videos pt 2

Spanish-American War Overview

• Conflict Duration: April 1898 to December 1898.
• Main Parties Involved: The United States and Spain.
• Theater of War: Fighting occurred in several territories including:
  • Cuba
  • Puerto Rico
  • Guam
  • The Philippines

Background Causes

• Cuban Revolts:

  • Cubans had periodically revolted against Spanish colonial rule.
  • Most notable leader: José Martí, who played a crucial role in starting the independence movement.
  • General context of discontent in Cuba leading to increased nationalist sentiment.

• Martí's Influence:

  • José Martí died in military action in 1895; his death intensified revolutionary fervor among his followers, who initiated further insurrections against Spanish rule.

• Spanish Military Response:

  • In an attempt to quell the insurgency, the Spanish army implemented a controversial policy to cut off support for the rebels by destroying crops and relocating civilians into fortified camps.
  • Reconcentrado Policy: These camps are recognized today as precursors to modern concentration camps.
  • Estimated mortality rate: 30% of the camp population died due to disease and hunger.

Role of the Media and Political Factors

• Yellow Press:

  • The American sensationalist press (known as yellow journalism) reported extensively on the atrocities in Cuba, shaping public opinion against Spain through exaggerated accounts.

• American Interests:

  • Influential American businessmen with investments in Cuba lobbied for U.S. intervention to protect their interests.
  • President William McKinley faced growing pressure to act against Spain.

USS Maine Incident

• Deployment: President McKinley sent the USS Maine to Havana Harbor as a show of force against Spanish oppression.
• Explosion: On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded under mysterious circumstances, contributing to public outrage and escalating tensions between the U.S. and Spain.

Declaration of War

• Ultimatum Issued:
  • Following the explosion, the U.S. presented Spain with an ultimatum demanding the end to its colonial rule in Cuba.
• War Declarations:
  • On April 23, 1898, Spain declared war on the U.S., prompting a swift American declaration of war.

Course of the War

• Timeline: The war lasted roughly three months.
• Major Victories:
  • The U.S. achieved significant victories leading to:
  • The complete destruction of Spanish fleets in both Cuba and The Philippines.
• Peace Negotiations: By August 1898, Spain sought peace, leading to the Treaty of Paris.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

• Key Outcomes:
  • Spain ceded control over several territories to the U.S., including:
  • Cuba
  • Guam
  • Puerto Rico
  • The Philippines
  • These territories became U.S. possessions but did not achieve statehood.

Aftermath in the Philippines

• Filipino Response:
  • The Philippines had been seeking independence from Spain since 1896.
  • Filipino revolutionaries, including Emilio Aguinaldo, aligned with American forces against Spain, anticipating self-governance post-conflict.
• Philippine Independence Declaration:
  • Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence and established the First Philippine Republic on June 12, 1898; however, neither the U.S. nor Spain recognized it.

Philippine-American War

• U.S. Military Actions:

  • In February 1899, U.S. troops engaged Filipino revolutionaries to affirm control over the Philippines.
  • The conflict evolved into a guerrilla war characterized by small-scale, disruptive militias targeting American supply lines and installations.

• Resolution Efforts:

  • By 1902, the U.S. pursued a peace treaty, offering limited sovereignty to some groups of Filipinos, but various factions resisted.
  • Under President Woodrow Wilson, the U.S. government enacted measures in 1916 to transition towards self-governance and eventual independence of the Philippines.

• Full Independence:

  • The Philippines did not achieve full independence until after World War II.