Why Did The United States Get Involved In The Spanish American War?

The Spanish American War is one of the most prominent wars in U.S. history. The war began on April 21, 1898 due to many different reasons. The real questions is, for what reasons did the U.S. get involved in this war? Well, the Spanish American War began due to the fight for Cuban independence, Yellow Journalism, the Spanish governor’s response to Cuban rebels, the De Lôme letter, and the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine. The first factor was the fight for cuban independence. Jose Marti, a Cuban writer, went to Tampa from New York to gain supporters and help fight for Cuba’s independence. In 1895, Jose Marti’s revolution seized East Cuba and declared independence. However, with the rebellion came economic interest for the United States. The U.S. gained this by invested millions of dollars in railroads, mines, and other things of that nature. Ultimately, the rebellion failed so Cubans fled to the United States and Jose Marti exiled to New York City. Unfortunately for Jose Marti, he was killed shortly after he returned back to Cuba in 1895. The second factor dealing with the U.S. getting involved in the Spanish American War was Yellow Journalism. Yellow Journalism was the printing and publication of exaggerated stories on Spanish attacks of Cubans. Joseph Pulitzer, head
In 1898, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, the Spanish Ambassador, wrote a letter to the U.S. and it was later published in the New York Journal. The letter stated that the U.S. president, William McKinley, was weak and only catered to the most jingoistic elements of the Republican party and the public. Americans were dumbfounded and outraged by the fact that Spanish Ambassador viewed the U.S. as immature and weak in various departments. Once lots of people viewed the letter, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme was forced to resign and his letter became known as “the biggest insult in U.S.