Spanish-American War
1898
President: Wm McKinley
Secretary State: John Hay
A short War – 100 days
Effects of the
Spanish American
War
10th Cavalry Regiment
Buffalo Soldiers
All Black Unit
• Why enlist?
– Identified with struggle for
freedom
– Might improve civil rights
after war
• Four privates:
– Rowed through heavy
gunfire to rescue 15
members of US landing
pty.
– Awarded Congressional
Medal of Honor
Marley- video/song:
http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=uMUQMSXLlHM
Cuba Falls
• July 3, 1898 Spanish try to
break the
blockade and
every ship is
destroyed
• July 17, 1898 - the
city of Santiago
surrendered
• Dec. 10, 1898Treaty of Paris
signed
Cost Of War
• 5,000 die Malaria & food poisoning
• 379 die in combat
• $250m (WWI $33 BILLION) (Vietnam $1/2 TRILLION)
GAINS: Expanding the US
Empire!
Three U.S. Possessions PPG
Transition was SMOOTH in…
Guam &
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
• Possession of USA
• Granted citizenship in 1916
• By 1973, 40% of Puerto Ricans lived in USA
(mostly NY)
• Can vote for president only when living in
USA
• Voted not to become a state – WHY?
• THIS JUST IN… http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/07/puerto-ricansopt-for-statehood-in-referendum/
The Philippines was
A DIFFERENT STORY…
• US paid $20m to SP for Philippines
-Filipinos revolt against US, 1899
-Philippine-American War
• US sent 60,000 soldiers ($600,000,000)
• 20,000 – 60,000 Filipinos lost lives for
their freedom
• US grants freedom in:
1946
And what about Cuba???
• Platt Amendment
• US Protectorate
• A temporary
military
government was set
up appointed
Governor = General
Leonard Wood
• Army Yellow Fever
Commission –
1900 headed by -
Dr. Walter Reed
And then there was Hawaii…
• Americans had a foothold in the sugar
trade in HI
• McKinley Tariff hurt these businessmen
• Staged an uprising to overthrow Queen
Liliuokalani
• When SPAM broke out, islands
annexed… important way station on way
to Philippines
• Became 50th state in 1959
American Expansion Debate
• Objective: I can simulate the
famous debate/discussion over
whether the United States should
expand upon her borders at the
turn of the 20th century. 1898-99:
year of debate.
• Activity: Group-based discussion
in order to debate whether the
United States should accept the
Treaty of Paris 1899 and expand its
borders.
• Goal: Direct President McKinley
how to act after the Spanish
American War: What should be
the result of the Treaty? Should
the US expand or grant
independence?