From Gateway Book (143)
Spain was once the greatest of all colonial empires. But from the 18th century onwards, Spanish power had been in continual decline. By 1898, all that remained of the once great Spanish empire was Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and several smaller possessions. That year, the US went to war with Spain to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule. Most Americans thought they were fighting to help the oppressed people of Cuba, but as a result of the war, the United States acquired its own overseas empire. The Spanish-American War thus marked a major turning point in the history of American foreign relations. |
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1. The publishing of the De Lome letter which called President McKinley weak
2. The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba. The Maine had been sent to Cuba to protect American lives and property. Journalists immediately blamed Spain for the explosion These two events impacted American public opinion in such a way that it became nearly impossible for President McKinley to stay out of the conflict between Spain and Cuba. The US went to war with Spain in 1898 |