The war between Spain and the United States took place in the year 1898 and ended the Spanish colonial rule and resulting in the acquisition of territories in Latin America and the western Pacific by the United States. Cuban struggle for independence from Spain in 1895 was the origin of this war. The conflict in Cuba which was to gain independence threatened the investments made by the United States about fifty million dollars and almost ended the trade between the United States and Cuban sports (Marolda, 2016). The war dramatically concentrated on property destruction and later led to the destruction of sugar mills and sugar cane. During this war, Spanish authorities did not have enough provision for food, shelter, medical care and sanitation. So many people died from hunger, exposure, and disease. This scary condition was shown to the U.S public through sensational newspapers, raising humanitarian concern.
The United States acted by patrolling the coastal waters to stop gunrunning and also to help Cubans who were arrested by the Spanish government for rebelling. The pressure for intervention to prevent the war and help Cuba gain independence got support in Congress. In 1896, the House of Representatives and the Senate declared that the insurgents should be accorded belligerent rights. President Grover Cleveland ignored congressional opinion and also opposed the intervention. In 1897, Spanish ministry accorded concessions to the insurgents which later leads to General Weyler letting go his re-concentration policy and gives Cuba the freedom to elect parliament but with minimal powers (Marolda, 2016). The insurgent leaders disagreed with this since they wanted full independence. The war continued in Cuba, and many incidents made the United States intervene.
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In December, protests and riots were leading to the sending of soldiers to Havana to protect the citizens of the United States and their property. The voice for intervention got louder in Congress for both Democrats and Republicans and the whole country, though the business world in the United States opposed the war and the response, bearing in mind that conflict would interfere with their businesses. All these oppositions were rubbed after senator Redfield Proctor of Vermont gave a speech after he returned from Cuba. The senator described the death in the re-concentration areas, the war-torn island and the suffering going on in Cuba. His speech changed many people's minds including the religious leaders who agreed that there was a need for intervention (Marolda, 2016). On April 24th Spain declared war on the United States after obtaining the information of signing resolutions while Congress declared war on April 25th. The actual war started in Cuba when the Marines took control of Guantanamo, and a total of 17000 soldiers land at Daiquiri and Siboney. Spain, on the other hand, stationed forty thousand irregular and one hundred and fifty thousand regular troops in Cuban islands.
The war between America and Spain took a short time but with many consequences. The war took a maximum of six weeks but left a huge impact both in the lives of people of the involved countries and in the economy. Many resources were used which made it very expensive even for humans. The result of this war became disastrous for Spain; even though there was new dawn which affected Spanish people both physically and intellectually (Foner, 1972). Significant progress in the development of mineral resources, agriculture, and transport was witnessed.
The United States came out victorious in the war with Spain. The United States came from this war as the world's superpower (Foner, 1972). To win the Caribbean and the ocean between intermittent and climaxed half century of tentative promises opened the foreign market for the United States. As a result of this war, it was clear that a canal built by the United States to be cut through the Isthmus of Panama. The United States' army also improved from position six to the second position in the world. Reforms were also made in the U.S army. At the end of the war, United States made the Caribbean a U.S lake which led to the affairs of Europe. Before the war ended, Major General Nelson A. Miles led American force and occupied Puerto Rico. On 12th August 1898, a protocol was signed after Armistice negotiations were held in Washington.
Lastly, the agreement required Spain to end hostilities and also to allow Cuba to govern herself. The United States, on the other hand, was in charge of Manila until the peace deal was reached. The European engagement with China seemed to threaten the market of the United States (Foner, 1972). The relationship China had with other European nations and also the ties China shared with other countries created fear for the United States. Church leaders embraced the Manila victory as it opened the door to missionary work in the Philippines. Protestant church leaders became free and willing to open churches and to preach Christianity without fear. Japan and Britain governments hoped that The United States keep the islands (Foner, 1972). The Philippines were also not trusted to have experience, knowledge and to govern themselves. This mistrust continued for a while although Philippine was already declared a provisional republic, which meant that she was free to regulate herself. After some considerations, McKinley decided that the United States should be in possession of around seven thousand islands and seven million people of Philippines. Spain hesitated to accept this demand suggesting that the United States should pay her twenty million dollars for public works and buildings in a year.
References
Foner, P. S. (1972). The Spanish-Cuban-American War and the Birth of American Imperialism Vol. 2: 1898–1902 (Vol. 2). NYU Press.
Marolda, E. (Ed.). (2016). Theodore Roosevelt, the US Navy and the Spanish-American War . Springer.
