Part II: Spanish-American War

Questions for Part II—The Spanish-American War

1. What connections did the U.S. have to Cuba in the late 1800s? List at least two.
The U.S. was a large consumer of Cuban sugar. Also there were U.S. military connections in Cuba.

2. What were the Spanish “reconcentration camps”?
General Valeriano Weyler herded hundreds of thousands Cuban peasants into towns policed by Spanish troops called reconcentration camps. They lacked food, housing and sanitiation. There was disease and starvation, which killed thousands of people.


3. List reasons why the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba.
a.To protect their sugar plantations because that was important to the U.S.

b.The Monroe Doctrine said that Spain had no business in the Western Hemisphere. Spain was going against this and the U.S. wanted to stop it.

c.A future Central American canal would be more profitable if the U.S. controlled nearby Cuba.

d.Also some believed that American should help ease suffering abroad, which was tied to a religious conviction.

e.The de Lome letter and The U.S.S. Maine,and how newspapers portrayed these events, with "yellow journalism"

f.the end of the western frontier

g.If the U.S. won a war with Spain it would gain control over many strategic ports which would increase trade with Asia. (Not just Cuba and Puerto rico in the Caribean, but Guam and the Philippines.)

4. Which do you believe was the most important reason? Why?
I think that "yellow journalism" was an important reason because it made many Americans gain sympathy for Cuba. It also made them angry at Spain.
Also the end of the Wester frontier was a very important reason because this made the U.S. want to gain other land like islands. This is a reason why the U.S. was interested in Cuba in the first place.

5. What did the Teller Amendment say?
The Teller Amendment said that the U.S. didn't have an interest in controlling Cuba in the future and promised to leave their government and control of the island to its people once peace was restored.

6. Why was a portion of the Spanish-American War fought in the Philippines?
The Philippines was controlled by Spain and the U.S. wanted it. Spain thought that they were going to invade Cuba first and they weren't prepared for fighting in the Phillippines.


7. Dewey’s victory in the Phllippines sparked an outpouring of pride in the United States.



8. Why did Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders want to fight in Cuba?
They were proud of what happened in the Phillippines and wanted to help their country.

9. a. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
They saw it as an opportunity to elevate the status of blacks in the U.S. They hoped that thier participation on the fighting would win the African-American community new respect.

b. What forms of discrimination and prejudice did they encounter?
They were denied promotion into the officer crops. Black volunteers were not given the chance to fight in Cuba.

10. How did racism influence American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines? Give two examples of events where racism affected U.S. policy after the war.

a.After the war, many Americans believed that the Cubans needed guidance in managing all of their affairs.  They Cuban rebels were ignored by the U.S.

b.Congress interpreted the teller amendment to mean that the U.S. forces would stay in Cuba until a stable government could be formed.  This made American business return to Cuba, which took over land and railroads and dominated the economy.