Unlike the current president and others since WWII, McKinley followed the Constitution to request a Declaration of War against Spain. Most historical records state he did this reluctantly; he was trying to keep the US out of the whole Cuban situation. No such luck with Hearst’s and Pulitzer’s newspapers (the Fox News of the Gilded Age) beating the war drums. Additional accounts I’ve read say Spain practically begged for peace because its government and military knew the US would kick their asses.
It didn’t matter, Hearst, Pulitzer, Congress, and a chorus of others wanted revenge for the USS Maine’s destruction in Havana. Somehow Spanish saboteurs were responsible; many decades and four investigations later, the consensus…the Maine had an accident with its ammo. Personally I think the nation was itching for war due to the last major conflict, the US Civil War, being 33 years earlier. Thus, whenever America or Europe experience a stretch of peace lasting a generation, all kinds of romantic, heroic imagery pollutes the minds of the young. To them, war is an adventure. Never mind being killed or more often, dying from the numerous possible diseases or illnesses tied to prolonged conflicts. My theory holds up. Look at Europe’s willingness for WWI, America chomping at the bit with Iraq (twice) to erase the sting of Vietnam and the War of 1812. McKinley was a Union Civil War vet who saw action at the Battle of Antietam, a very bloody fight with 23,000 deaths. I doubt he wanted others to experience such horrors.
So war was declared, the US mobilizes on the underprepared Spain and then comes the panic along America’s East coast. Despite the Spanish navy being small, obsolete and no real strategic threat, US Naval intelligence didn’t know its location. People’s imaginations ran wild with fears of a Spanish blockade off the Eastern seaboard. Nothing further could be from the truth. At best, the Spanish would be lucky to muster enough firepower to shell one major city, do some damage, scare everyone and run like hell.
American intelligence then received a lucky break on the enemy’s positions and proceeded to destroy the Spanish navy at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
With the Atlantic Ocean secured, the ground invasion followed, making Teddy Roosevelt a celebrity and vice president in 1901. There was also a lesser known lieutenant present named John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, leading a unit of Buffalo Soliders; this is disputed though, some reports have him as a Major commanding volunteers. Regardless, most people know him as General John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in WWI.
The bulk of the fighting ended within the year. Occupation of Spain’s former colonies were another problem, namely the Philippines which was similar to America’s current situation in Iraq, a constant game of whack-a-mole with an insurgency. It didn’t end well yet it made the island nation a predominantly Christian country after centuries of an Islamic majority.
War is an ugly side of human history but there’s a personal, bright side to this for me. The island of Puerto Rico. The other former colonies are works in progress at various stages yet PR is decent success because my best friends Jose and Nelson are from there. They tell me it isn’t perfect due to the higher unemployment issues; sounds like Hawaii and other island economies. However, in my eyes they’re bilingual Americans through their tastes in food, pop culture, attitudes, etc., not aliens or foreigners. There are slight differences: Menudo, paella and slang. These are regional differences in my mind like my origin (Central IL): Dan Fogelberg, Steak n’ Shake and “you guys;” we’re not worlds apart. And 13 years in Texas with exposure to Mexican Spanish has trained my ears to discern those guys’ accents, or as I tease them, a lack of. Seriously, when I hear Nelson and Jose communicate in Spanish, their voices have a flat, understandable tone I imagine I would have, if I were fluent.
So on this day 110 years ago, President McKinely put the gears in motion for our friendship that would begin almost 90 years later.