Maine was built in 1883 to serve as a small naval battleship. Early in 1898, the battleship uss maine was sent to havana. Maine in havana harbor in february 1898 inspired an american. Video by ariel carballo figueroa sound effects by me. Whos to blame for the explosion of the uss maine youtube. On february 15, 1898, the battleship exploded suddenly and violently. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
The uss maine exploded in havana, killing most of its crew and convincing the us to declare war on spain. With the uss maine not being the main reason for war, the usa would probably send other naval units to havana harbor, tensions would rise between usa and spain and with a press clamoring for action it still might lead to the spanishamerican war but a little later. Who was responsible for blowing up the uss maine in cuba. A symbol of naval strength in the late 19th century, the maines includes pictures includes accounts of the explosion by the captain and surviving crew members. The history of the spanishamerican war by charles river. In january 1898, maine was sent to havana, cuba, to protect u. The press in america immediatly went on the offensive blaming spain for the attack. Arriving in january 1898, uss maine sank on february 15 after an explosion tore through the ship. The uss maine is one of the most famous ships in american history but for all the wrong reasons. The maine was commissioned on september seventeenth 1895 under the command of arent s. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the spanish american war 18981901 and what it means.
Vintage photos of the launch of the battleship uss maine 1889 duration. Sparking a wave of outrage across the united states, the loss of the ship helped push the nation towards war. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. Explosion of the uss maine essays and research papers. Feb 15, 2014 in january 1898, maine was sent from key west, florida, to havana, cuba, to protect u. The yellow press had a significant role in instigating the war. Fourteen of the injured later died, bringing the death toll to 266.
In response to the destruction of the ship, washington sent american troops and warships to intervene in the cuban revolt against spanish. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the uss maine like never before, in no time at all. This cartoon followed the explosion of the battleship maine in havana harbor on february 15, 1898. After years of unrest in cuba, tensions began to reescalate in the 1890s. The uss maine was sent to the cuba to protect american interests as a struggle for independence from spain was occurring.
Seeking to calm the american public, which had been calling for intervention, and to protect business interests, president william mckinley ordered the us navy to dispatch a warship to havana. Cries of remember the maine, to hell with spain were heard. Uss maine entering havana harbor, cuba,where the ship would explode three weeks later. Displayed on a lifesize replica of the doomed ships bow. She went through an extensive modernization in 1929, with new deck armor, boilers, turbines, guns. What caused the sinking has been a subject of debate ever since. Germany had an eye at expanding in the pacific at spains expense.
On february 15, 1898, the american battleship maine exploded while sitting in the havana harbor, killing two officers and 250 enlisted men. Public opinion in the united states, urged on by the yellow press, assumed that spain was responsible for plotting the treachery. Uss maine acr 1 was a united states navy ship that sank in havana harbor in february 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the spanishamerican war in april. Well, the shooting started and was emotionally fueled by the destruction of the armored cruiser uss maine in 1898, which blew up in havana harbor while showing the flag to protect us business interests in cuba while the people of that country rebe.
Design flaws in the ship caused a fire which sparked the explosion. This was a real fake news story and it landed us in a. A great american mystery national geographic reporter says. Historian nigel hamilton talked about the last book in his trilogy profiling. A massive explosion of unknown origin sinks the battleship uss maine in cubas havana harbor, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 american crew members. Like opposition to the philippineamerican war, this assessment gauges students ability to reason about how evidence supports a historical argument. In order to understand the role the ships sinking played in the start of the war, one must know the. King alphonso xiii is shown playing with toy boats in cuba and is about to suffer retribution. The officers who did so were received with courtesy by spanish officials, and u. Then, the uss maine exploded in the havana harbor and 266 american sailors were killed.
What incident became the final push towards war between us and spain. Shoppers, push carts, on the lower east side of nyc in 1898. On february 15th, 1898, the american ship uss maine mysteriously exploded in the havana harbor. Tension among the american people was raised because of the explosion of the uss maine, and yellow journalism that. Rickover decided in 1976 to reopen the case of the uss maine and discovered that a spontaneous. William hearst ways it could have been avoided arlington national cemetery another event that tipped off the explosion of the uss maine was that the cubans were trying to get their island back from spanish control. The blowing up of the battleship maine in havana harbor on the evening of 15 february was a critical event on the road to that war. The uss maine mast memorial is a memorial honoring those who died aboard the uss maine acr1 on february 15, 1898, after a mysterious explosion destroyed the ship while at anchor in havana harbor.
When the uss maine exploded, who did many americans. I herewith send you three sketches relating to the maine explosion. Then, on the night of february 15, the maine blew up in havana harbor with the loss of 260 lives. Yet despite the uss maines hallowed niche in american history, the. On 15 february 1898, a massive explosion of unknown origin sank the battleship uss maine in cubas havana harbor, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 american crew members aboard. What is known is that, in the tragedy, 260 american naval personnel were killed or wounded. The new york times reported, as yet the cause of the explosion is not apparent. Mahan book the influence of sea power upon history helped push the united states toward a position of world power by convincing government officials to strengthen the u. Uss maine, a 6682ton secondclass battleship, was built at the new york navy yard and commissioned in september 1895. While not a direct cause, the sinking of the maine helped push. On february 15, 1898, the uss maine exploded and sank in havana harbor. The age of imperialism small planet communications. See more ideas about maine, the spanish american war and american war. The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections.
Did the united states deliberately cause the spanish. Scroll and shield from uss maine battleship bling dredged up from its 1898 sinking in havana harbor. Journalism during the time apart from the political cartoons being published, some pieces were printed with no back story and were merely used for hyping the u. Cries of remember the maine, to hell with spain were heard throughout the country and. Explosion of the uss maine stanford history education group. The uss arizona was a pennsylvaniaclass battleship commissioned in the united state navy in 1916. This international disaster, which was blamed on spain, became an important catalyst for the spanishamerican war at the time, cuban guerillas were engaged in a brutal fight for independence from spain. Questions about the cause of the explosion that had killed them lingered on for threequarters of a century, until in the 1970s adm. Uss maine was a united states navy ship that sank in havana harbor in february 1898. The incident that triggered the spanishamerican war. The explosion which destroyed the battleship uss maine in the harbor of havana, cuba on the night of february 15, 1898 was a blast which would continue to echo around the americas for many years to come.
The explosion on the uss maine was caused by an external, underwater mine. Would the prowar jingos in american government still push for a war eventually. This study resulted in how the battleship maine was destroyed. Uss maine explodes in havana harbor three weeks after arriving, on the night of february 15, 1898, the uss maine exploded. I was enclosing my letter in its envelope when the explosion came. This article is drawn from the first chapter in a forthcoming book on turning points in. A massive explosion of unknown origin sinks the battleship uss maine in cubas havana harbor on february 15, 1898, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 american crew members aboard. A symbol of naval strength in the late 19th century, the maine s tragic fate is taught to students across the nation not just because it was a disaster but because it is associated with the most notorious examples of yellow journalism in the countrys.
Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. Lee reported to his superiors that the maine was achieving its desired effect, and that another battleship should replace it. It exploded in havana harbor in 1898 and precipitated u. Maine was a secondclass battleship commissioned in 1895 that was part of the new u. This international disaster, which the united states. Later that month, riots broke out in havana involving cuban rebels and spanish forces. 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.
They consulted professional engineers to analyze the 1911 photographs and took into context the natural tendency to look for reasons for the loss that did not reflect upon the navy. Uss maine was a united states navy ship that sank in havana harbor in february 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the spanishamerican war in april. Although a good example of this would be when the new york journal published a copy of a letter from. The spanishamerican war 21 april to august 1898 was a turning point in the history of the united states, signaling the countrys emergence as a world power. Here are several firsthand accounts of the sinking. There was a climax in prewar tension between the united states and spain in 1898 but the uss maine insisted to go on an official observation visit of cuba. It is located in arlington national cemetery in arlington county, virginia, in the united states. The episode escalated tensions between the united states and spain and contributed to the outbreak of the spanishamerican war two months later. Roosevelt, lodge, hearst, and the rush to empire, 1898 by evan thomas. This equipment did not arrive until 1889, pushing back bethlehems timetable. The mckinley administration believed that the maine was destroyed by the spanish in havana harbor.
Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the uss maine like never before, in. These sketches are from actual measurements made on the spot. The uss maine was the first united states navy ship to be named after the state of maine. President william mckinley ordered the battleship uss maine to cuba. Est 0302 gmt havana cnn a century has passed since the uss maine exploded in havanas. Feb 15, 2012 the uss maine was stationed in havana due to a prolonged conflict over cuban independence. Of the twothirds of the crew who perished, only 200. The explosion of the uss maine meet your next favorite book. Riots in havana by rowdy prospanish voluntarios gave the united states a reason to send in the warship uss maine to indicate high national interest. This was a real fake news story and it landed us in a war.
This international disaster, which was blamed on spain, became an important catalyst for the. However, an accidental internal explosion that had occurred, was also considered possible. The memorial consists of the main mast of the battleship set atop a circular concrete burial. Rickover enlisted a team of engineers who conducted a thorough scientific investigation of the cause of the maine s explosion. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This day in history the maine explodes 1898 via a massive explosion of unknown origin sinks the battleship uss maine in cubas havana harbor, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 american crew members aboard. Would the prowar jingos in american government still push for a. The event was one of a series of incidents that precipitated the united states intervention in. Efforts by congress to push for recognition of the cuban belligerency were. Maine exploded in havana harbor, killing 268 men and shocking the american populace. Charles sigsbee did not allow the enlisted men to go ashore.
The explosion of the uss maine chronicles the controversial explosion, tracing the history of the ship from its glorious beginning to its ignominious end, as well as the critical aftermath. The maine anchored in newport, rhode island until charles sigsbee relieved crownshield as commissioner of the the maine. Sep 11, 2001 primary sources related to major historical events february 15, 1898. The 5 calibers to claim the most powerful handgun in the world title reupload duration. The us asked spain to sell cuba to the us repeatedly. Students must explain how a report by the naval court of inquiry and a san francisco newspaper article both support the conclusion that confusion surrounded the sinking of the uss maine at the time. Navy this was created in order to initiate trade in certain sections of china between european nations, america and china. Figure 1 shows the position of the bow of the ship as relates. Here are some possible scenarios that could have led to the explosion of the uss maine. The uss maine is one of the most famous ships in american history, but for all the wrong reasons. Carlos goni would use his camera at the same time that other explosion happened. Some believe the explosion was caused by an external mine that detonated the ships ammunition magazines.
For example, in his 1958 book, the fate of the maine, american historian and journalist john e. Initial reports concluded that maine had been sunk by a naval mine. What did president mckinley and republican leadership say. Feb 07, 2017 here are some possible scenarios that could have led to the explosion of the uss maine. Destruction of the maine, an incident preceding the spanishamerican war in which a mysterious explosion sank the u.
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