WHAT STARTED THE WAR
The Spanish American war was about Cubin Independence. At the time of the war Cuba had been a colony of Spain. Most people in America today don’t know this simply because they do know about the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine kept Europe out of the new world but it didn’t take away the colonies that had already been set up. Spain was the only European power that still had colonies in “The New World.” Cuban independence wasn’t like American independence. There weren’t any kind of unjust actions done by Spain; the Cubans simply got tired of being ruled by someone else. Cuba had several rebellions one right after another, each one more intense than the last. The first Rebellion was in 1868 and ended in 1878, known as the Ten Year War. The Cubans rebelled and were finally put down by Spanish military. In 1898 Spain finally sat down and gave Cuba an autonomous government. Almost two weeks later a riot broke out. Whether this was caused by Spain or not is unknown, however the riot did lead to damaged American property. In 1898 the United States sent the USS Maine to Havana, Cuba to protect Americans and their properties. On February 9, 1898 the Spanish Ambassador Dupuy De Lome sent a letter to a friend in Cuba that was intercepted by the Cuban rebels and taken to the United States government. This letter verbally insulted the United States President William McKinley. This letter was then stolen and published all across the United States, pushing for a call of war. Then February 15, 1898 the USS Maine suddenly exploded
Citations: "Introduction." - The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. "Spanish-American War." Spanish-American War. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. "The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress)." The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. "Spanish-American War." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.