HOT TOPIC: Spanish-American War
Volume 2, Issue 33 - May 7, 2006"By the 1890s the United States was emerging from Civil War and Reconstruction and began to reawaken its consciousness as a neighbor in the western hemisphere. William McKinley was President and the world was on the cusp of the modern age. The Cuban independence movement had actually started some ten years earlier, as nationals sought to liberate their country from Spanish colonial occupation.
The role of media in this unfolding story is always a great topic for discussion, as newspaper giants such as William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World provided sensational reporting on the Cuban fight for independence, mobilizing public support in favor of the island-nation’s cause somuchso that the bombing of the U.S.S. Maine was the facilitating event that launched American military involvement in the struggle. There is still speculation that American interests may have actually caused that explosion, precipitating the onset of the war.
For such a short war (1898-1899), it had much impact. Both Cuba and the Philippines were liberated, the Monroe doctrine was revived, the United States began its ascent as a world power, and Teddy Roosevelt was poised to become the first President of the modern age, advancing such concepts as his bully pulpit, serving as the world’s police man, and speaking softly while carrying a big stick. By the end of his tenure the Panama Canal would be built and the American century had begun. I hope this collection of resources will serve you well in sharing this turbulent time in western hemisphere politics with your students!"
Want this and every issue of 2005-2006?
