In Our Time of War
Mackenzie Wilburn
Letter
Accuracy is key when writing reports on specific events. The events in which the Cubans rebelled was accurate. The Cubans actually rebelled twice if not more. To keep the us--the Americans--informed the Cubans should very well indeed send letters to our government or come up with some type of way to let us know of what is going on in your place of living. Spain sent out a new commander, General Valeriano Weyler, to put down the uprisings that were happening in Cuba. Weyler forced tens of thousands of Cubans to reconcentration camps. These camps were overcrowded, unsanitary prison camps that provided little food or shelter, causing thousands of deaths from disease and starvation. We sympathize for you--Cubans.
To Fuel Our Anger
Vengeance was called for after the sinking of the USS Maine at the Havana Harbor. More than 260 sailors died from the blasts that sunk the ship. President McKinley had sent the ship there to protect American interests from the riots. This event had helped rouse support for war with Spain as well as the de Lome letter. War with Spain has come!
The Battles
The US Navy set up a blockade of Havana and the north coast of Cuba for fighting in Cuba had begun. The plan was to join the navy at Santiago de Cuba and engage the Spanish. Together, Theodore Roosevelt and Colonel Leonard Wood helped form the First Volunteer US Cavalry, a.k.a. Rough Riders. The US forces fought an even tougher battle at San Juan Hill. San Juan Hill was the key battle in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Despite the US's quick victory, not everything went well. About 5,500 Americans died in the war, mostly from tropical diseases. Aside from the difficulties, the United States had won a major victory in its first overseas war.