USA HISTORY

Which of the following was a leading cause of the United States entering the Spanish American War?

(A) The Rough Riders were attacked at the Battle of San Juan Hill.

(B) Spain was a threat to America.

(C) The U.S. wanted to add more territories to its empire.

(D) ** The sinking of the USS Maine

Concept note-1: -The Cuban movement for independence from Spain in 1895 garnered considerable American support. When the USS Maine sank, the United States believed the tragedy was the result of Spanish sabotage and declared war on Spain.

Concept note-2: -President William McKinley sends the battleship USS Maine to Havana to protect U.S. interests in Cuba. The Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, killing 266 men. An inquiry conducted by the U.S Navy concludes that the explosion was caused by the detonation of a mine under the ship.

Concept note-3: -The immediate cause of the Spanish-American War was Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain. Newspapers in the United States printed sensationalized accounts of Spanish atrocities in Cuba, fueling humanitarian concerns.

Concept note-4: -On April 25, 1898 the United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898.