The Spanish-American War

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The Spanish-American War began through pressure from the public to take action against ill treatment of the Cubans, military interests, and many more reasons while resulting in annexation, imperialism, the building of the Panama Canal, and more. Cuba was facing oppression at the hands of the Spanish nation and Americans, being at the receiving end of oppression before, the Americans felt empathy and sympathy towards the Cubans. Yellow journalism blew the actual events out of proportion and collected the money and anger of the people. The demands to assist the Cubans grew but McKinley was reluctant to engage the Spaniards, a world power, in battle. The explosion that blew up the Maine was the last straw and the U.S. sent in troops. After the Spanish-American war came the annexation of the Philippines and Hawaii. The U.S. built up its military forces and pushed its way into imperialism becoming a world power. Yellow Journalism, started by newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, fueled the war fever. Hearst and Pulitzer had a sensational style of writing that exaggerated news to lure and enrage the readers. Their style of writing fueled the American’s outrage at Cuban oppression by the Spanish. “You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.” Hearst reportedly said this to Fredric Remington, a gifted artist sent to Cuba to draw sketches of the fighting. The information sent out through yellow journalism enraged many U.S. citizens and fueled much of the ill feelings towards the Spaniards though most of it was blown out of proportion. Yellow journalism played a big role in fueling the war by tugging at the hearts of sympathetic and empathetic Americans. The United States faced oppression from Great Britain ... ... middle of paper ... ...as encouraged by citizens of the United States for many reasons. The main reason was yellow journalism which blew facts out of proportion to gain the anger, sympathy, and empathy of Americans to make money. By supplying the Americans with such information they gained more readers and profit and fueled the war. Cubans held in reconstruction camps and killed angered the Americans and they demanded action to aid the suffering Cubans. The exploding of the Maine was published in the newspaper and it blamed the attack on the Spaniards saying they didn’t like American troops so close to what was theirs. After the war was over and done with the possibility of Cubans attacking to gain support or a malfunction was considered. The Maine explosion was what provided the reason to send in troops but yellow journalism fueled the desire to fight and engage the Spaniards in battle.

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