USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On February 15, 1898, an explosion of unknown origin sank the battleship U.S.S. Maine in the Havana, Cuba harbor, killing 266 of the 354 crew members. The sinking of the Maine incited United States’ passions against Spain, eventually leading to a naval blockade of Cuba and a declaration of war.

Detailed explanation-2: -USS Maine entering Havana harbour, January 1898At 9.40pm on the night of 15 February 1898 the United States battleship Maine, riding quietly at anchor in Havana harbour, was suddenly blown up, apparently by a mine, in an explosion which tore her bottom out and sank her, killing 260 officers and men on board.

Detailed explanation-3: -USS Maine, a second-class battleship built between 1888 and 1895, was sent to Havana in January 1898 to protect American interests during the long-standing revolt of the Cubans against the Spanish government. In the evening of 15 February 1898, Maine sank when her forward gunpowder magazines exploded.

Detailed explanation-4: -In 1897, newly elected President William McKinley cautioned patience, but the explosion of the Maine shattered U.S. relations with Spain and led to a declaration of war on April 25, 1898. War with Spain caused the U.S. to rethink its long-held principle of anti-colonialism.

Detailed explanation-5: -At 9:40pm on February 15, 1898, the battleship U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing 268 men and shocking the American populace. Of the two-thirds of the crew who perished, only 200 bodies were recovered and 76 identified.