Spanish-
American War (jan 1, 1898 – dec 31, 1898)
Description:
- Cuba resented Spain's control, leading to rebellion
- Spain responded with the dispatch of General Weyler, who confined civilians to brutal camps
- "Yellow press' in the US labeled him "Butcher Weyler" increasing American support against Spain
- Cuban rebels start destroying US sugar plantations
- The US sent the battleship Maine to Havana to protect American interest but the Maine blew up (likely because of a fuel explosion, but the press touted it as a Spanish attack)
- Fought in the Philippines and Cuba
TREATY OF PARIS/CONSEQUENCES OF WAR
- Gave Cuba its independence
- The US gained Puerto Rico, Guam, the Phillippines
- Spain received $20 million
- The Teller Amendment promised Cuban independence, but the Platt Amendment virtually made Cuba an American protectorate
- US est. as strong naval power
- Est. US-Japanse rivalry
DEBATE OVER PHILIPPINES ANNEXATION
- Progressives split over imperialism
- Old aristocracy and middle class strongly supported annexation
- Many intellectuals and social reformers opposed -- labor and working class divided
- Andrew Carnegie: anti-imperialist (US is supposed to be ANTI-IMPERIALIST)
ANNEXATION OF THE PHILIPPINES
- Emilio Aguinaldo -- independence leader, helped US defeat Spanish
- US scorched earth campaign
- 200 thousand filipinos and 5000 Americans die
- “The Water Cure” -- similar to what is now known as waterboarding -- one of the brutal tactics used by US troops
- Big scandal, whole congressional commission est. to invest, Taft headed it
- Gen. Smith court martialed but let off with a reprimand and retired
Added to timeline:
APUSH REVIEW
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