippine independence as soon as practicable. (Doc B)
• 1946- The United States granted independence to the Philippines. (Doc B)

Which of the Two sources (A and B) was the best? Evaluate the sources based on fact vs. opinion and the perspective and biases of the authors.

Document B was the best source. The reason it was the best was because it gave more specific facts and not as much opinion.

• 1897: Lattimer Massacre killed 9 Coal Workers (Doc A)
• De Lome wrote a letter to McKinley, calling him "weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd" McKinley wanted an apology then sent out the USS battleship Maine to Havana. (Doc B)
• 1898: Business men in America were wanting Cuba (Doc A)
• Maine [U.S. battleship] was sunk (Doc A)
• Big Corporations thought America was going to go to war (Doc A)
• An Anti-war parade wanted to go on (Doc A)
• It couldn't go on because of May Day Parade (Doc A)
• Hawaii was "annexed by joint resolution" (Doc A)
• Peace Treaty with Spain was signed for; "Guam, Puerto Rico, and Philippines" (Doc A)
• February 15: Maine exploded killing 260 crewmen, then sank to the bottom of the ocean. McKinley blamed Spain for the explosion, yet not wanting to start a war. (Doc B)
• April 20: McKinley was handed a war resolution from congress, to liberate Cuba in five years. (Doc B)

• April 25, 1898- Congress declared war against Spain. (Doc B)
• End of November 1898, McKinley called for volunteers for his small army and 223,000 volunteers swelled the ranks. For Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders there was Indians, scouts, miners, and marauders. But from the food that they were given came a disease killing 2,565 men.The United States had a decided advantage at sea, with cruisers called Olympia, Boston, Raleigh, Concord, and Baltimore outranking and outgunning the Spanish vessels. (Doc B)
• April: Dewey went to sea preparing for war. Dewey shot down the Spanish vessels not losing a single man. (Doc B)
• July 3: Cervera’s fleet sailed out. Spain had become “ a nation of the fourth class.” After a quick battle with America’s big boy Navy ships, the Spanish fleet pulled down their colors. (Doc B)
• At the end of the Spanish-American War it cost the United States $160 million dollars. The Filipino wanted independence. (Doc B)
• 1898- Roosevelt and others was pushing for world stage. (Doc B)

Spanish American War Timeline

By: Linaka Francis

Holli Wade