USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On April 21 President McKinley orders a blockade of Cuba and four days later the U.S. declares war.

Detailed explanation-2: -President William McKinley asks Congress to declare war on Spain on April 20, 1898. In 1895, Cuba, located less than 100 miles south of the United States, attempted to overthrow Spanish colonial rule.

Detailed explanation-3: -But after pro-Spanish demonstrators rioted in Havana in January 1898 to protest Spain’s more conciliatory policies, McKinley ordered the U.S. battleship Maine to Havana harbor, both to protect American citizens and property and to demonstrate that the United States still valued Spain’s friendship.

Detailed explanation-4: -In the Spanish-American War of 1898, McKinley was a forceful and effective commander-in-chief who used the war powers of his office to shape events. Largely through his efforts, the United States was victorious in Cuba and the Philippines by mid-July 1898.

Detailed explanation-5: -Annotation: President William McKinley was reluctant to call for war against Spain in 1898. The last president to have served served in the Civil War said he had seen too much carnage at battles like Antietam to be enthusiastic about war with Spain.