Essential Questions: What were the causes of the Spanish-American war?
What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris?
I. Cuba rebels against Spain
A. Cuba fought for her independence from Spain from 1868-1878
1. The Cuban revolt against Spain was not successful
B. In 1895, Cuba launched an all out revolution against Spain
1. Public opinion in the US was split
a. Many people wanted to support Spain
-US had a lot of investments in Cuba
b. Other Americans wanted to support Cuba
-They were enthusiastic about the rebel cause
2. Spain responded to the revolt by brutalizing Cuban civilians
II. The USS Maine explodes
A. Throughout the rebellion, the US remained neutral
1. In early 1898, President McKinley ordered the USS Maine to
Cuba to protect American interests
a. Some Americans owned sugar mills and plantations in
Cuba
2. On February 15, 1898, the ship blew up in Havana Harbor
a. American newspapers immediately blamed Spain
-yellow journalism
III. War with Spain
A. The war in the Philippines
1. George Dewey defeated the Spanish in the Philippines
B. The war in Cuba
1. American forces landed in Cuba in June 1898
a. An army of 17,000 soldiers defeated the Spanish
C. The Treaty of Paris
1. The treaty was approved on February 6, 1899
a. The US now controlled Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
Philippines