The Cuban struggle for independence from Spain had been simmering off and on for over thirty years, and had captured the American imagination. American newspapers began agitating for intervention with sensational stories of Spanish atrocities against the native Cuban population even though Spain had removed the general behind the harsh policies that had displaced thousands of Cubans. In January 1898, a riot broke out in Havana by Cuban Spanish loyalists leading to the destruction of the printing presses of four local newspapers for publishing articles critical of Spanish Army atrocities. Since this riot was largely also anti-American, because of the growing support in the US for Cuban independence, the US Consul-General, nephew of Robert E. Lee and former Civil War Confederate general Fitzhugh Lee, cabled Washington with fears for the lives of Americans living in Havana, the United States wasted no time sending the USS Maine to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests. On February 15th, 1898 at 21:40, the USS Maine mysteriously exploded, killing 266 officers and men of her crew. The Spanish attributed the explosion to an accident explosion, but a US Naval inquiry reported that it was caused by a submarine mine - one month later the United States declared war on Spain.
When the Maine blew up, newspaper owners like William Randolph Hearst leapt to the conclusion that Spanish officials in Cuba were to blame and widely publicized the conspiracy. Such publications gave birth to a new term, "yellow journalism", which fueled American anger by publishing astonishing "atrocities" committed by Spain in Cuba. When Hearst was informed by Frederic Remington, whom he had hired to furnish illustrations for his newspaper, that conditions in Cuba were not bad enough to warrant hostilities, he allegedly replied, "You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war.". Lashed to fury by the yellow journalism, the American cry of the hour became "Remember the Maine, To Hell with Spain!" President William McKinley, Speaker of the House Thomas B. Reed and the business community opposed the growing public demand for war. A speech by Republican Senator Redfield Proctor on March 17, 1898, thoroughly and calmly analyzed the situation and concluded war was the only answer. The business and religious communities, which had opposed war, now switched sides, leaving President McKinley and Mr.Reed almost alone in their opposition to the war. Consequently, President McKinley asked Congress for authority to send American troops to Cuba for the purpose of ending the civil war there.
On April 19, Congress passed joint resolutions supporting Cuban independence and disclaiming any intention to annex Cuba, demanded Spanish withdrawal, and authorized the president to use as much military force as he thought necessary to help Cuban patriots gain independence from Spain. The Senate and House passed the amendment on April 19, 1898. President McKinley signed the joint resolution on April 20, 1898, and the ultimatum was forwarded to Spain. In response, Spain promptly broke off diplomatic relations with the United States and declared war on April 23. On April 25, Congress declared that a state of war between the United States and Spain had existed since April 21.
The first battle was the Battle of Manila Bay where, on May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey, commanding the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron aboard the USS Olympia, in a matter of hours, defeated the Spanish squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. Meanwhile, between 22 and 24 June, the U.S. V Corps under General William R. Shafter landed at Daiquirí and Siboney, east of Santiago, Cuba. A contingent of Spanish troops, having fought a skirmish with the Americans near Siboney on June 23, had retired to their lightly entrenched positions at Las Guasimas. An advance guard of U.S. forces under former Confederate General Joseph Wheeler ignored Cuban scouting parties and orders to proceed with caution. They caught up with and engaged the Spanish rear guard who effectively ambushed them, in the Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24. The battle ended in favor of Spain and the Spanish left Las Guasimas on their planned retreat to Santiago. On 1 July, a combined force of about 15,000 American troops in regular infantry, cavalry and volunteer regiments, including Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders", notably the 71st New York, 1st North Carolina, 23rd and 24th Colored, and rebel Cuban forces attacked 1,270 entrenched Spaniards in dangerous Civil War-style frontal assaults at the Battle of El Caney and Battle of San Juan Hill outside of Santiago. More than 200 U.S. soldiers were killed and approximately 1,200 wounded.
The invasion of Guantánamo Bay took place on 6 - 10 June, with the first U.S. naval attack and subsequent successful landing of U.S. Marines with naval support. The Battle of Santiago de Cuba on 3 July, 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron. In May 1898, Spanish Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, was first spotted in Santiago Harbor where his fleet had taken shelter for protection from sea attack. For two months there was a stand-off between the Spanish naval forces and American. When the Spanish squadron attempted to leave the harbor on 3 July, the American forces destroyed or grounded five of the six ships. Only one Spanish vessel, the speedy new armored cruiser Cristobal Colón, survived, but her captain hauled down his flag and scuttled her when the Americans finally caught up with her.
On 10 May, U.S. Navy warships were sighted off the coast of Puerto Rico, and on 12 May a squadron of 12 U.S. ships commanded by Rear Admiral William T. Sampson bombarded San Juan. On 25 June, the USS Yosemite blockaded San Juan harbor and on 25 July, General Nelson A. Miles, with 3,300 soldiers, landed at Guánica and invaded the island with little resistance in the brief Puerto Rican Campaign.
With both of its fleets incapacitated, Spain sued for peace. In a mere 109 days after the outbreak of war, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the conflict and giving the United States ownership of the former Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam. The United States had suffered 365 men killed in action, and another 2,061 who died from accidents and tropical diseases.
Ambassador John Hay, writing to his friend Teddy Roosevelt, declared that from start to finish it had been “a splendid little war.”
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