April to August 1898 was the length of the war between Spain and the U.S. Cuba was fighting for its independence from Spain. The U.S. had begun to look at expanding its empire and saw the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico as prime targets. Many Americans did not agree with the expansion of the U.S. into other countries at this time. American newspapers, led by William Randolph Hearst, used yellow journalism to persuade the American public that we needed to step in to help the oppressed citizens of the Caribbean. (Wikipedia, 2009)
The U.S.S. Maine was sent to protect American interests in Cuba. The Maine sunk in the Havana Harbor after an explosion. Spain said they did not sink the ship but the Americans claimed the explosion was due to a mine planted there. On April 11, 1989 President McKinley authorized the sending of troops to end the Cuban Civil War. Spain lost most of its fleet along with its hold on Cuba and the Philippines. Spain called it quits in August 1898. The U.S. gained almost all of Spain’s colonies, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. (Wikipedia, 2009)
Reference
Spanish-American War: Retrieved July 14, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish%
E2%80%93American_War
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