11th United States History Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion” Note Packet 1, part 3 Coach Styles

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three What was the first European country to establish colonies in America? SPAIN Following the 1492 expedition of Christopher Columbus, Spain worked to build a vast empire in the “New World” and acquired colonial possessions all across the Western Hemisphere.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three By the 1890s, Spain maintained only remnants of what was once a vast empire in the “New World.” One of these remnants was Cuba—an island nation less than 100 miles off the coast of Florida. The Cubans had been resisting Spanish rule since 1868 when they began their struggle for independence. After 10 years and promises of reform, the Spanish were able to bring down the Cuban uprising. Many Americans sympathized with the Cubans during this 10 year struggle, but the United States did not intervene.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three The situation in Cuba was somewhat better for a few years—mainly due to a prosperous economy spurred on by Cuba’s major export crop… Sugar In 1890, Congress passed the McKinley Tariff Act. This allowed sugar from Cuba to enter the United States duty-free (tax-free). Both the United States and Cuba prospered under this act, with trade revenues totaling more than $100 million per year. However…

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three Continuing Spanish misrule, plus an economic crisis, plunged Cuba into another revolution and by 1895, Cuba was again in a state of turmoil. Most Cubans worked for extremely low wages for wealthy landowners and were exploited by the Spanish government. In 1894, the Wilson-Gorman Tariff was passed by Congress which imposed high taxes on Cuban sugar entering the United States. Sugar piled up in Cuban warehouses and thousands of Cubans lost their jobs. Bands of Cuban revolutionists swept the countryside—killing, burning, and waging guerilla warfare against the Spanish.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three Cuban revolutionists deliberately devastated the island in an attempt to force the Spanish to leave and to convince the United States to intervene. Spain appointed General Valeriano Weyler, nicknamed “The Butcher” by the American press, as commander of Spanish forces in Cuba.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three Weyler forced Cuban civilians into hastily prepared concentration camps, where they died by the thousands—victims of malnutrition and disease. What the Cuban insurrectionists didn’t destroy, the Spanish did. Atrocities were being committed by both sides. The Spanish had used these same tactics in earlier Cuban uprisings, with little concern of the United States.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three The primary difference between earlier Cuban struggles with Spain and this one of the 1890s was… The Cuban revolt of 1895 was covered fully and dramatically by the American press. The Cuban revolutionists did everything possible to win American sympathies and support by waging a vigorous propaganda campaign. Propaganda (def): The spreading of ideas or information for the purpose of helping or hurting a particular cause. As months passed, the American press realized that the events in Cuba supplied exciting newspaper stories. As American newspapers in competition with each other tried to provide the most interesting stories, more and more Americans expressed their sympathies for the Cuban revolutionists—recalling America’s own efforts to win independence from Britain during the American Revolution.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three Two rival New York publishers were especially active in supporting the Cuban revolutionists: William Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three These papers specialized in sensational news—and when the news didn’t actually exist, the editors were not above creating it. Penny press Yellow Journalism (def): Sensationalized press, not always based on fact, created for the sole purpose of increasing newspaper sales. The Cuban insurrectionists had found the ally they needed. End video with “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.”

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three The American public was outraged by the Spanish atrocities reported by the press and urged the U.S. government to intervene. This mounting storm of outrage, however, did not persuade President Grover Cleveland (who maintained a neutral position) to take action. Things would change, however… March 4, 1897: William McKinley was inaugurated as the 25th President of the United States. Grover Cleveland William McKinley

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three President McKinley took a somewhat stronger position, but still wanted to give the Spanish time to find a solution to the uprising on their own. For nearly a year, President McKinley managed to maintain the official policy of neutrality, but in early 1898, several key events forced his hand. Two dramatic events occurring in February of 1898 that propelled the United States into conflict with Spain: de Lome letter: Depuy de Lome was the Spanish Ambassador to the United States. A Cuban spy stole a private letter written by de Lome, which referred to President McKinley as “a weak man without backbone, a ‘bidder’ for the crowd, and a ‘would-be’ politician.”

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three This letter infuriated Americans, who felt de Lome’s views represented the views and attitudes of all Spaniards. Then, soon afterwards and with the anger over the de Lome letter still fresh in the minds of Americans, a major event pushed America over the brink and into war with Spain: 2) Explosion of the U.S. battleship Maine: The U.S.S. Maine was sent to Cuba to protect American lives and property during the Cuban uprising. On February 15, the battleship blew up in Havana Harbor, killing 260 American sailors.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three War hysteria swept the nation. March 27, 1898: The United States sent Spain an ultimatum (def): A final demand of which rejection will result in direct forceful action. The U.S. demanded that Spain: Cease all fighting in Cuba and grant an armistice to the revolutionists. Armistice (def): Cease fire (End of fighting) Negotiate with the Cubans for self-government or independence. Abolish all concentration camps Negotiations broke down and on April 20, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain.

Unit One: “From Isolation to Expansion”—NP Three “Remember the Maine!” became the national battle cry for American revenge against the Spanish.