Spanish-American War Unit 3: Notes #4 Mr. Welch 11/9/12

War in the Philippines  The Philippines islands had been under Spanish rule since the 1500s  Before the U.S. declared war on Spain, Theodore Roosevelt (Assistant Secretary of the Navy) sent secret orders to Commodore George Dewey If war broke out Dewey was to attack Spain in the Philippines

Battle of Manila  Dewey, and his fleet, arrived in Manila Bay in the Philippines on May 1, 1898 The Spanish immediately opened fire  Once the U.S. started firing they had the clear advantage w/ their modern naval ships made out of iron & steel The Spanish ships were made out of wood  In a matter of hours the U.S. won a decisive victory  Dewey then began planning an attack on the capital city of Manila Spanish forces surrendered on August 14, 1898

War in Cuba  Before declaring war, Congress passed the Teller Amendment This stated that once Cuba was freed from Spanish control the U.S. would let them govern themselves w/out interference  Most of the soldiers who fought in Cuba were enlisted men, but some were volunteers  The most famous volunteer regiment was called the Rough Riders They were organized by Theodore Roosevelt, who left his navy post Adventurous college athletes, cowboys, ranchers & miners made up the Rough Riders

Battle of San Juan Hill  The American strategy was to capture Santiago, a port city To do this they needed to capture the hills surrounding the city  After the Battle of San Juan Hill the U.S. had control of the hills & the city  In mid-July 1898 the Spanish surrendered

Consequences of War  The Spanish had to give up all claims to Cuba, Puerto Rico, & the Pacific island of Guam  The U.S. bought the Philippines from the Spanish for $20 million  The war costs the U.S. $250 million and 2,000 soldiers lives The soldiers did not die of battle wounds but of yellow fever  The outcome of the war also moved the U.S. to the ranks of an imperialist nation

Annexation of the Philippines?  When it came to the decision about whether or not to annex the Philippines, many Americans were divided on this issue  Opponents views: Some were uneasy with the idea of having overseas territory They felt it violated the ideal of self-government Others feared it would open the door to more immigrants

Annexation Support  Arguments for annexation: They believed that imperialism would only make the U.S. stronger That it was the duty of the U.S. to spread its values Some wanted the Philippines for its economic value and strategic military location

Results of the War  After a fierce debate, Congress approved the annexation  The Filipino nationalists were furious They had been fighting for independence from Spain, only to exchange one ruler for another  For three years Filipino nationalists fought U.S. soldiers In 1901, the fighting stopped  The Philippines were under the control of the U.S. until 1946