Will Randolph Hearst was the publisher of “Journal”, and Joseph Pulitzer was the publisher of “World”. The Spanish-American War was a result of this struggle to be best. Pulitzer at the time was New York’s most important newspaper. They bought yellow kid’s comics. Hearst was interested in the yellow kid comics and paid R.F. Outcalt was paid more by Pultizer than he was. Pultizer hired another writer who created his own version yellow kid comics, renaming the newspaper “Yellow Papers”. It was a race to the top for readers. The reports about other countries would be exaggerated to the point of being overdone. Spain controlled Cuba very violently, and it was often reported how Cubans had repelled them.
Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba, which was ruled by Spain for 30 long years. Cuba was the largest sugar producer in the world. Cuban independence was a large movement that fought against Spain. In 1868 a group was formed of slaves, poor whites, and free blacks. Jose Marti was a Cuban poet and journalist who led the rebellion in 1895. He lived in America from 1881-1895. During that time, he encouraged the Cubans to fight against Spanish rule. In 1895, he returned to Cuba to protest the Spanish. Cubans launched surprise raids against Spain and then fled in 1896. Spain’s new commander Valeriano Wheler forced thousands Cubans in reconcentration and death camps. Grover Cleveland, despite many pleas to help him, remained natural and remained true to his principles despite the pressure. The only media available to Americans was newspapers. That is why Pulitzer, Hearst and other companies fought over popularity.
The U.S. won the Spanish-American war “Splendid Little War” with a lot of intelligence and spirit. Dewey’s Squadron landed in Manila Bay, opened fire and the war began. Dewey’s squadron won with fewer casualties. In Cuba, the U.S. won another battle. After these fights, the war began to move quickly. After Spain attempted to leave Santiago, U.S. Navy smashed the squadron. Puerto Rico was soon captured. In conclusion, the U.S. won this war despite suffering some casualties.
The Spanish American war ended on 12 August 1898 after the Treaty of Paris was signed. Spain accepted the U.S.’s offer to cede Puerto Rico, Guam and the Pacific Island to them in exchange of $20 million. As a result, the United States gained control over Puerto Rico Guam and The Philippines. Some people supported the treaty, while others opposed it. This debate lasted a full month. The supporters eventually won by 57-27. On February 6, 1899, the treaty was ratified. Cuba still was a major issue for the U.S. After all, we stayed on Cuba for 4 long years while the island lay in ruin, to restore peace and aid in its recovery. The U.S. officially left Cuba in 1902 when the Platt Amendment was passed, allowing it to purchase or lease Cuban land and interfere with Cuban affairs. The provisions were repealed. This gave the U.S. greater power and control over Cuban affairs.
After the war, America became a superpower. These events were key to the U.S. becoming an imperial power. We gained power right from the start when we beat Cuba. The USS Maine being sunk enraged America, a small war ensued. The Treaty of Paris was signed and ratified, and Cuba became part of the United States. In the end, the Spanish-American war gave the United States great power. The United States wouldn’t be an imperial power if it didn’t have such a large number of successions.
