1. The Spanish - American War
(1898)
A Case of US Imperialism or a
Necessary War?

2. The Following are Causes of the
Spanish-American War

3. Yellow Journalism
• Yellow journalism is the deliberate use of bold or
exaggerating statements in the media done in
order to increase sales.
• For example, “Persell’s social studies exam scores
drop” v. a headline in the Post Journal might say,
“Persell is Worst Educator on Planet.”
• Two newspaper owners, Joseph Pulitzer and
William Randolph Hearst, were competing in
NYC to sell papers and often exaggerated the truth
to create more sensational stories

4. Cause #1
William Randolph HearstJoseph Pulitzer

5. Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
• Cuba was seeking freedom from Spain, who was weakening
• US citizens support a free Cuba, who we could trade with
• The US trains some Cuban militia men( to free themselves),
who promptly get killed or captured by Spanish
• US sends a battleship, the Maine, to Havana Harbor to keep
an eye on things & to be available for evacuation
• The Maine explodes killing 260 US troops
• US papers blame Spain without proof of why it exploded

6. How is Spain depicted?

7. How is Cuba depicted?

8. Cause #2
U.S.S. Maine Explosion - How is this
image an example of Yellow
Journalism?

9. Cause #3 Read the unproven headlines!
How would Americans react?

10. Spanish-American War (1898)
Imperialism or Necessary?

11. Conquer Philippines?
• Commodore Dewey
attacks Philippines
one week after US
declares war with
Spain
• Philippines belonged
to Spain
• Spain -381 killed
• US - 0

12. Why Philippines?
• Gave US possible
ports and naval bases

13. US not ready at first, But Spain
was so weak we did not have to be
• Had only 28,000 troops, need 280,000
• Issued wool uniforms for tropics
• Most died from diseases (malaria, yellow fever), not
battle

14. Rough Riders - Theodore
Roosevelt’s Volunteer Group
• Very Popular in US due to newspaper articles written about
them. TR had the reporters follow the Rough Riders to ensure
good press.
• People debate how much TR and the Rough Riders actually did.
Many historians feel TR only fought when assured of victory.
• Helped TR get elected as VP after the war

16. Most Famous Battle -
Rough Riders take San Juan Hill
• 7,000 US troops attack 600 Spanish
• Well covered by press

17. Was the war Imperialism or Necessary?
Imperialism without a doubt

18. What Does the US do with new
Lands after the War?
Cuba
Philippines
Puerto Rico

19. Cuba
• We promised before
war we wouldn’t keep
it - we lied.
• However the Platt
Amendment - Allows
US to intervene in
Cuban affairs
whenever we see
“necessary.”

20. “This was like handing over the
keys to our house so that the
Americans can enter it at any
time, whenever the desire seizes
them, day or night, whether with
good or evil design.”
- Cuban official

21. Philippines
• US intends to keep it, Filipinos revolt
• 70,000 US troops fight 3 years there
• Hundreds of thousands Filipinos die
• 1902 - US sets up govt. with some local
control
• 1946 - Philippines become independent

22. Philippines

23. Puerto Rico
• Becomes a US
territory (didn’t fight
like Filipinos did)
• 1900 Foraker Act –
the President &
Congress create a civil
government for Cuba
and most U.S. Federal
Laws apply there.
• 1952 becomes a
commonwealth of the
U.S