During the 1890s, journalism that sensationalized Cuban affairs became a powerful force that helped fuel anti-Spanish and pro-war feelings in the United States (“Yellow Journalism”). This type of journalism, called yellow journalism, relied on exaggerating stories in order to lure readers and increase newspaper sales (“Yellow Journalism”). Led by New York World owner Joseph Pulitzer and New York Journal owner William Randolph Hearst, yellow journalism played a significant role in pushing the United States’ decision to declare war on Spain in 1898 (“U.S. Diplomacy”). Prior to the Spanish-American War, Cuba’s struggle for independence was met with American sympathy, as General Valeriano Weyler tried to crush the revolution launched by José …show more content…
Maine exploded (“U.S. Diplomacy”). On February 15, 1898, six days after the de Lôme scandal, the battleship U.S.S. Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, killing 268 men (“February 15, 1898”). At the time, the reason for the explosion was unknown (Danzer). However, the American press, with no evidence, blamed the destruction of the Maine on the Spanish (“February 15, 1898”). Newspaper headlines read, “Spanish Treachery!” and “Maine Explosion Caused by Bomb or Torpedo?” (“February 15, 1898”; Cova). On February 17, 1898, the New York Journal headline read “Destruction of the War Ship Maine Was the Work of an Enemy!” (Hearst). The front page featured “Naval Officers Think the Maine was Destroyed by a Spanish Mine” and “Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Convinced the Explosion of the War Ship Was Not an Accident” (Hearst). William Randolph Hearst and his newspaper offered a $50,000 reward “for the detection of the perpetrator of the Maine outrage” (Hearst). As many Americans assumed Spain was responsible for the explosion of the Maine, the U.S. public demanded intervention in Cuba, with the rallying cry of “Remember the Maine!” (Danzer). On April 9, 1898, the Spanish agreed to almost all of the United States’ demands, including a six-month cease-fire (Danzer). Despite this, the public still favored war, and on April 20, 1898, the Spanish-American War began
On February 15th, 1898 the USS Maine exploded. The explosion cause 266 deaths. Since the explosion there have been many investigations done where it had exploded. The USS Maine was a battleship. It exploded while docked in Havana Harbor.
This event in U.S. history regarding the USS Maine was unfamiliar to me. I knew of the Spanish American War, but never
This event made President Roosevelt upset and fueled his concerns with Japan. It was not really known if this was an intentional attack or unintentional. The Japanese claimed that they did not know that this was an American ship. They did apologize for the attack and paid for the damage they did.
On February 15, 1898, 266 American Sailors were killed in the explosion of the USS Maine, an American battleship docked in the Havana Harbor in Cuba. Through recent investigations the source as to what caused the explosion is said to have been by five tons of powder stored within the ship’s forward magazines. The explosion caused immense damage to the ship, leaving what was left to sink to the bottom of the harbor. Just days after the incident many begun to speculate if the explosion was purely accidental or if it was an attack by the Spanish. We at The New York World have reviewed and examined the incident to a point where we can theorize exactly who and what cause this tragedy.
The Spanish had no reason for trying to kill Clara Barton other than her meddling around in Cuba. Therefore, it is concluded that the destruction of the Maine was more than likely not caused by Clara Barton appearing upon the ship. After the government investigated the Maine, the next people to grab the story were the massive media juggernauts, Pulitzer and Hearst. These giants of the media world were hard at work using a system of writing called, yellow journalism.
On the pitch black night of February 15th, 1898 the very elegant USS Maine was demolished by a sneakily placed mine left in the beautiful Havana Harbour. A lot of eyewitnesses have 100% confirmed that this was a crime done by the mischievous people of Spain! The massive explosion happened at 9:40pm. The Spanish have just brutally murdered two hundred sixty innocent men! These amazing people have never attempted anything that would go against the dirty people of Spain in their life!
In the late nineteenth century, yellow journalism, exaggeration of news in order to sell papers, was coined by Erwin Wardman, editor of the New York Press. The term originated during the American Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century with the circulation battles between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. Both papers were accused by critics of sensationalizing the news in order to drive up circulation, although the newspapers did serious reporting as well. In 1898, the United States assisted Cuba in its fight for independence against Spain in order to protect its citizens and businesses in Cuba, and the war became known as the Spanish American War. The United States declared war on Spain after the U.S. warship, the Maine, exploded and sank on February 15, 1898 while visiting Havana, Cuba.
The letter was published in Hearst’s Morning Journal; in it the letter criticized and insulted President McKinley. This letter increased the anger of the American public toward Spain. On February 15, 1989 USS Maine, which was docked in Havana, Cuba, mysteriously exploded leaving 260 sailors dead. Today, it is believed that the ship most likely exploded due to combustion next to
As the war came to an end, an agreement was made in 1898. The Spanish-American War, a time of war and conflict, eventually ended with the United States and Spain’s formal agreement to the terms of the Treaty of Paris. Captain Charles Dwight Sigsbee, a veteran of the Union Navy, commanded the Maine. At 9:40 p.m. on the night of February 15, 1898 the United States battleship Maine, riding quietly at anchor in Havana harbour, was blown up, apparently by a mine, in an explosion
At that point, expansionism could potentially pose danger to the military in America. The Spanish-American war is a prime example of how expanding was a dangerous expedition and how “yellow journalism” can have a negative impact on people’s perspectives about crisis’s. America sent the battleship Maine to Cuba for a “friendly visit,” but in reality, it was a way to protect any Americans if a “flare-up” were to occur. Tragedy then struck when the Maine mysteriously exploded. Spaniard officials eventually came to the conclusion that the explosion must have been an internal problem, but at the time, problems arose when American naval officers suspected it was a Spanish submarine that had actually blown up the Maine.
The imperialistic mentality of the American government after the Civil War, led to some degree to the Spanish-American war that would render a great acquisition of land for the United States. However, imperialism would not be the sole factor that led to the war against Spain, but also the sympathy felt by the American government towards Cuba’s efforts in fighting for their independence; additionally, the United States would seek to protect its commercial interests (sugar) in the island. Therefore, after invoking the Spanish to secede from their brutal practices towards Cuban rebels and attain a peaceful end to the situation, the United States arbitrarily sent a navy ship, “The USS Maine” to monitor the area.
Americans learned more about what happened during the Spanish American War through articles that exposed the violent tensions in Cuba. The Americans then felt the need that we should help Cuba against Spain. The Americans in power wanted to remain neutral, while the public wanted to go to war. The U.S. Maine was a battleship that was sent to Cuba to spy on them and understand the situation in person. While the ship was there, it mysteriously blew up, the blame was put on Spain for the explosion.
Hostilities grew and President McKinley sent the battleship Maine to protect Americans on the Island. On February 15th 1898, the Maine exploded and sank in Havana and the cause was not determined. McKinley, however not interested with the idea of war, declared war on Spain on April 20th 1898. The war took place in the Philippines, where Secretary of War Theodore Roosevelt led attack of the Spanish in Manila. United States military moved quickly through the Island and took San Juan Hill in July 1st 1898.
the United States used propaganda targeting humanitarian concerns to incite the public to declare war. As Americans were interested in the Cuban Revolution, sensational journalism only raised tensions between the United States and the Spanish monarchy, which would help cause the war. While General Weyler
This war created a bad relationship between the U.S.A and Mexico. During the war, the daily paper, "El Republicano"