Question

1 paragraph (5-7 sentences) describing the causes of the Spanish American War

Answer 1

@Kfins99

Answer 2

The primary cause of the Spanish-American War was American imperialism, in large part fueled by the major newspapers of the day and their owners, primarily William Randolph Hearst.

When the battleship U.S.S. Maine exploded and sank in Havana harbor, this was the last push needed to force the country into this war. Of course the explosion and loss of life was blamed on Spanish forces, even though it was actually the result of a smoldering coal bunker fire (steamships still used coal then) that melted through a bulkhead into an ammunition locker.

The United States forces were ready for a war and Spain's were not. It was a monumental mismatch and over quickly with the result that Cuba and The Philippines and several smaller islands became U.S. protectorates and Spain's time as a major world power was over.

The American stewardship of the Philippines that resulted from this was also a contributing factor to the Japanese attacking the United States in 1941. Japan wanted these islands as a source of labor and raw materials.