Title: US History: The Spanish American War for Kids
Headings: US History
US History
The Spanish American War

Content: The fighting ended with a U.S. victory three and a half months later on August 12, 1898. Charge of the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill
by Frederic Remington
Leading Up to the War
Cuban revolutionaries had been fighting for the independence of Cuba for many years. They first fought the Ten Year's War between 1868 and 1878. In 1895, Cuban rebels rose up again under the leadership of Jose Marti. Many Americans supported the cause of the Cuban rebels and wanted the United States to intervene. Sinking of the Battleship Maine
When conditions in Cuba worsened in 1898, President William McKinley sent the U.S. battleship Maine to Cuba to help protect American citizens and interests in Cuba. On February 15, 1898, a huge explosion caused the Maine to sink in Havana Harbor. Although no one was sure exactly what caused the explosion, many Americans blamed Spain. They wanted to go to war. The US Declares War
President McKinley resisted going to war for a few months, but eventually public pressure to act became too great.