Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War lasted just four months, but it had a major impact on international relations.

A splendid little war

In 1898 the United States had been an independent nation for just a little over a century. Its leaders were still eager to expand its territory as well as its power. The war with Spain served several purposes, and U.S. secretary of state at the time, John Hay (1838–1905), called the conflict “a splendid little war.”

The reason for declaring war on Spain was the United States's interest in Cuba. Cuba was one of the biggest colonies of Spain, and it had been getting ready for a revolution throughout the nineteenth century. The Cubans wanted their independence, and the United States understood that desire. They were already involved in a war with Spain, so Cuban rebels looked to the United States for help.

The United States had good reason for wanting to aid Cuba. It had fifty million dollars invested in the island, and the annual sugar trade there totaled one hundred million dollars. In addition the United States had long believed that the Spanish rule in Cuba was wrong for humanitarian reasons. This viewpoint was encouraged by newspapers of the day, which covered the situation with great passion—and without a steady reliance on fact.

Sinking of the Maine

On February 15, 1898, the United States found a reason to declare war on Spain. The U.S. battleship U.S.S. Maine had been docked in the Havana Harbor, where it had made a courtesy visit. The ship exploded and sank, killing 266 Americans. At the time a naval investigation concluded that the cause of the explosion was external, meaning something from outside the ship was responsible. More modern experts surmise the explosion probably occurred due to faulty equipment from within the ship, but nothing has ever been determined with certainty.

One New York newspaper printed photos allegedly showing how the Spanish attached an underwater bomb to the ship and had detonated it from the shore. This type of less-than-truthful reporting was called yellow journalism, and newspapers resorted to it frequently in an effort to increase circulation and sway readers to agree with publishers' points of view.

Spain did not want to go to war with the United States, but it refused to negotiate on the sole issue that would have prevented conflict: Cuba's independence. In response President William McKinley (1843–1901; served 1897–1901) ordered Spanish troops to withdraw from Cuba. When that failed to happen, war was officially declared on April 25.

The war ended within four months and claimed the lives of around 379 American soldiers. Thousands more, however, died from disease as a result of unsanitary living conditions and lack of supplies. On August 12 a peace treaty was signed. Its final terms were set on December 10 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Cuba was finally independent. Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were now under the control and authority of the United States. The Philippines would revolt and win their independence in 1946. In July 1900 Hawaii became a U.S. territory, and so the United States had become a world power.

Economic progress

The war improved the U.S. economy, but not without cost. The government paid $250 million for that four-month war, and it would have to deal with major unrest in the Philippines for years to come. Despite these facts the American public was, for the most part, happy with the outcome.