Splendid Little War Research Paper

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Pages: 5

Introduction The Spanish-American War was a war fought between the United States and Spain in 1898. It’s often referred to as the “splendid little war” and was a significant conflict that marked itself as a new beginning of global power for the United States and the expansive progression of American imperialism. In this essay I’ll be explaining the reasons why the United States engaged in this war, my personal assessment of said reasons, and the explanation behind the phrase “splendid little war”. Additionally, I will be covering the somewhat forgotten nature of the Philippine-American War. “Splendid Little War” The phrase “splendid little war” was coined by John Hay, the 37th United States Secretary of State under Presidents William McKinley …show more content…
Yellow Journalism and the USS Maine There were several reasons why the United States went to war with Spain. Specifically, Yellow Journalism had a massive influence on the American public in the United States leading up to the war. Newspapers like William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World sensationalized stories and used exaggerated headlines to attract readership. The callous nature of this style of journalism sparked sympathy from the American public, seemingly prompting the U.S to intervene based on this and the published stories surrounding the Cuban struggle with Spain for its independence. Another reason that the United States decided to take action against Spain was because of the explosion and sinking of the naval ship the USS Maine. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine, an American battleship, exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba. The explosion ended up killing 266 American sailors and started a massive speculation on what or who was to blame for this disaster. At the time, the explosion was widely attributed to Spanish