The_Spanish-American_War

The Spanish-American War The Spanish-American War The Spanish-American War had a good many causes. The stated U.S. cause for war with Spain was the Cuban struggle for independence, American Imperialism was also another factor and the sinking of the Maine was a big factor as well. The war grew out the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain; the brutality with which Spain put down Cuban demands for independence made Americans both sympathetic and angry on the part of the Cubans. An important factor in the U.S. decision to go to war was the growing imperialism of the United States, as seen in the mounting efforts to extend American influence overseas. The increasingly aggressive behavior of the United States was often justified by the belief of “Manifest Destiny”, which was a widespread belief among most Americans. The sinking of the battleship Maine, was also a large factor in the United State’s war with Spain. In January of 1898 the U.S. consul general in Havana asked that a U.S. warship be sent to the harbor to protect U.S. citizens and property in the area. On the night of February 15 an underwater explosion while at anchor in Havana harbor destroyed the Maine and 266 officers war, spain, spanish, american, treaty, maine, factor, cuba, 1898, united, states, spanish-american, sinking, navy, independence, cuban, congress, april, americans, troops, struggle, sent, public, president, man, made, later, imperialism, help, havana, harbor, explosion, cubans, belief, authority