Lesson 47. Reinforcement

Why was Cuba Spain's most important colony in the Caribbean?

By the late 1800s, Spain was one of the most powerful nations in the world.

What was a primary export from Cuba to the United States that caused concern during the Cuban conflict?

Many Americans sympathized with the Cubans' fight for freedom, drawing parallels to their own country's fight for independence from ______.

Match the following groups with their primary concern regarding the war in Cuba:

What was the main reason some Americans wanted to take over Cuba?

Most Americans at the time strongly supported the United States going to war with Spain over Cuba.

What action did the Spanish take in response to the Cuban fight for independence?

What concern did American Protestants have regarding the Spanish in Cuba?

The United States wanted to be nearby to keep enemies from controlling a future ______ through Central America.

Cuban Independence Wars

Spanish Reconcentration Camps

U.S. Interest in Cuba

Cuba was Spain's most important colony in the Caribbean due to its size.
Spain claimed Cuba since Columbus discovered it.
By the late 1800s, Spain was no longer a powerful nation with few colonies and a weak navy.
Cuba reminded the Spanish of their nation's former glory.
Many Cubans desired independence from Spain and fought three times after the American Civil War.
By 1895, most of Spain's colonies in the Americas had gained independence.

The Spanish reacted quickly to the Cuban fight for independence, sending troops and commanders.
Americans were concerned about the fighting because some owned businesses in Cuba that could be harmed.
Cuba exported sugar to the United States, and buyers worried about supply disruptions due to the war.
Many Americans sided with the Cubans, remembering their own fight for freedom from England.
Reports that the Spanish forced Cubans into camps without enough food or medicine stirred outrage.
Most Americans in the 1890s were Protestants.
Some Americans considered the Spanish to be cruel.
Some Americans wanted to take over Cuba, fearing instability if Cubans became independent.
These Americans believed that taking over Cuba and making it a state would allow the United States to control more of the Caribbean Sea.
The United States wanted to be nearby to keep enemies from controlling a future canal.
Many Americans were concerned about the war in Cuba but did not want the United States to go to war.
Initially, most hoped President William McKinley could negotiate peace between the Spanish government and the Cuban rebels.