Lesson #20: The Spanish-American War

Open Ended

Consider this question: When is it appropriate for the United States to send soldiers to fight and face death on foreign soil?

Choose up to three of the following reasons. Explain each of your choices in a sentence or two.

• to assist an ally of the United States

• to protect territory that is close to U.S. borders

• to stop human rights abuses

• to acquire resources

• to gain power

• to acquire territory

• to improve national security

• to spread or protect American values and moral beliefs

• to fight against tyrannical governments

• under no circumstances is it ever appropriate

• other (explain)

Categorize

Options (4)

"Cuba is strategically important to the U.S. , we should fight Spain to gain more control."

"Invading Cuba would violate the American principle of liberty, so we should not go to war."

"Spanish control over Cuba is better for U.S. than Cuban independence, we shouldn't go to war."

"We support the self-determination of the Cuban people, so we should fight to help Cuba."

Match each argument for and against invading Cuba with the correct foreign policy theory.

Realism

Idealism

Multiple Select

Why were some Americans concerned about the trouble in Cuba? (Choose 3)

• They sympathized with the rebellion because it reminded them of the American Revolution.

• Many Americans had investments in Cuba's sugar plantations.

• Newspapers wanted more readers by reporting about it.

• The United States government wanted to annex Cuba

Open Ended

Write a letter to the editor expressing your feelings about the coverage in the New York World and New York Journal of events in Cuba. Your letter should include:

• your thoughts on the accuracy of these stories.

• your ideas on the coverage of these events as an effort to keep Americans informed.

• the term yellow journalism.

Multiple Select

Which of the following events contributed to the United States going to war with Spain? (Choose 3)

• The Cuban people were suffering & the United States wanted to free them.

• Newspapers blamed Spain for the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine.

• Americans were offended by the de Lome letter.

• Americans were angry that General Weyler was removed.

Open Ended

Imagine you are a journalist for a popular newspaper. Write a lead story sensationalizing the publication of the de Lôme letter and the explosion of the USS Maine in order to fuel public anger toward Spain. Your story should include:

• the basic details of each incident.

• attempts to encourage Americans to press the U.S. government into war with Spain.

• the terms de Lôme letter and USS Maine.

Hotspot

Select the United States on the map provided.

Hotspot

Select Spain on the map provided.

Hotspot

Select Cuba on the map provided.

Hotspot

Select the Philippines on the map provided.

Dropdown

The first battle in the Spanish-American War took place in ​

Select answer

, as ​

Select answer

led the resistance against their Spanish occupiers. In ​

Select answer

, the U.S. army brought in many troops and some were African American. ​

Select answer

led a volunteer cavalry known as the ​

Select answer

. Though the war was quick, the United States faced many difficulties, but eventually won its first overseas war.

Open Ended

Write a report from the battlefront as if you were a war correspondent. Your report must include:

• details of the various battles taking place in Cuba.

• reports of casualties.

• the terms Rough Riders and San Juan Hill.

Match

Match how each group of people felt about the United States' rule of Cuba and burgeoning colonial empire.

• Forming an empire violated America's founding ideals.

• The United States had to stay in Cuba to rebuild it.

• Cuba is an economic resource to invest in.

• Resentful that U.S. occupation continued despite the Teller Amendment.

Anti-Imperialists

President McKinley

American ivestors

Cubans

• Anti-Imperialists

• President McKinley

• American ivestors

• Cubans

Open Ended

Write a caption for the political cartoon below in which you describe the events that prompted the cartoonist to draw it. Your caption must include:

• an explanation of each character in the cartoon and who each represents.

• the terms Platt Amendment and Anti-Imperialist League.

Multiple Select

Which of the following were outcomes of the Treaty of Paris? (Select all that apply)

• four years of American rule over Cuba

• Philippine independence

• U.S. statehood for Puerto Rico and Guam

• a protracted Senate debate over American imperialism

• Cuban independence

Open Ended

Answer the following question in 2-3 sentences. Make sure to restate the question in your response.

Do you think the United States was justified in sending troops to Cuba & the Philippines to fight against Spain? Why or why not?

Open Ended

Answer the following question in 2-3 sentences. Make sure to restate the question in your response.

How did the Spanish-American War reflect the new role of the United States as a world power?

Match

Match the following Key Terms to their definitions.

• a volunteer cavalry regiment recruited by Theodore Roosevelt to fight in Cuba in the Spanish-American War

• the exaggerated style of newspaper reporting during the 1890s that was sparked by the rivalry between two New York City newspapers and helped inflame public support for war with Spain

• a battleship sunk in Havana harbor in 1898, an event that helped rouse public support for war with Spain

Rough Riders

Yellow Journalism

U.S.S. Maine

• Rough Riders

• Yellow Journalism

• U.S.S. Maine

Match

Match the following Key Terms to their definitions.

• provisions in the Cuban constitution, added as a condition for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 1902, allowing the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs and to buy or lease land for naval bases

• the key battle in Cuba during the Spanish-American War

• an organization formed during the Spanish-American War to oppose the establishment of U.S. colonies

Platt Amendment

San Juan Hill

Anti-Imperialist League

• Platt Amendment

• San Juan Hill

• Anti-Imperialist League