Spanish-American War Trivia

1. The rallying cry "Remember the Maine" was used to stir up support for the Spanish-American War across the U.S.A. What exactly was the Maine referring to?

From Quiz The Spanish-American War: Birth of an Empire

Answer: A U.S. battleship that blew up in the harbor of Havana, Cuba.

The battleship USS Maine was destroyed by an explosion on the night of February 15, 1898 while at anchor in Havana harbor, resulting in the deaths of 266 Americans. The ship had been sent there to protect American lives and property during civil unrest in Cuba. It was unclear at the time whether the explosion was accidental or the work of a Spanish mine.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Maine

Commissioned in September, 1895, the Maine displaced 6,682 tons, carried a crew of 354, and had a maximum speed of 17 knots. As a second-class battleship, Maine carried four 10-in guns as the main battery with six 6-in guns as secondary armament. Additional armament included seven, 6-lb and eight, 1-lb cannons along with four, 14-in torpedo tubes. Attached to the North Atlantic Squadron, Maine remained along the eastern coast of the United States until dispatched from Key West, FL to Cuba. Under command of Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, the U.S.S. Maine arrived in Havana Harbor on January 25, 1898 as a show of strength by the United States and to demonstrate its interest in the deteriorating political conditions in Cuba.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: 1898

After many attempts to avoid war, McKinley, because of jingoism (sense of national pride), public and political pressure, finally gave in to the majority, and sent a war message to Congress on April 11, 1898.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Spain

Spain had only retained the Philippines and the island of Guam in the Pacific and a few very small colonies in Africa. (Spain turned to parts of West and Central Africa as a source of slaves until slavery ended in 1873).

From Quiz The Spanish-American War: Birth of an Empire

Answer: Sixteen weeks

Ten weeks is the generally accepted length, from April 23rd to August 12th, 1898. However two more months of difficult negotiations elapsed before a peace treaty was signed in December, 1898. U.S. Ambassador John Hay, in writing to his friend and future President Theodore Roosevelt, is quoted as calling it "a splendid little war."

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: April

On March 28, 1898, the naval court of inquiry concluded: "...that the ship was destroyed by the explosion of a submarine mine, which caused the partial explosion of two or more of her forward magazines...[lacking credible evidence]...fixing the responsibility for the destruction...upon any person or persons.". Despite the formal report from the U.S. Navy, members of the press such as William R. Hearst of the "Journal" and Joseph Pulitzer of the "World", used the sinking as a rally to push the United States towards war with Spain. Hearst published pictures and fabricated an elaborate story of how Spanish terrorists had attached an underwater mine to the bottom of the Maine's hull, detonating it from shore. War with Spain was declared on April 25, 1898.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: 1898

Surprisingly enough, the war lasted a mere 4 months, from April to July! Because of this short war, the Spanish-American War became known as "a splendid little war."

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: William McKinley

William McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio in 1843. He enlisted (1861) as a private in the Union Army during the Civil War but ended the war as a commissioned officer. He practiced law in Canton, OH, was elected to Congress (1877-1891), served as Governor of Ohio for two terms (1891-1895), and was elected the 25th president of the United States (1897-1901). During his presidency, the economy moved out of a depression, multi-corporate trusts and monopolies gained strength, gold was adopted as the standard, and the country fought the war with Spain. McKinley did not smoke, drink, play cards, or attend the theater. McKinley's second term ended in September, 1901, when he was shot by an anarchist.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: William Taft

McKinley declared that rebels in the Philippines were on edge with one other and that the Filipino people were "unfit for self-government." He placed Taft there to maintain stability in the island nation. Taft became a president later in his career.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Valeriano Weyler

In 1896, the Spanish sent General Valeriano Weyler (1838-1930) over to Cuba to suppress the rebellion. He soon came to the conclusion that the only way to suppress the rebellion was to cut off the guerrilla rebels from any source of civilian support. In order to do this, he had about 300,000 Cuban civilians deported to camps. These were very poorly run and many of the inmates (who, after all, had committed no crime) perished from hunger and disease. If he'd wanted to encourage popular stereotypes about "Spanish brutality" he could hardly have made a better job of it.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War: Birth of an Empire

Answer: William McKinley

At first fending off public and Congressional pressure to go to war, McKinley finally gave into the so-called war fever that swept the nation following the loss of the USS Maine. Grover Cleveland was McKinley's predecessor in the White House. Woodrow Wilson would later inhabit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a wartime President during World War I. Theodore Roosevelt was elected Vice-President in 1900 and became President after McKinley's assassination in 1901.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Maria Cristina

Maria Cristina was born on July 21, 1858 in Brno, Moravia to Archduke Karl Ferdinand and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska (both of Austria). Maria Christina married Alfonso XII in November, 1879, but he died while she was pregnant. Until the birth of Maria's child, the throne was in abeyance: if the unborn child was a male, he would be king. However, a female child would place the elder daughter, Maria Mercedes, on the throne. Maria Christina ruled as regent until her son was born: Alfonso XIII. Maria Christina continued as regent until Alfonso XIII ascended the throne in 1902.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: George Dewey

On February 25, while his boss was absent, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt sent cables to the Pacific to prepare for military action with Spain. When McKinley found this out, he countermanded all the cables except Dewey's, who was told to attack the Spanish fleet in the Philippines if war broke out with Spain. On May 1, Admiral Dewey launched a surprise attack on Spanish ships anchored in Manila Bay, destroying Spain's entire Pacific fleet in about 5-7 hours.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: The use of sensationalized reporting in the popular press

The popular press ("yellow journalism"), which developed from about 1880 onwards, was stridently patriotic. It focused on events - allegedly as seen by "our man in Havana" - and discouraged critical thinking. In the Spanish-American war it whipped up nationalistic enthusiasm in America for the war.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War: Birth of an Empire

Answer: George Dewey

George Dewey was a U.S. naval officer in both the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. At the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1st, 1898 he caught the Spanish fleet by surprise and destroyed them in a six hour battle with very few American casualties. Standing on the bridge of his flagship, the USS Olympia, Commodore Dewey uttered those famous words "Gridley you may fire when ready" to the ship's captain to start the battle.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Tampa

Tampa, FL was chosen for the following combined reasons: deep-water bay, proximity to Cuba, and rail connections between Tampa, its harbor, and more northern cities. Unfortunately, soldiers drilled in woollen uniforms in subtropical conditions (rain, humidity, and heat)!

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt, future president of the U.S., organized a group of expert cavalrymen, from cowboys to polo players, to attack the Spanish. Unfortuantely, when the battle took place, their horses never arrived, so they fought as infantrymen, along with the under-appreciated "buffalo soldiers," whom were all African-Americans.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: U.S.S. Maine

The popular press claimed that the U.S.S. Maine had been blown up by the Spaniards and said, "The warship Maine was split in two by an enemy's secret infernal machine."

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Manila Bay and Santiago Harbor

On May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey aboard his flagship Olympia engaged the Spanish fleet. Dewey commanded four protected cruisers (including his flagship), two gunboats, and one revenue cutter, supply ship, and collier. His squadron sank three enemy ships by gunfire, burned another eight vessels, and captured two ships along with a variety of launches. On the morning of July 3, 1898, the Spanish squadron - under the command of Admiral Cervera - attempted to leave Santiago Harbor. Although Admiral Sampson of the U.S. Navy was the commanding officer, he was absent from battle. Instead, Rear-admiral Winfield Scott Schley was the senior U.S. Naval officer on station. The U.S. squadron included four battleships, one armored cruiser, and two armed yachts. By contrast, the Spanish squadron consisted of four armored cruisers and two torpedo boat destroyers. Schley's squadron sank two ships, while the Spanish commanders grounded the remaining damaged vessels in their fleet to avoid sinking.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Santiago

The Battle of San Juan Hill in July 1898 took place just outside of the southern and eastern city of Santiago. On July 3, in a desperate attempt to flee the harbor, the Americans sank every single Spanish ship, giving cause to celebrate Independence Day back in the States with an extra sense of jubilation.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: April 20th 1898

On April 11th, McKinley asked Congress for authority to use force against Spain, but it took until the 20th of April for Congress to agree. Spain declared war on April 23rd.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Cuba

In the treaty between American and Spain that ended their war, Spain gave the U.S. the Guam Islands, the Philippine Islands, and Puerto Rico for $20 million. Cuba was granted independence, yet remained heavily influenced by American government and business. Guam and Puerto Rico are still territories of the U.S., while the Philippines were granted independence in 1946.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: In the Philippine Islands

The Spanish were expecting the Americans to attack Cuba first because they had once tried to buy Cuba from them, but the Americans attacked the Philippines first.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Daiquiri

The port city of Daiquiri was chosen as the invasion point for an amphibious landing. Recommended by the Cuban rebels, Daiquiri was believed to be lightly defended. Prior to the invasion, the Spanish garrison pulled out of Daiquiri, burning bridges and buildings and destroying the railway station and tracks.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Explosion of the USS Maine

In early February, McKinley ordered the Maine into Havana Harbor to protect American lives and property. On February 15, an explosion aboard the ship killed in excess of 250 American soldiers. Americans pressured the president into war after this happened, due to their belief that the Spanish had bombed the ship purposely. More recently, it is believed that there was a fire, and the potent ammunition stored aboard the ship caused the explosion.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: George Dewey

George Dewey gave the command to open fire on the Spanish fleet in Manila, the Philippine capital on April 30th.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War: Birth of an Empire

Answer: Ninety percent

Nearly all of Cuba's sugar growing and processing was controlled by American corporations. The so-called "sugar kings" had contributed large amounts of money to President McKinley's 1896 election, and lobbied him hard to do something about the civil unrest in Cuba. McKinley sent the USS Maine partly to watch over their sugar businesses. The Maine blew up, which led to the Spanish-American War.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Paris

The Spanish-American Peace Commission met in Paris, France to negotiate the end of hostilities. Spain relinquished its rule over Cuba but ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands to the United States. In return, The United States offered $20 million to Spain in compensation. The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty on February 6, 1899, and Maria Cristina of Spain signed her copy on March 19. The official end of the Spanish-American War was April 11, 1899.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: Teller Amendment

The Teller Amendment was attached to Congress' 1898 war resolution against Spain promised Cubans their independence. The U.S. pressured the Cubans to attach the Platt Amendment to their constitution, which declared that the Cuban government could not enter any foreign agreements, must allow the U.S. to establish two American naval bases on the island, and must give the U.S. the right to intervene whenever necessary. The Platt Amendment remained in force until 1934, save the establishment of the U.S.'s Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on the eastern end of the island nation. The Treaty of Paris officially ended the Spanish-American War, while the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty involved the establishment of the Panama Canal.

From Quiz The Spanish-American War

Answer: A volunteer cavalry unit

The "Rough Riders" were under command of Leonard Wood. Theodore Roosevelt also was a commander of this group.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:52 AM

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