Mastrangelo - The Spanish-American War
Storyboard Text
- NEW YORK JOURNAL
- Starting in 1895, Cuba struggled and fought for its independence from Spain. As Spain's empire was starting to decline, they took oppressive measures to keep Cuba their territory, including deprivation of food and reconcentration camps. Jose Marti was the face of the independence movement, which was a main cause of the Spanish-American War.
- In order to sell more newspapers, owners used exaggerated headings and pictures to outline the occurrences in Cuba. They highlighted the Spanish atrocities, painting Spain as the enemy. This selling tactic was called yellow journalism. It was the reason that the United States even noticed what was happening in Cuba.
- On February 15th, 1898, the USS Maine, a United States battleship, exploded. The ship was sent to Cuba to help out the Cubans and protect US property. Many were killed, and the journalists accused Spain. It was the final spark to set off the Spanish-American War.
- Americans were very enthusiastic about the war, and many enlisted. One notable victory was the attack on the Spanish navy. With only five battleships, the US was able to sink ten Spanish ships in seven hours. There were about 400 Spanish casualties. However, there was only one American killed.
- An important group was the Rough Riders: a regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt and composed of African Americans. They were able to win the battles at Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. Their victories were ultimately the deciding factor and ended the war in US favor.
- The Spanish-American war officially ended in December of 1898 with the Treaty of Paris. The treaty stated that Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were now under US control. As the war ended, the troops were quickly brought home, as a majority of the US casualties were from sickness and disease.
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