Essay One: Imperialism Flies circle great black lumps as the moist air ravages the corpses. Dried blood soaked into the ground after faceless soldiers brutally destroyed its owners’ lives. These were the stories in the newspapers, the movies, and the films. Horrified by these crimes against humanity, the American public was spurred into action against the Spanish oppressors. the United States invaded Cuba in 1898 to pursue humanitarian efforts. the United States used propaganda targeting humanitarian concerns to incite the public to declare war. As Americans were interested in the Cuban Revolution, sensational journalism only raised tensions between the United States and the Spanish monarchy, which would help cause the war. While General Weyler
The General detained most of the people in concentration camps. By this time, the United States had many entrepreneurs who were interested in investing in Cuba. The journalism stirred the Americans into anti-Spain mood. However, President G. Cleveland promised not to go to war (McManus, 2008, p. 67).
From Liberation to Conquest by Bonnie Miller looks at The War of 1898 through the scope of popular culture during the time. She took political cartoons, newspapers, dramas, and etc. to explain the role the United States media played in gaining momentum for their conquest in Cuba as well as other territories. These media outposts shaped and formed the story that was being told around the country, and gave both true and false, as well as dramatized ideals of what the war really was. Bonnie Miller, an Associate Professor of American Studies, at the University of Massachusetts Boston, earned her PH. D in History.
The United States initially was interested due to economic reasons but later gained even more support. After the USS Maine explosion, Yellow Journalist took advantage of this event and blamed Spain. Not wanting to anger the U.S., the Spanish Government handled the accusations very peacefully. Not too long after, the United States declared war on April 25, 1898. U.S. Soldiers did not have all the supplies
The start of the second Industrial Revolution was also the start for the push of imperialism throughout the country. The decision of taking care of another country because of the opinion that they were not “civilized” was a motive for many of the United States leaders. Leaders included President Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, and President William McKinley. The imperialist group was strong but they had much push back from anti-imperialist. The anti-imperialist included Jane Addams and Mark Twain.
With the inclusion of both Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, yellow journalists, together they influenced the public to feel the pain of the Cubans and immensely propelled the desire to finally go to war. The effects are numerous with yellow journalism, for example, Americans learned more about the Spanish American War through dramatized articles like “FEEDING PRISONERS TO THE SHARKS” and “blood on the roadsides, blood in the fields, blood on the doorsteps, blood, blood, blood” which exposed the violent tensions in Cuba. On top of this, Americans felt genuine emotion for the Cubans, they felt like we as a country should help them gain their independence from Spain. Also, American citizens were also infuriated that those currently
The Spanish American war was a product of Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis and the urbanization of America. In 1895, a rebellion broke out in Cuba, as Cuban patriots wanted independences from Spain. Through the yellow journalism, reports of Spain’s cruel military tactics lead to a public uproar in the U.S. However, most of these stories were exaggerated as a form to promote war. After an American battleship, the USS Maine, was destroyed, America was “forced” to start war and stop Spanish occupation.
According to history.com “U.S. Congress soon afterward issued resolutions that declared Cuba’s right to independence, demanded the withdrawal of Spain’s armed forces from the island, and authorized the President’s use of force to secure that withdrawal while renouncing any U.S. design for annexing Cuba.” McKinley then set up a naval blockade on Cuba and started requesting American volunteers for their military. This decision caused the Spanish to declare war with America which we now call it the Spanish-American War of 1898. The war started out on May 1, 1898 when Commodore Dewey and his naval squad went into the Philippine Islands at Manila Bay to successfully gain control of the sea when they defeated the Spanish naval force that was trying to defend the Philippine Islands. The victory of the defeat triggered McKinley’s want for acquiring the Philippines land as a trophy for the war, leading to tension between the Americans and Filipinos.
Ava Walker Mr. Wormell USHH1 8 May 2023 Spanish American War Essay Throughout the history of the United States of America, the Spanish-American war has been illustrated as the United States stepping in and assisting Cuba in a time of need. The United States offered their aid to Cuba to obtain freedom and independence just like they had received from France in the Revolutionary War. However, this illustration is not universally perceived. As, the United States of America wrongfully forced themselves into Cuba's fight for independence against Spain and consequently stole land and power.
Due to these exaggerated portraits of the Cuban people Americans were hungry for war. Another key reason for wanting war came from a letter that the Spanish Foreign Minister, Dupuy de Lome, had written to his friend in Cuba. In the letter Lome had said the President Mckinley was a “low, coarse politician.” This letter was somehow stolen and published in the New York Journal. Americans to acute offense to this and again asked for war.
Hearst and Pulitzer manipulated public opinion in order to have the American people intervene. The U.S.S. Maine was located in the Havana harbor two hundred and sixty sailors died due to the explosion. This gave the American government exactly what they needed in order to go into cube. They came up with the slogan “Remember the Maine to Hell with Spain.”
Colonialism and Imperialism affected our world both positively and negatively. On one hand, Imperialism has often been linked with racial segregation, manipulation, and hardship. On the other, it has been said that many colonial powers contributed much in terms of schools, roads, railways, and much more. Whether this time period was constructive or harmful, it has played a large part in shaping our lives today. European Imperialism started long before the 1800’s.
The De Lome letter made Americans angered, and their reaction was totally justifiable, because De Lome called their President feebleminded. De Lome was forced to resign because of his letter to President McKinley calling him feebleminded .New York Journal was one of the most popular and was top selling newspaper of that time, established by Yellow journalism. Yellow journalism was the one who brought the De Lome letter in the American public attention, and here is the evidence, which clearly shows that the Yellow journalism had put the spark between two nations and they were on the brink to go to war. Since, the letter was leaked by the Hearst’s press; it shows that Yellow journalism contributed and American and Spain were on the edge on going to the war.
This is evident in Editha through the characterization of George and Editha, both representing an opposing view on imperialism. Americans had sympathies for the Cubans, they struggled under Spanish rule. But American sympathy was not the sole reason for America getting involved in the Cuban revolution. American business had about $50 million invested in Cuba and these investments were at risk because of the revolution taking place in Cuba (Kennedy-Cohen 610). The Teller Amendment also proves that America went to war with Spain for the wrong reasons.
The Spanish-American War occurred in the midst of discontent among Cubans and Puerto Rico, upset with America’s increased economic influence.
During the 1890s, journalism that sensationalized Cuban affairs became a powerful force that helped fuel anti-Spanish and pro-war feelings in the United States (“Yellow Journalism”). This type of journalism, called yellow journalism, relied on exaggerating stories in order to lure readers and increase newspaper sales (“Yellow Journalism”). Led by New York World owner Joseph Pulitzer and New York Journal owner William Randolph Hearst, yellow journalism played a significant role in pushing the United States’ decision to declare war on Spain in 1898 (“U.S. Diplomacy”). Prior to the Spanish-American War, Cuba’s struggle for independence was met with American sympathy, as General Valeriano Weyler tried to crush the revolution launched by José