To Hell With Spain Remember The Maine?

“To Hell with Spain Remember the Maine”, this was the slogan used by Yellow journalism after the Maine explosion and also before the beginning of the war. This slogan reminds the Americans that their beloved ones lost their lives and it was because of Spain. This slogan gives the feeling of nationalism and courage to fight against the enemies and to take the revenge for humiliation. Americans were already sympathetic towards Cubans. The destruction of the Maine convinces many Americans that the U.S must go to war with Spain. President McKinley sends a note to the Spanish ambassador in whom the U.S demands the recall of General Weyler, the dismantling of concentration camps, sign an armistice ending the fighting with the Cuban Rebels, negotiations to end the war, and a timetable for the Cuban independence.
April 11, 1898 President McKinley asks Congress to declare war on Spain. McKinley is not especially a pro-war, and he did every possible thing he could do to stop the war from happening. But he feels pushed by the war fever that was sweeping the American public. “Such pressure was picked up upon and played with by the press until it seemed as if newspapers were making foreign policy” (Baker 7). Also, American public was eager to go to war with Spain, the De Lome letter and then destruction of Maine. American public wanted an unconditional surrender from Spain. After eight days, on April 19, 1898 Congress approves the declaration of war on Spain. The Teller Amendment was added to the war declaration, stating that the purpose of the war is Cuban independence, not annexation by the