Spanish+American+War,+1898

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Spanish American War--April 25, 1898- August 12 1898 Operation: Just Cause Reyna Lusson, Bobby Brunner
 * [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/world_cuba_map.gif width="332" height="264"]] || [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/west_indies_philippines_1898.jpg width="372" height="259" align="left"]] ||
 * [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/ELT200709290422163288899.JPG width="389" height="264"]] || [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/Spanishleaders.jpg width="372" height="247" caption="surrender of José Loreto, one of the Chiefs of Cuban Rebel leaders in the Province of Santa Clara."]] ||

Tasks I: Explain the nature and scope of the conflict

According to Encyclopedia Britannica,  an online encyclopedia developed to provide background knowledge,  the Spanish-American war was fought by America and Spain and began on April 25th, 1898 (“Paris"). According to EBSCOhost,  an online databases designed for student research, t he initial spark of conflict arose when the American public heard about “the brutal treatment of the Cubans by Spanish military forces” (2. "Spanish-American War"); the long-term cause was America’s disapproval of Spain wanting to limit powers in Cuba. Instead of letting the Cubans handle their own issues, America decided to step in, and they declared independence for Cuba. Coming in with the best of intentions, America intended to rid Cuba of their less-than-democratic Spanish government; as would be expected, the Spanish didn’t like the Americans stepping in, and the conflict ultimately ended in war. Military action because necessary when S pain declared war  on the United States on April 24, followed by a U.S. declaration of war  on the 25th (1. “ <span class="citationtext" style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">//Spanish-American War”// <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">). The reason that America originally got involved was primarily because of Manifest Destiny; we felt that it was our God-given duty to spread our ideas around the world. When we saw that Cuba—a nation only 90 miles from our Florida shores—was operating under what we believed to be “an unjust government”, we felt the need to solve Cuba’s problems for them, and get our nose into another place where we didn’t necessarily belong.Encyclopedia Britannica states that the Spanish-American war ended on August 12th, 1898 with the signing of //The Treaty of Paris// in which Spain renounced all claim to Cuba (“Paris”), and was thought to be one of the most effective small wars ever.

**Citation:**

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">1. "Paris, Treaty" //Encyclopædia Britannica//. //Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition//. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;"><[|http://www.school.eb.com]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">2. "Spanish-American War." //EBSCOhost//. N.p., 2002. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;"><http://web.ebscohost.com>.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">3. "Spanish-American War" //Encyclopædia Britannica//. //Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition//. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <span class="articleurl" style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <[|http://www.school.eb.com]>.

<span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px;">Task II: Analyze the U.S.’s involvement in the conflict

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;"> an online encyclopedia developed to provide background knowledge, <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;"> President McKinley was in office during the time of the Spanish-American war, and so he was required to make many decisions regarding the popular, yet arguably unnecessary, small war ("Spanish-American War”). In his inauguration, McKinley said that it was his belief that America should not enter wars of conquest that were meant only to gain territory because this was not just cause to go to war; instead, he said, America should be a nation of peacefulness (Hodge 185). These declarations did not hold true on April 25th 1898, when America declared war on Spain. //Library of Congress//, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;"> the world’s largest library and the research arm of Congress, tells us that <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;"> William McKinley’s goal was to have Spain "adopt a conciliatory policy with the Cuban insurrectionists" (“William McKinley). According to Max Boot, this small war was //protective//, because the war was fought to protect Cuba from Spain’s violent attempt at control. //United States History//, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">an online database about <span class="st" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Colonial and Revolutionary history, says that <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">it can be argued that McKinley did the right thing by declaring war, since the Cubans were being mistreated, but it can also be argued that he got America into an unnecessary war that Cuba could have worked out for themselves (“Wars and Battles”). <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;"> Carl Hodge, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">, says that <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">the Monroe Doctrine best fits the aims and goals of the Spanish-American war because it states that America has the right to interfere with other countries in order for them to have ensured freedom (Monroe Doctrine). At the end of the Spanish-American war, “strategically significant territorial gains were won” (Hodge 185).

**Citation:**

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">"Spanish-American War" //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Encyclopædia Britannica //. //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition //. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <span class="articleurl" style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <[|http://www.school.eb.com]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">"Wars and Battles, 1898." //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">United States History //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;"><[|http://www.u-s-history.com]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">"William McKinley." //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Library Of Congress //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">. Library Of Congress, 22 June 2011. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">Web. 21 Nov. 2011. [|http://www.loc.gov]

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">Carl, Hodge C. "President McKinley." //U.S. Presedents Forign Policy//. Santa <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">Barbara: n.p., 2007. N. pag. Print.

<span style="background-color: #ff002d; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px;">TASK III: How did United States' Public view this conflict?

Like any other war, the viewpoints of the American public shaped when, how, and why we fought the Spanish-American war. There were two main opinions among the American public about the war. One viewpoint was that of the revenge-seeker; many Americans were angered when the U.S.S. Maine exploded, and they began the catchy slogan of "Remember the Maine, the hell with Spain". A second viewpoint was that of the peacekeeper; they believed that the war was unnecessary, and that it shouldn’t be fought. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;">//United States History//, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">an online database about <span class="st" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Colonial and Revolutionary history, says that the “revenge seeker” was the more dominant opinion, and this resulted in battle cries across the nation persuading McKinley that a war was necessary ("The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences”). President McKinley was persuaded to declare war after the public was revolted at the treatment of the Cubans by the Spaniards (Hodge 186). The operation name of the Spanish-American war—Operation Just Cause—gives us a pretty good hint as to the American feelings and opinions of the war. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;"> Carl Hodge, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">, says that it was thought to be a war of good morals—one in which we would attempt to save an innocent Cuban people from the wrath of what we saw as brutality from Spain (Hodge 187).<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"> According to //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Foreign Policy Research //, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">a nonprofit organization devoted to advanced research and public education on international affairs, the Spanish-American was controversial because the war created another, separate, war with the Philippines which claimed many lives and lasted much longer. ("The Spanish-American War and the Philippine War”). The opinion of the public is important in any American war because we are living in a Republic; the voices of the people will be heard, and they are to be the ultimate decider in the actions of the nation. The majority of Americans had “Remember the Maine” echoing in their heads, and they were asking for war. The government is supposed to act on the will of the people, and when we called for war, that is exactly what we got ("The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences”). Overall, the Spanish-American war was very popular, and it’s popularity is probably the main reason for its success; it just goes to show the major role of the American people when it comes to winning a war.

**Citation:**

"The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences." //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">U.S. History //. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <[|http://www.ushistory.org]>.

"The Spanish-American War and the Philippine War." //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Foreign Policy Research // //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Institute //. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. [|http://www.fpri.org]

Carl, Hodge C. "President McKinley." //U.S. Presidents Foreign Policy//. Santa Barbara: n.p., 2007. N. pag. Print.

<span style="background-color: #ff002d; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px;">Task IV: Did the U.S. achieve its goals?

According to <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 110%;"> //United States History//, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">an online database about <span class="st" style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Colonial and Revolutionary history, the Spanish-American war ended with the Treaty of Paris and the annexing of Spain ("Spanish-American War"). The ending of this war is yet another example of how the American small wars were influenced greatly by the people. When the people of the United States wanted war, they got war, and when they were finished with fighting, the war came to a close. The American public was very satisfied with the outcome of the Spanish-American war; this is mostly because the war was short and sweet, and the Treaty of Paris was most generous to the winners. Our allies were also happy, since we did accomplish our goals with a minimum commitment of time, money, and troops. Additionally, Cuba was happy because they gained their independence, and Spain was pretty satisfied because of the $20 million dollars they received for their losses. The one party who wasn’t happy with the outcome of the war was the Philippians; they were angered because the U.S. also wanted annex them, but when they fought back we ended up losing that war ("The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences"). The U.S. decision makers and military leaders were praised; it wasn’t blind approval from the public, either. The Spanish-American War lasted a mere ten weeks and resulted in 400 battle deaths ("The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences"). In summation, the U.S. government and public was satisfied with the outcome of the Spanish-American war;“President McKinley's expansionist policies were supported by the American public, who seemed more than willing to accept the blessings and curses of their new expanding empire” ("The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences").

**Citation:**

"The Spanish-American War and Its Consequences." //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">U.S. History //. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <[|http://www.ushistory.org]>.

"Spanish-American War." //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Brough's Books //. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <[|http://www.dropbears.com]>.

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