USS Maine

PRIMARY SOURCE EVALUATION :
THE EXPLOSION OF THE U.S.S. MAINE

​Remember : William Randolph Hearst was famously involved in yellow journalism.

How was this different than
muckraking?

Open Ended

The article's publication date is February 17, 1898. How long after the explosion was it published?

Multiple Choice

What does the headline of the article suggest about the newspaper’s point of view?

• They knew Spain was to blame.

• They didn't care who was responsible.

• They believed Spain had attacked their ship and were willing to publish it without evidence.

• They thought it was a freak accident.

Multiple Choice

Which was not a reason that the newspaper said the Spanish were guilty?

• Their cruel attitudes

• There were Spaniards with explosive dust on their hands.

• Naval officers like Teddy Roosevelt said so.

• They were denying their involvement too hard.

Multiple Choice

How do the publication dates for the two articles compare?

• New York Times was two weeks later.

• They were both published on the same day.

• The New York Journal published 2 months later.

• Impossible to tell.

Multiple Choice

According to the headline, what will happen?

• They will gather evidence from people who saw it.

• Spain will go on trial to answer for their crime.

• More research will be done on the boat itself before anyone is accused.

Open Ended

What kind of evidence does the New York Times use?

Open Ended

Which newspaper (The New York Journal or the New York Times) had stronger evidence? Explain why -- 3 sentences or more.