The Spanish-American War

American industrialists and politicians were eager to expand the American empire.
Cuba, a Spanish colony, was a territory of interest to the U.S.
In 1895, Cuban nationalists renewed their struggle against Spain, but the rebellion was crushed.

Yellow journalism: a form of sensationalist journalism that exaggerates stories to attract readers.
Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were competing leaders in yellow journalism.
These journalists exaggerated Spanish atrocities against Cubans, leading the American public to believe intervention was necessary for humanitarian reasons.
Historians debate the extent of yellow journalism's influence, but agree it had some impact.

The U.S. established a naval presence in Cuba.
In 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing over 200 Americans.
Yellow journalists immediately blamed Spain, claiming the explosion was an act of resentment against U.S. interference.
Investigation later revealed the explosion was accidental.

President McKinley issued an ultimatum to Spain to back off, or face war.
Spain agreed to the demand.
Despite Spain's agreement, the U.S. declared war, initiating the Spanish-American War.
The war was short, but its effects were significant, launching the U.S. into imperialism.

Cuba gained independence, but it was limited by the Platt Amendment.
Platt Amendment: An amendment inserted into the Cuban constitution that allowed the U.S. to intervene militarily in Cuba if American economic interests were threatened.
This amendment restricted the Cuban government's ability to conduct its own foreign policy and manage foreign debts.

The U.S. annexed the Philippines from Spain following the war.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt deployed the U.S. Navy to the Philippines before the war ended.
The U.S. allied with Filipino nationals to overthrow Spanish rule.
In the treaty ending the war, the Philippines was ceded to the U.S. for $20,000,000$ .
Filipinos, under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo, sought independence but were met with U.S. resistance.
The resulting war lasted three years, with lingering conflict for ten years, after which The U.S. held on to The Philippines until after World War two.

Hawaii was strategically located halfway between the U.S. and the Philippines.
American settlers had overthrown Queen Lili'uokalani in 1893.
The annexation of Hawaii occurred in 1898, following the U.S. acquisition of the Philippines.

In the 19th century, European nations had economically dominated China, creating spheres of influence.
U.S. Secretary of State John Hay proposed the Open Door Policy to ensure American economic opportunities in China.
Open Door Policy: A policy requesting European powers to observe an open door of trading privileges in China.
European powers neither fully accepted nor rejected the policy.
As a result, America maintained some trading rights in the Chinese market.

The Spanish-American War and its aftermath led America to embrace imperialism and expand its influence on the world stage.