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.
1. We had 50 million dollars invested in the island's sugar industry.
2. We were the largest consumer of Cuban Sugar.

2. What were the Spanish “reconcentration camps”?
The Spanish Reconcentration camps were towns that hundreds of thousands of cubans were herded into that were policed by Spanish trorops. They lacked adequate food, housing, and sanitation.


3. List three reasons why the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba.
a. Yellow Journalism

b. The explosion of the USS Maine

c. De Lome letter


4. Which do you believe was the most important reason? Why?
I beleive the De Lome letter was the most important reason because it was the thing that finally tipped the scales and made us go to war with Spain. It was an insult to our president, which offended the American people as well as him. The newspapers blew it out of porportion saying it was the worst insult to America in its history.

5. What did the Teller Amendment say?
The Teller Amendment said that the US had no interest in asserting "sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control" over Cuba and promised to, "leave the 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?
A portion of the Spanish-American war was fought in the Philippines because the Spanish fleet was based in the Philippines.

7. Dewey's victory in the Philippines sparked an outpouring of pride in the United States.



8. Why did Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders want to fight in Cuba?
Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders wanted to fight in Cuba because of the win in the Philippines in Manila Harbor.

9. a. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?
Many African-Americans were eager to serve in the Spanish-American War because they saw the war as an opportunity to elevate the status of blacks in the US. They hoped that black participation in the fighting would win the African-American community new respect and chip away at the wall of discrimination.

b. What forms of discrimination and prejudice did they encounter?
They were the most elite of the units and yet they were denied promotion into the officer corps. Also, the 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.
Racism influenced the American perceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines because it made the American people think that the people inhabiting these places were savage animals, who were very uncivilized. These opinions were backed by scientific racism, which said that their people were greatly inferior to the whites in the United States. It also caused many American leaders to doubt that the blacks and asians in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines could be a force for progress.

a.We did not beleive that Cuba could form a democracy all on its own.

b.Cuban rebels needed guidance in their affairs.