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Spanish-American War Facts & Worksheets

The Spanish-American War of 1898 was a military clash between the United States and Spain.

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Spain and the United States engaged in a military war from April 21 to August 13, 1898, known as the Spanish-American War. After the USS Maine’s internal explosion in Cuba’s Havana Harbor, hostilities broke out, prompting American involvement in the Cuban War of Independence. The conflict culminated in the United States becoming the dominating nation in the Caribbean and the conquest of Spanish territory in the Pacific.

See the fact file below for more information about the Spanish-American War, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.

Key Facts & Information

Causes

  • Recall, Maine! Cuba‘s fight for independence from Spain, which started in February 1895, is where the conflict began.
  • Several sensational publications participating in yellow journalism and American support for the Cuban Rebels dramatically depicted Spain’s brutally oppressive actions to end the uprising for the American audience. Yellow journalism, which relies on eye-catching headlines, hyperbole, and sensationalism to attract readership, was first used in the 19th century.
  • Following the American battleship USS Maine, which had been deployed to safeguard American persons and property after anti-Spanish riots in Havana, mysteriously sank in Havana port, the rising widespread desire for American action turned into an unrelenting chorus.

Spain’s Attitudes Toward its Colonies

  • Spanish colonialism reached its lowest point as a result of the combined issues brought on by the Peninsular War (1807–1814), the loss of the majority of its colonies in the Americas during the early 19th-century Spanish–American Wars of Independence, and three Carlist Wars (1832–1876).
  • To fit with the burgeoning nationalism in Spain, liberal Spanish intellectuals like Antonio Canovas del Castillo and Emilio Castelar presented new meanings of the term “empire.”
  • Compared to other European colonial powers, Canovas viewed Spanish colonialism as more “benevolent.” Before the conflict, the prevailing view in Spain saw the expansion of “civilization” and Christianity as Spain’s primary goal and contribution to the New World.
  • The idea of cultural unification gave Cuba, which had been ruled by the Spanish for over 400 years and was seen as an essential component of the Spanish country, considerable significance.
  • After the Spanish-American War, Spain’s sense of national pride suffered because of the emphasis on maintaining the empire.

American Interest in the Caribbean

  • The Monroe Doctrine was announced in 1823 by James Monroe, the 5th American President. The United States will not allow additional attempts by European governments to recapture or increase its colonial possessions in the Americas or to meddle with the newly independent states in the continent, it was said in the document (1758–1831, who served from 1817–1825).
  • The U.S. would keep the present status of the European colonies. Nevertheless, Southern interests tried to have the U.S. acquire Cuba in the years leading up to the American Civil War (1861–1865) to transform it into a new slave state. The pro-slavery group offered the 1854 Ostend Manifesto, and the anti-slavery group rejected it.
  • The “Cuba Libre” movement, headed by Cuban scholar Jose Marti until he died in 1895, had offices in Florida. The Cuban “Junta” under the direction of Tomas Estrada Palma, who became Cuba’s first president in 1902, served as the public face of the Cuban revolution in the United States.
  • The Junta conducted business with prominent publications and politicians in Washington and performed fund-raising activities all around the country. It financed and trafficked in weaponry. It launched a protracted propaganda offensive that significantly increased public sympathy for Cubans in the United States. However, corporate groups urged Washington to reach a settlement and avert war, and Protestant churches and most Democrats favored this.

War Is Declared

  • Spain accelerated the implementation of its new plan to allow Cuba some degree of self-government by announcing a truce on April 9.
  • However, a short while later, Congress passed resolutions endorsing President William McKinley‘s use of force to win Cuba’s independence, asking for the removal of Spanish troops from the island, and endorsing the use of force in general. However, they rejected any American aspirations to annex Cuba.
  • Spain declared war on the U.S. on April 24, and the U.S. did the same on April 25 with a declaration of war that took effect on April 21.

Spanish-American War Begins

  • The subsequent conflict was one-sided since neither Spain’s army nor fleet had been prepared for a long-term battle with the mighty United States.
  • Commodore George Dewey led the American naval fleet into Manila Bay in the Philippines early on May 1, 1898. Before delaying the Battle of Manila Bay to give his crew a second breakfast, he annihilated the Spanish fleet that was moored for two hours.
  • U.S. surveillance discovered the elusive Spanish Caribbean fleet commanded by Adm. Pascual Cervera in Santiago port in Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt and his 1st Volunteer Cavalry, the “Rough Riders,” the previous assistant secretary of the Navy, led an army of regular soldiers and volunteers under Gen. William Shafter that landed on the coast east of Santiago. It approached the city cautiously to drive Cervera’s Navy from the harbor.
  • On July 3, Cervera led his squadron out of Santiago and attempted to flee down the coast in a westward direction. All his ships were subjected to severe fire from American guns in the ensuing engagement, and they were all beached in a burning or sinking state.
  • On July 17, Santiago gave himself up to Shafter, ending the brief but significant conflict.

Treaty of Paris

  • The Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898, officially ending the Spanish-American War. Spain ceded all rights to Cuba in return for $20 million while handing over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States.
  • Insurgents in the Philippines who had battled for independence from Spanish domination quickly turned their weapons against their new rulers. The Filipino-American War in the Philippines broke out in February 1899 and lasted until 1902. Ten times more American soldiers perished, quelling uprisings in the Philippines than were lost in the defeat of Spain.

Impact of the Spanish-American War

  • The Spanish-American War was a crucial turning point in the histories of both rivals. After Spain’s defeat, the nation’s priorities radically changed, shifting from its imperial aspirations overseas to its domestic needs. Spain saw two decades of much-needed economic prosperity through this strategy and a revival of its arts and literature.
  • However, the victorious United States emerged from the battle as a global power with many foreign possessions and a renewed interest in international affairs, which would soon enable it to significantly impact events in Europe and the rest of the globe.

Spanish-American War Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Spanish-American War Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about the Spanish-American War of 1898, which was a military clash between the United States and Spain. It ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in the United States’ acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • Spanish-American War Facts
  • Spanish-American War Word Search
  • Is it True?
  • Plot It!
  • Historical Ladder
  • Point of View
  • Sequencing Events
  • The Treaty of Paris
  • What If…
  • Poster Making
  • What Now?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Spanish-American War?

Spain and the United States engaged in a military war from April 21 to August 13, 1898, known as the Spanish-American War. After the USS Maine’s internal explosion in Cuba’s Havana Harbor, hostilities broke out, prompting American involvement in the Cuban War of Independence. The conflict culminated in the United States becoming the dominating nation in the Caribbean and the conquest of Spanish territory in the Pacific.

What is the cause of the Spanish-American War?

Recall Maine! Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain, which started in February 1895, is where the conflict began.

When did the war start?

Spain declared war on the U.S. on April 24, and the U.S. did the same on April 25 with a declaration of war that took effect on April 21.

What happened in the treaty of Paris?

The Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898, officially ending the Spanish-American War. Spain ceded all rights to Cuba in return for $20 million while handing over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States.

What is the impact of the Spanish-American War?

The Spanish-American War was a crucial turning point in the histories of both rivals. After Spain’s defeat, the nation’s priorities radically changed, shifting from its imperial aspirations overseas to its domestic needs. Spain saw two decades of much-needed economic prosperity through this strategy and a revival of its arts and literature. However, the victorious United States emerged from the battle as a global power with many foreign possessions and a renewed interest in international affairs, which would soon enable it to significantly impact events in Europe and the rest of the globe.

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Use With Any Curriculum

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