UNIT 4 BECOMING A WORLD POWER LESSON 2

UNIT #4 – BECOMING A WORLD POWER LESSON #2 – Spanish American War and American Empire (4 -2) (145 -151)

LESSON #1 – Spanish American War & Amer. Empire (11/18) • ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 3. How can Yellow Journalism change governmental policy? 4. Describe how American came to own most of what was left of the Spanish Empire. VOCABULARY Yellow journalism (147) Cuban autonomy (147) Jingoism (147) Spanish-American War (148) Rough Riders (148) Theodore Roosevelt (148) San Juan Hill (148)

The World “Blood on the roadsides, blood in the fields, blood on the doorsteps, blood, blood!” —from a newspaper article in the World describing the Cuban Revolution How can yellow journalism influence people's opinions on foreign policy issues?

Yellow Journalism • What is Yellow Journalism? • Find the definition on p. 147. Sensationalist reporting in which writers purposefully distort truth, exaggerate information or even lie to get more attention to their stories Usually catch headlines or invented drawings Usually information is not researched very well (if at all) • What are some reasons a newspaper might resort to this type of reporting? To sell more papers (and sell more advertising) (and make more money) To sway public opinion To get government to base decisions from their views

Yellow Journalism

Yellow Journalism • The most infamous yellow journalism publishers was William Randolph Hearst, whose New York Journal published wild exaggerations and false stories to increase circulation. • The New York Journal-American and other tabloids prospered for several decades with a mix of celebrity scandal and gory murder stories, but didn't survive the Great Depression. • In 1952, a former Hearst-owned paper called the New York Enquirer was purchased and changed to tabloid size and took it in a new direction, with content based on people's tendency to stop and gawk at car accidents. "If it was blood that interested people, I'd give it to them, " he said in a 1970 s Time interview. • Circulation increased rapidly based on a steady stream of gory crime scene photographs and murder stories. • What are some examples of Yellow Journalism today?

Tabloids

Spanish Empire • • What do you know about the Spanish Empire? What did Columbus do? Why does most of Latin America speak Spanish? Spain was once the most powerful nation on earth Over the years, Spain lost most of the empire They were vicious leaders Rebellion plagued most of regions they controlled

Cuban Revolution • Where is Cuba? Just south of Florida • Read the first two paragraphs of the Cuban Rebellion on p. 146 What were the circumstances leading to rebellion? Spain still owned Cuba in 1800 s Cuba produced HUGE amounts of sugar (1/3 of world’s supply) 1868 – Cubans rebelled for independence from Spain • Read the top of p. 147. What was the result? Cuba was able to declare independence by 1895

Is war a good idea? • Spain did not like that Cuba rebelled. • What did they do? (p. 147 – second full paragraph) Sent 200, 000 troops to put down rebellion Spain put rebels in concentration camps Spain eventually agreed to [a form of] Cuban independence • Riots continued. • Pres. Mc. Kinley sent Battleship Maine to protect Americans. • Spain saw this as overly aggressive • Both nations were VERY prideful • This was an era of NATIONALISM, when pride in nation often got carried too far… called JINGOISM

The USS Maine, American Battleship click • • • A massive explosion RIPPED through the Maine Killing hundreds of American sailors Americans were outraged Most Americans wanted to blame someone Yellow Journalists handed them SPAIN How did Yellow Journalism change history?

REMEMBER THE MAINE! The explosion killed 268 men, twothirds of the crew. Only 200 bodies were recovered, but they were so badly disfigured that only 76 were identified. A 1970 s study indicated that the explosion may have been caused by spontaneous combustion in a coal bunker on the ship. Another study in the 1990 s, though, concluded it could have been caused by a mine.

Example of Yellow Journalism Yellow journalism depended on sensationalist reporting that relied on getting an emotional reaction from the reader, usually by using words that quickly created a visual image. Emotional words such as “outrage” and “destroyed” target the reader’s feelings. Whether the words actually describe a fact is not as important as causing the reader to feel a certain way. The story was printed on February 17, 1898. It is doubtful there was a unanimous agreement because the Navy did not finish its investigation until March. The phrase “$50, 000 REWARD” is used four times in a fairly small area. The intent was to capture the reader’s eye and hold it.

Is war a good idea? • What happened next? (147 – last two paragraphs) The Maine exploded. Some Americans blamed the Spanish • What does JINGOISM look like? This should be a description of EXTREME nationalism. • 1898 – What did congress do? (top of p. 148) We declared Cuba independent. • What was Spain’s response? They declared war on us.

The Spanish-American War Day 1 Reflection Question Do you think if the USS Maine had not been destroyed, the Spanish-American War would not have occurred? Why or why not?

A two-front war • Battle of Manila Bay – “YOU MAY FIRE WHEN READY, GRIDLEY” – Destroyed Spanish fleet in Philippines • Battle of Cuba – ROUGH RIDERS – TEDDY ROOSEVELT – BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL

A two-front war

The war • Americans were not really ready to fight • They looked for volunteers • One such group: THE ROUGH RIDERS – Cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt – Mostly cowboys, miners and law officer – Attacked San Juan Hill in Cuba – Spanish fled – Whole fleet destroyed

American Imperialism 10 m version 30 m version

Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) 1. What did Adolph Plessy do? (135) He was a partially black man (1/8 black, and very light skinned) who took a seat on a train in a car designated just for whites 2. What “doctrine” did this lead to? (136) The doctrine was known as “separate but equal, ” and led to legal discrimination in the South that lasted for more than 50 years