Module 6 Lesson 2

Multiple Choice

When did American capitalists begin investing millions of dollars in Cuba’s sugar cane plantations?

• after slavery in Cuba was abolished

• after Cuba won its independence from Spain

• after José Martí organized guerrilla campaigns

• after the promises of the Monroe Doctrine were met

Multiple Choice

Who was responsible for placing hundreds of thousands of Cubans in barbed-wire concentration camps?

• Joseph Pulitzer

• William McKinley

• Enrique Dupuy de Lôme

• General Valeriano Weyler

Multiple Choice

Who was responsible for destroying the Spanish fleet at Manila?

• John Hay

• Leonard Wood

• George Dewey

• William T. Sampson

Multiple Choice

The 1898 Treaty of Paris dealt with which territory or territories?

• Cuba

• Cuba and Puerto Rico

• Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and other former Spanish territories

• Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the Philippines, and other former Spanish territories

Multiple Choice

Spain gave the United States full control of the Philippines when

• George Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila.

• the United States paid $20 million, as set out in the Treaty of Paris.

• Filipino freedom fighters defeated the Spanish army.

• Congress accepted responsibility for the islands.

Multiple Choice

The “Rough Riders” were

• Cuban revolutionaries who battled the Spanish for independence.

• a volunteer cavalry unit in the Spanish-American War.

• newspaper owners who influenced public opinion by exaggerating the truth.

• Spanish generals in Cuba who mistreated the civilian population.

Multiple Choice

In the late 19th century, the American press played a pivotal role in shaping foreign policy. 'Yellow Journalism,' spearheaded by Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal, utilized sensationalized headlines and exaggerated accounts of Spanish atrocities in Cuba to boost circulation. This media environment created a public fervor for intervention, often prioritizing emotional impact over factual accuracy.

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How did 'Yellow Journalism' primarily influence the American path to war with Spain?

• By exposing the corruption within the United States Department of War.

• By advocating for a peaceful diplomatic resolution to the Cuban crisis.

• By creating intense public sympathy for Cuban rebels and animosity toward Spain.

• By providing objective, investigative reports on Spanish military movements.

Multiple Choice

The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. Under the terms of the treaty, Spain recognized Cuba’s independence and ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. Furthermore, the U.S. agreed to pay Spain $20 million for the Philippines. This treaty marked the end of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Pacific.

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Which of the following was a provision of the Treaty of Paris of 1898?

• Spain maintained control over Puerto Rico and Guam

• The United States paid $20 million to acquire the Philippines.

• Cuba became a direct colony of the United States

• The United States returned all captured territories to Spain.

Multiple Choice

Although the U.S. had promised not to annex Cuba through the Teller Amendment, the 1901 Platt Amendment significantly restricted Cuban sovereignty. It required Cuba to provide land for American naval bases (notably Guantanamo Bay), prohibited Cuba from entering into treaties with other nations that might threaten its independence, and gave the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuban affairs to preserve order.

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What was the primary effect of the Platt Amendment on Cuba?

• It granted Cuba absolute independence from any foreign influence.

• It made Cuba a formal territory of the United States, similar to Puerto Rico.

• It established Cuba as a U.S. protectorate with limited self-governance.

• It allowed Spain to continue collecting taxes from the Cuban population.

Multiple Choice

Secretary of State John Hay famously referred to the Spanish-American War as a 'splendid little war.' Hostilities lasted only about four months, from April to August 1898. The conflict resulted in relatively few American combat deaths compared to previous wars, though many more soldiers died from tropical diseases like yellow fever and malaria than from Spanish bullets.

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Why did John Hay likely characterize the conflict as a 'splendid little war'?

• Because the war was long, arduous, and tested American resolve.

• Because it was a relatively short conflict with low combat casualties and significant territorial gains.

• Because it was fought entirely on American soil with minimal destruction.

• Because it resulted in the peaceful reunification of Spain and its colonies.

Multiple Choice

While humanitarian concerns and sensationalist news drove public opinion, the U.S. also had substantial economic stakes in Cuba. By the 1890s, American businessmen had invested approximately $50 million in Cuban sugar and tobacco plantations, and annual trade between the two nations was valued at $100 million. The ongoing instability of the Cuban Revolution threatened these investments and disrupted trade routes in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Which of the following best explains the economic motivation for U.S. intervention in Cuba?

• The desire to annex Cuba and turn it into the 46th U.S. state.

• The need to protect American capital investments and stabilize trade markets.

• The goal of establishing a monopoly on the global coffee trade.

• The intent to collect high taxes from Spanish colonial administrators.

Multiple Choice

Often overlooked in popular accounts of the Battle of San Juan Hill is the vital contribution of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments. These were units of African American professional soldiers, known as 'Buffalo Soldiers.' Despite facing systemic racism and segregation within the military, these soldiers played a crucial role in clearing Spanish positions and supporting the Rough Riders during the ascent of the Heights.

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What does the presence of the 'Buffalo Soldiers' at San Juan Hill indicate about the U.S. military in 1898?

• Only white soldiers were permitted to engage in frontline combat.

• The U.S. relied solely on volunteer units for all land engagements.

• African American soldiers served in segregated units but were essential to the combat victory.

• The military was fully integrated and lacked racial discrimination

Multiple Choice

The first major action of the war did not take place in Cuba, but in the Philippines. On May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey led the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron into Manila Bay. In a matter of hours, Dewey’s modern steel cruisers completely destroyed the outdated Spanish Pacific fleet without a single American combat fatality. This victory gave the United States a strategic foothold in the Far East.

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What was the primary strategic significance of the Battle of Manila Bay?

• It demonstrated the superiority of the new U.S. 'Steel Navy' and crippled Spanish naval power in the Pacific.

• It secured a land route for U.S. troops to invade mainland China.

• It ended the war immediately by forcing the Spanish King to abdicate.

• It allowed the U.S. to capture the Spanish capital of Madrid.

Multiple Choice

In February 1898, the New York Journal published a private letter written by Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, the Spanish Ambassador to the United States. The letter, which had been stolen from the mail, described President William McKinley as 'weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd.' While McKinley had been attempting to maintain neutrality, the publication of this letter was seen as a grave national insult.

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What was the most significant result of the publication of the de Lôme Letter?

• It led to the immediate impeachment of President McKinley.

• It caused Spain to declare war on the United States.

• It intensified American public indignation and pushed the U.S. closer to war.

• It resulted in a formal apology from the Spanish King that averted conflict.

Multiple Choice

After the Spanish-American War, many Filipinos, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, expected immediate independence. When the U.S. decided to annex the islands instead, a brutal three-year conflict ensued. The Philippine-American War resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, as the U.S. utilized controversial counter-insurgency tactics to suppress the rebellion.

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Why did the Philippine-American War break out following the defeat of Spain?

• Spain attempted to retake the islands from the U.S. military.

• The U.S. refused to recognize Filipino independence and opted to maintain colonial control.

• The Filipino people requested to remain part of the Spanish Empire.

• The U.S. and Philippines joined forces to invade Japan.

Multiple Choice

The most famous land battle of the war took place at San Juan Hill in Cuba. Leading the charge was the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, popularly known as the 'Rough Riders.' This motley crew of Ivy League athletes, western cowboys, and lawmen was led by Theodore Roosevelt, who had resigned his post as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to fight. Their success in the battle catapulted Roosevelt to national stardom.

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Who were the 'Rough Riders'?

• A group of Spanish mercenaries who defected to the American side.

• A professional unit of the U.S. Army that had served in the Civil War.

• A volunteer cavalry unit consisting of diverse backgrounds led by Theodore Roosevelt.

• A naval elite force responsible for the blockade of Havana.

Multiple Choice

Consider the following table regarding the status of former Spanish territories after 1898:

According to the table and the context of the war, which statement is true?

• All former Spanish colonies were granted immediate and full independence.

• Only the Philippines remained under Spanish control after the treaty.

• The United States acquired a diverse range of territories in different geographic regions.

• Cuba was the only territory where the U.S. maintained any form of influence.

Multiple Choice

The outcome of the Spanish-American War signaled a major shift in the global balance of power. The United States had successfully challenged a traditional European power and emerged with an overseas empire. This transition marked the end of American isolationism and the beginning of the U.S. as a world power with interests across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

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How did the Spanish-American War change the international status of the United States?

• It caused the U.S. to retreat into a period of strict isolationism.

• It led to the U.S. becoming a major global power with imperial possessions.

• It bankrupted the U.S. government and led to a decline in military influence.

• It forced the U.S. to seek military protection from European nations.

Multiple Choice

On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine, a battleship sent to Havana Harbor to protect American interests during the Cuban revolt, exploded and sank, killing 266 sailors. Although a naval court of inquiry at the time concluded that an underwater mine had caused the explosion, modern historians often cite an internal coal bunker fire. Regardless of the actual cause, the rallying cry 'Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain!' echoed throughout the country.

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Based on the passage, what role did the sinking of the USS Maine play in the conflict?

• It served as the immediate catalyst that triggered the U.S. declaration of war.

• It proved that the Spanish navy was technologically superior to the U.S. Navy.

• It convinced the U.S. to withdraw all naval forces from the Caribbean.

• It led to an immediate alliance between the United States and Great Britain.

Multiple Choice

The annexation of the Philippines sparked a fierce debate in the United States. The Anti-Imperialist League, featuring prominent members like Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, and Jane Addams, argued that imperialism violated the fundamental American principle of 'consent of the governed.' They believed that ruling over distant people without their consent was a betrayal of the ideals found in the Declaration of Independence.

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What was the core argument of the Anti-Imperialist League?

• Imperialism was too expensive for the American taxpayer to support.

• The U.S. military was too small to defend overseas territories.

• The U.S. should focus on annexing Canada instead of islands in the Pacific.

• Rule over other nations without their consent was undemocratic and un-American.

Multiple Choice

The transition from diplomacy to open conflict can be summarized by the following timeline of events in early 1898:

Which statement best describes the progression of events shown in the flowchart?

• The U.S. declaration of war was a direct response to the de Lôme Letter alone.

• Escalating tensions and provocative incidents over several months led to the declaration of war.

• President McKinley declared war before the USS Maine explode

• The Spanish government initiated the declaration of war after the USS Maine incident.