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Three Myths About the Spanish-American War
Even with this brief war, we get things wrong
“It has been a splendid little war.” — U.S. Secretary of State John Hay in a letter to Theodore Roosevelt, 1898
The Spanish-American War was a brief conflict that is mostly forgotten today, but this short war (lasting roughly 16 weeks) changed the fortunes of two global powers, marking the rise of one and the rapid decline of another. Let’s examine a few of the facts and myths about America’s first truly global war.
The Spanish-American War was fought between Spain and the United States from April 21, 1898 to August 13, 1898, making it one of the shortest wars in U.S. history. It is best remembered, when remembered at all, for the charge of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders up San Juan Hill in Cuba and the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor. Not surprisingly, myths have grown up around these two events more than any others during the war, but before tackling myths, let’s consider why the war happened in the first place.
The explosion that sank the USS Maine is the most common reason given for the start of the war, and it was certainly the catalyst. But the Maine was only in Havana harbor in the first place to both protect American interests in Cuba and to support the Cuban independence movement. American interest in…
