Why Did The United States Get Involved In The Spanish American War?

The Spanish American War is one of the most prominent wars in U.S. history. The war began on April 21, 1898 due to many different reasons. The real questions is, for what reasons did the U.S. get involved in this war? Well, the Spanish American War began due to the fight for Cuban independence, Yellow Journalism, the Spanish governor’s response to Cuban rebels, the De Lôme letter, and the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine. The first factor was the fight for cuban independence. Jose Marti, a Cuban writer, went to Tampa from New York to gain supporters and help fight for Cuba’s independence. In 1895, Jose Marti’s revolution seized East Cuba and declared independence. However, with the rebellion came economic interest for the United States. The U.S. gained this by invested millions of dollars in railroads, mines, and other things of that nature. Ultimately, the rebellion failed so Cubans fled to the United States and Jose Marti exiled to New York City. Unfortunately for Jose Marti, he was killed shortly after he returned back to Cuba in 1895. The second factor dealing with the U.S. getting involved in the Spanish American War was Yellow Journalism. Yellow Journalism was the printing and publication of exaggerated stories on Spanish attacks of Cubans. Joseph Pulitzer, head
of the New York World, made a very popular cartoon during that time called “The Yellow Kid” along with Richard F. Outcault. As jealousy began to grow, William Randolph Hearst, head of the New York Journal, felt the need to complete with Mr. Pulitzer. He did this by making his own version of another popular Pulitzer cartoon called “Hogan’s Alley”, and even hired Richard F. Outcault to help him. Even though the competition between Mr. Pulitzer and Mr. Hearst seemed quite childish, the creation of the term “Yellow Journalism” is actually credited towards the rivalry between the two publishers and both Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were seen as two major roles in American involvement in the Spanish American War. The third factor of the U.S. getting into the war was the Spanish governor’s response to the Cuban rebels. In the beginning, Cuban rebels attacked American property and blamed the Spanish for it. Hearing and believing this, the Spanish governor, General Weyler, sent Cubans to re-concentration camps. Conditions in these camps were very similar to that of the Holocaust. Thousands upon thousands of people died in the re-concentration camps and at that point, the United States felt a need to intervene. The United States helped save the Spanish people suffering and in 1898, the U.S. sent a battleship to the Havana in case Americans needed to be evacuated. The fourth factor that went into the United State’s involvement in the Spanish American War was the De Lôme letter.
In 1898, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, the Spanish Ambassador, wrote a letter to the U.S. and it was later published in the New York Journal. The letter stated that the U.S. president, William McKinley, was weak and only catered to the most jingoistic elements of the Republican party and the public. Americans were dumbfounded and outraged by the fact that Spanish Ambassador viewed the U.S. as immature and weak in various departments. Once lots of people viewed the letter, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme was forced to resign and his letter became known as “the biggest insult in U.S.
history”. The final factor that went into the United State’s involvement in the Spanish American War was the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine. On February 15, 1898, the U.S.S. Maine exploded and sank in Havana, Cuba harbor. Worst of all, 274 out of the 354 people on the ship were killed in the tragic accident. The American Press and members of Congress immediately blamed the Spanish and that was the last straw for the United States. Even though many reliable sources believed the Spanish sank the U.S.S. Maine, it was discovered by many investigations over a long period of time that the ship exploded due to the ignition of coal in the fuel bunker causing a fire. The Spanish American War ended on August 13, 1898, last a little over three months. The war was noted for getting America involved in world affairs and for re-defining America’s national recognition. The Spanish American War also helped changed the overall idea of American imperialism. Even though the war was short, it made a humongous impact on America and still does to this very day.