Spanish-American War
As Cuba struggled for independence from Spain at the end of the nineteenth century, Spain’s brutal pushback against the rebels combined with the still-unexplained sinking of the American battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor, igniting a popular call amongst Americans for intervention on the Cuban’s behalf.
Congress soon acted with a resolution declaring Cuba’s right to independence, while President William McKinley authorized the use of force against Spain, at the same time renouncing any U.S. intention for annexing the island nation.
When Was the Spanish American War?
In response, Spain declared war on the U.S. on April 24th, 1898, followed a day later by an American declaration of war against Spain, retroactive to April 21st. A pathetically brief and one-sided war was to follow, since Spain had neither sufficient strength in both their North American army and naval positions against such a newly-formidable power as the United States.
The Brief Battle of Manila Bay
Early in the morning of May the 1st, 1898, Commodore George Dewey led his naval fleet into Manila Bay in the Philippines, where he swiftly destroyed the Spanish fleet in a two-hour battle, ending the engagement with the order of a second breakfast for his well-deserving men. During the brief Battle of Manila Bay, the United States saw the loss of ten sailors, while Spanish losses were estimated at over 370.
After U.S. reconnaissance efforts located the elusive Spanish Caribbean fleet under Adm. Pascual Cervera in the Cuban port of Santiago Harbor, U.S. Army troops under the command of Gen. William Shafter, as well as volunteers like the Rough Riders, which included volunteers like then-secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, landed east of Santiago before beginning a slow advance upon the city.
On July the 3rd, after Cervera got wind of the approaching Americans, he attempted to sail his fleet westward along the coast of Cuba, until his ships came under heavy fire from American gun positions, forcing each burning or sinking Spanish warship to run aground in an effort to save boats and lives. Cervera and Spanish ground forces at Santiago surrendered to Shafter on July 17th, ending a brief yet costly war.
How Long was the Spanish American War?
The Spanish-American War lasted seven months and nineteen days, or 233 days total.
The Treaty of Paris marked the official end of the Spanish-American war on December 10th, 1898, which forced Spain to renounce her claims to Cuba, while ceding Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States, as well as the transfer of sovereignty over the Philippines for a payment by the U.S. of $20 million, making the Spanish-American War one of the shortest engagements in American history.