Summary Of The De Lome Letter To President Mckinley

Two things that change the course of this war, and which forces America to declare war on Spain; the first one was the De Lome letter to President McKinley and the second was the destruction of the U.S.S Maine. Ferdinand De Lome was the Spanish minister and he was an ambassador to the United States. He wrote a letter to President McKinley, in which he describes President McKinley as empty-headed and idiotic. “a bidder for the administration of the crowd” and “a would-be politician…who tries to leave a door open behind himself while keeping the on good terms with the jingoes of his party” (Fraenkel 12). The De Lome letter to President McKinley was stolen and was published in the New York Journal. The letter was leaked through the William Randolph

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. The tension between Spain and America was on the

After a few days, The De Lome Letter was leaked on February 9, 1898 and on February 15, 1898, just after 6 days from the De Lome scandal, the Maine explodes and which made Americans indignant and they were ready to go war against Spain. There were two reasons why U.S.S Maine was sent to Havana harbor; first is to show power or to demonstrate force, during 19th Century, and country strength was measured by its navy. Admiral Alfred T. Mahan said in his book Influence of Sea Power upon History (1890) and The Interest of America in Sea Power (1897) “Hence, if the U.S is to be “great”, it must have an empire and a large navy. This navy must have overseas bases from which to operate”. The themes of Admiral Alfred T. Mahan books were that “great nations had empires which they maintained with great navies” (Fraenkel 45). The second reason why U.S.S Maine was sent to Havana harbor because President McKinley said “to protect American lives and interest”, Americans had invested heavily in Cuba. On the night of February 15, 1898 the Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor. 260 Americans sailors were killed. This was another humiliation for the Americans after the De Lome letter, just 6 days before. The news of Maine explosion was everywhere. American newspapers accuse Spanish of blowing up of Maine. Yellow journalism accuse Spanish of Maine explosion with