Title: Yellow Journalism in the Spanish-American War: 4. Lead-up to the Spanish-American War and U.S. Imperialism
Headings: Yellow Journalism in the Spanish-American War
Yellow Journalism in the Spanish-American War
4. Lead-up to the Spanish-American War and U.S. Imperialism

Content: A map of United States expansion in the 1800s. Here are links to the original text of the Monroe Doctrine: US government historical documents website
Causes of the War
Demands by Cuban patriots for independence from Spanish rule made U.S. intervention in Cuba a paramount issue in the relations between the United States and Spain from the 1870s to 1898. Sympathy for the Cuban insurgents ran high in America, especially after the savage Ten Years War (1868–78) and the unsuccessful revolt of 1895. After efforts to quell guerrilla activity had failed, the Spanish military commander, Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, instituted the reconcentrado, or concentration camp, system in 1896; Cuba's rural population was forcibly confined to centrally located garrison towns, where thousands died from disease, starvation, and exposure. Read more: Spanish-American War: Causes of the War — Infoplease.com
SpanishAmericanWar.info
The United States watched with interest as Cuba struggled for independence. The United States had millions of dollars invested in businesses in Cuba and there were many U.S. citizens in residence there.