The Spanish American War

1. What connections did the U.S. have to Cuba in the late 1800s? List at least two.
-Thoughout the late 19th century America had been slowly gaining control of Cuba. So by 1890 there were many plantations owned by american citizens, growing crops such as sugar and coffee. By the late 1890s the United States had a huge interest in Cuba but could not fully control it because it was a Spanish Colony. Fortunatly Spain was a dying empire and was no match far the U.S. in the Spanish-American war. At the end of which (1898) the U.S. gained not total control but highly restricted the independence of the new free nation of Cuba.

2. What were the Spanish “reconcentration camps”?
-In 1896 Spain sends over a military general named Valeriano Weyler. His job is to keep the people of Cuba under (Spanish) control. He does this by rounding up thousands of native Cubans and forcing them into reconcentration camps. The intention is to separate the Cuban rebels from the rest of the population, therefore making it harder for the rebels to get supplies. Not only do they separate them but the conditions within the concentrations camps are so bad that thousands of cubans die of starvation or desease because the living conditions are so poor.

3. List three reasons why the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba.
a. The explosion of the U.S.S. Maine. This was an excuse and an incentive more than an actual actack against the U.S. by Spain.

b. Americans were eager to own Cuba and other Spanish colonies and by defeating Spain in a war they would surely gain much more control of them.

c. The De Lome letter was a huge incentive to go to war with Spain. This letter angered americans and anti-spanish sentiment grew.


4. Which do you believe was the most important reason? Why?
One of the more important reasons was that americans were so eager to gain control of spanish colonies. It was the end of the western frontier in america and many americans felt that with the death of the frontier they would lose values they asosiated with the wild west and the frontier. Bravery, ingenuity and patriotism were seen as key american values and if america lost those values or foriegn countries ceased to see america as having those values then americans would lose there true americaness. So the wild west was no longer wild, America stretched from coast to coast. But americans weren't satisfied with coast to coast any more and wanted to go further. This is when imperialism came about. The belief that America was to expand its boundry to the pacific and Latin America. This was a key factor in starting a war against Spain because America was so eager to gain Cuba and other spanish colonies that it didn't really need a real reason to attack. So they egsagerated the De Lome letter and acused the Spanish of attacking the Maine and that was good enough for americans to go to war with Spain.

5. What did the Teller Amendment say?
-Named after the U.S. senetor Henry Teller the Teller Amendment was a bill that said america had no interest in gaining control of the Cuban government. That Cuba was a free nation. However shortly after this the Platt Amendment was signed which greatly limitted the Cuban government without actualy defying* the Teller Amendment.

6. Why was a portion of the Spanish-American War fought in the Philippines?
- The first american attack in the Spanish-American war was in the Philippines, a Spanish colony with relitivly few spanish troops actually inhabiting it. This was a surprise for the spanish, who had not been expecting america to attack there.

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



8. Why did Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders want to fight in Cuba?

After Dewey's victory in Manilla boosted American pride and caused a serge in volunteers for the war. Among these volunteers was future president Theodore Roosevelt who had resigned from his previous job in the Mckinley administration to form a cavalry regiment called the rough riders.saadddd

9.
a. Why were many African-Americans eager to serve in the Spanish-American War?

Many African-Americans saw the opportunity to fight in the Spanish-American war as a chance to "elevate their status" in the U.S. There was a lot of discrimination against blacks in America and they were hoping to change that by fighting for their country.

b. What forms of discrimination and prejudice did they encounter?
-Only one of the black volunteer regiments was allowed to participate in the war in the Caribbean.
-At first only three states let black volunteers into the army.
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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.

a. Well America's attitude toward these countries in general was a very racist one. Americans saw the people of these lands as barbaric and primitive compared to themselves, unfit to dress or act properly therefore unfit to govern themselves. None of these islands resieved pure indipendence. America either completly controled them or granted a very limitted independence. The Platt Amendment is one example of Americas belief that Cubans were unable to fully govern themselves. It limitted their government so that Cuba was practically but not aficially part of the United States.


b. An other example is the fact that we bought the Philippines for $20,000 from Spain. Without letting the Filipinos have any say in their own countries future. We took over and if any of them rebelled the U.S. army would soon quell any efforts to overthrow american power in the Philippines.

1. Why did American plantation owners and U.S. Marines topple Hawaii’s queen in 1893? Why was Hawaii considered to be a valuable prize? What was President Grover Cleveland’s reaction? Do you agree or disagree with his quote on page 1?
-U.S. Plantation owners (with the help of the U.S. Marines) took over the Hawaiian government because they wanted to put Hawaii under American power.
-Hawaii was half way between the U.S. and Asia therefore a perfect place for american ships to stop and refuel. It also had rich soil and was excelant for planting coffee, pineapple and sugar.
-The new government of Hawaii (the one that had reccently just took over) offered a peace treaty with the United State and president Clevland refused to sign the treaty because he believed it "would corrupt traditional american values" and that Hawaii had been unjustly robbed of its queen.
-I agree with Cleveland.
2. Identify five important changes that transformed American in the nineteenth century. How did these five changes affect Americans?

- Increase in urban population: became crowded and had poor transportation, sanitation, and crime.
-Increase in immigration: the american population became composed of many different ethnic groups this cause a lot of discrimination but also help to influence a lot of what american culture is today (the melting pot)
-1893 Economic Depression: many americans realized how "vulnerable they were in an economy based on industry and manufacturing.
-The end of westward expantion: american longed for new territory to explore and colonize.

3. How did the economic depression that began in 1893 deepen the divisions in American society? Which groups suffered the most during the depression?

The 1893 depression deepened the division in american society because it affected a specific group of people, businessmen and laborers whereas farmers were relatively unaffected.

4. What were the values many Americans attached to the frontier? Why did many Americans fear that the closing of the frontier would harm America’s national character?

Americans asosiated the frontier with several values: resourcefulness, bravery, pragmatism, ingenuity, individualism, egalitarianism, and patriotism.
Americans felt that if they lost the frontier they would also loose these vallues and the world would also see the U.S. as lacking all these virtues.

5. Why did some Americans suggest greater involvement overseas?

Some americans wanted greater involvement overseas because the pacific island were perfect for planting curtain crops that would not grow in america. Others wanted it because America would gain military power (by having naval bases all over the world).

6. What policy did expansionists say would ensure the economic success of the United States? What did imperialists say?
The Monroe Doctrine.

7. How did the theories of social Darwinism and scientific racism lend support to the cause of American imperialism? How were these pseudo-scientific theories used to justify racist policies and imperialism? Are they still used today?

Imperialists used racist excuses to take over countries such as Hawaii, Cuba and the Philippines. They said that it was americas obligation to control these countries because the native people were not civilized enough to do so themselves.

8. What did many Protestant churches say was America’s role in the world?

To spread christianity to the rest of the world.

9. Why did the United States become involved in several Latin American nations in the nineteenth century? Summarize why the United States became involved in Samoa, Hawaii, and other Latin American nations.

Because it was relitively easy to do so, most of these nations were under the Spanish Empire, which at this time in history was dying, and the islands themselves had no military of there own. Also many of these nations thought that if america liberated them from Spain that they would be given independence.

10. Why was the United States concerned about British involvement in Venezuela? What concept did U.S. Secretary of State Richard Olney invoke in response?

Olney was worried that if any European nation took over Venizuela that america would loose control over south america which had great amounts of gold and other useful resources.

Spanish-American War (1898)

Causes: How did each of the following help to cause the outbreak of the Spanish-American War?

1. American business owners

2. José Martí
Born in Cuba and help spread awareness and support for Cuban indipendence. Died at age 42.

3. Valeriano Weyler
Born in spain. At age 16 he went to military school and soon be came a lieutenant in the spanish army. When he was promoted to captain he asked to help spain fight in Cuba. Here he helped round up thousands of cuban farmers into reconcentrados.

4. Yellow journalism
Yellow Journalism is when the press egsagerates the trueth in order to get a headline that will grab the readers atention. There fore making them want to buy the paper more.

5. De Lôme letter
A letter from a spanish diplomat that insulted the american president William McKinley and caused a great surge in american approval of Cuban independence.

6. U.S.S. Maine
A U.S. ship that exploded in Havana, Cuba and caused a lot of commotion in America. This is where the saying remember the Maine comes from.

Effects: What happened to each of the following territories as a result of the Spanish-American War?

7. Cuba
Becomes an independent country.

8. Puerto Rico

9. Guam

10. Philippine Islands

1. How did William Howard Taft get selected to run for president?
He was secretary of war for Roosevelt and was picked to run against William Jennings Bryan for presidency.

2. How did Teddy Roosevelt come to oppose Taft for the presidency in 1912?
Taft made some dicisions that went against what Roosevelt had believed:
-Attempted to break up U.S. Steel (a trust that Roosevelt had sponsored during his presidency.
-Forced Roosevelt's Forestry Chief to resign (threatening Roosevelt's progress in preserving the west)
-Roosevelt saw Taft and his administration as abandoning progressivism.
3. What events helped Woodrow Wilson win the election in 1912?

4. What legislation did Wilson use to attack trusts and monopolies?
Wilson's path to presidency was marked by many pilitical and educational positions each one having more power than that of the one before:
In 1900 he taught political science at Princeton (the college)
In 1902 he became the president of Princeton
In 1910 many conservative Democrats saw Wilson's potential political talent and urged him to become governor of New Jersey, which he soon did that same year.
In 1912 he was nominated for U.S. President by the Democratic convention.

5. What was the Nineteenth Amendment?
Ratified in August of 1920 the 19th amendment allowed woman suffrage.

6. How did America's entry into World War I affect the reform movement?

Objective Assessment


As you view each photograph take note about what you see. (note people, background, objects) Pretend you were describing the image to someone who could not see it. Try to avoid making judgments.

Where are these children? List any clues relating to their surroundings.
Describe any tools or objects you see.
Describe their clothing. What do their clothes reveal about their work?

Subjective Assessment


What questions do you have about each of these photographs?
Based on your observations, list three things you might infer about the lives of these children. (Be sure to consider Hine's notes about the photographs when considering this.


Photograph A:
A young girl (like 10 ish) at a whitnel cotton mill
-clothing is ragged and dirty
-earns 48 cents a day
-has workd there for a year
Photograph B
Five girls (about 13) standing in work clothing
-dirty clothing
-looked tired (possessed)
Photograph C
A very young girl (about 6 or 7) standing in a cotton mill/weaving factory
-tattered clothes
-Hine's notes: The overseer said apologetically, "She just happened in." She was working steadily. The mills seem full of youngsters who "just happened in" or "are helping sister." Newberry, S.C
Photograph D
Young newsie (about 10/11) selling papers on a Saturday afternoon. St. Louis, Mo
-weather seems cold (judging by peoples clothes)
-does not look like he is enjoying himself
-looks distraut

Photograph E
a large group of boys siting in front of troughs filled with what apears to be coal (possibly sorting through it)
-the air is very smoky
-boys are very dirty and sooty

Photograph F
A bunch of boys (of various ages) working in a Glass Works
-pipes?
-one boy's shirt is very torn
-late at night to be working (9pm)

Photograph G
Many people of all ages shucking orsters that are whealed in on a bunch of carts
-little baby girl with her mother (not working)

Photograph H
Children on the night shift going to work at 6 p.m. on a cold, dark December day. They do not come out again until 6 a.m. When they went home the next morning they were all drenched by a heavy, cold rain and had few or no wraps. Two of the smaller girls with three other sisters work on the night shift and support a big, lazy father who complains he is not well enough to work. He loafs around the country store. The oldest three of these sisters have been in the mill for 7 years, and the two youngest, two years. The latter earns 84 cents a night. Whitnel, N.C.
- what he said

1. How did Roosevelt create the modern presidency?

2. How did Roosevelt's intervention in a coal strike set a precedent for federal arbitration?

TR threatened the coal company owners that if they didn't compromise with the striker that he would send in the military and they would lose control over the company.
3. What did Roosevelt do to the trusts and railroads?

4. What legislation passed during Roosevelt's presidency protected citizens?

The Meat Inspection Act. This protected the american citizens by making their meals safer and the employees of the meat packing companies by making their working conditions safer and more sanitary.
5. What did Roosevelt do to protect the environment?  

Roosevelt was a conservationist. He set aside thousands of acres of land in the west for public monuments or parks. Any money the parks made would go to building infrastructure like dams and water for houses.

1. What is Urbanization?

Urbanization is the population in urban areas/cities increases.

2. For what reasons did a number of Americans move from the country to the cities?

There were more job opportunities and immigration was bringing more and more people with very little money who could not afford to buy a farm or anything more than a small apartment.

3. What were the housing problems that many poor city dwellers faced?

Well many of the immigrant were ever very poor and couldn't afford large houses so they were very crowded.

Also there was a lot of discrimination and violence because of so many different ethnic groups so close together and competing.