1. Road to an American Empire

2.  Spain had been an imperialistic country since the late 1400s.  Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico were all Spanish possession.  In the late 1800s Spain was declining and the U.S. was increasing in political power.

3.  The United States had economic investments in Cuba.  Cubans were being abused by the Spanish (yellow journalism).  The battleship Maine was in Havana Harbor and mysteriously blew up.  The U.S. declared war on Spain.  The Battle of San Juan Hill  “A splendid little war”

4.  The United States gained the following territories at the end of the war:  The Philippines  Puerto Rico  Guam  Virtual control over Cuba by virtue of the Platt Amendment

5.  After the war our relationship with Spain was not friendly.  The U.S. took a more dominant role in the affairs of the world.

6.  Who controlled the island nation of Cuba in the early 1890s?  What did Secretary of War Stanton’s comment regarding the Spanish/American War, “It was a splendid little war” mean?  Was American involvement in the Spanish/American War justified?