spanish-american war stations activity

The intent of this lesson is to expose students to a collection of influential Spanish-American War topics in a brief amount of time. After completing this lesson, students should have an understanding of the causes/effects, and major topics of the Spanish-American War. The lesson is easily adaptable to fit your teaching style. The following methods have proven to be the most successful in my classroom: 1. Hang the information sheets around the class and have students rotate to each sheet.

- This is my favorite because it gets students up and moving. You can use the worksheet that accompanies this activity, or simply have students write a summary of each station as they rotate.

2. Split the students into groups and assign one sheet per group. Have the students read the information sheet and prepare to present the information to the rest of class.

- I assign a number to each group member (number the first group, then start back at 1 for the next group, so that you have multiple 1’s, 2’s, etc. throughout the class) and after students have had adequate time to prepare I tell them all the 2’s are presenting. This method motivates students because they don’t know which group member is presenting until it is time to present.

3. Form groups of 5 and have the students pass around the information sheets.

- I’ve found the best approach for this method is to give students a set amount of time and then have all students pass their sheets to the right when told.

As a culminating activity, I have students pick which topic they believe had the biggest influence on American involvement in the war, and we discuss their ideas as a class, or I have them write a short defense of their answer. I hope you and your students enjoy this activity. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns!

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Spanish-American War Stations Activity

1. Cuban Rebellion / Spanish Brutality

Cuba had been ruled by Spain for centuries, but by 1895 many Cuban had grown frustrated with Spanish authority. That frustration led to violence and bloodshed. Cuban rebels began fighting for their independence from Spain.

Spanish leaders on the island knew they had to act quickly to halt the rebellion. The Spain leaders implemented a “Reconcentration Policy” to strip the rebels of their ability to live off the land and camouflage themselves among civilians. The policy required Cuban civilians to move from rural areas to fortified camps that were monitored by Spanish soldiers. Cuban civilians had eight days to move to the camps. Anyone that failed to obey the order was shot.

The policy had disastrous results. The housing provided for Cubans was often roofless and deteriorating. Food, medicine, and supplies were scare, leading to rampant famine and disease. By 1898, one third of Cuba’s population had been forced into relocation camps. Although the camps were designed to keep the civilians alive until the rebellion was stopped, at least 30 percent died from starvation and disease. Over 400,000 Cuba civilians died as a result of the reconcentration policy. Americans read about Spanish brutality and saw pictures of starving Cubans, which intensified the anti-Spanish movement in America. The cruelty of Spanish leaders accelerated America’s entry into the war.

U.S. Senator Redfield Proctor traveled to Cuba and witnessed the atrocities first hand. In a speech to Congress he stated, “What I saw I cannot tell so that others can see it. It must be seen with one's own eyes to be realized...To me the strongest appeal is not the barbarity but the spectacle of a million and a half people, the entire native population of Cuba, struggling for freedom and deliverance from the worst misgovernment of which I ever had knowledge..."

Drawings depict Senator Proctor’s descriptions Starving boy in a relocation camp

Source: “Crucible of Empire.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 1999, www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_timeline.html. Little History Monster

2. American Business Interests

As the conflict grew, some Americans became concerned about U.S. economic interests in Cuba. The American - Cuban trade value reached $100 million in 1895. U.S. investments in Cuba totaled $50 million. The majority of money came from Cuba’s lucrative sugar plantations. Other investments included mining, iron, coffee and tobacco. American property, businesses and lives were jeopardized by the rebellion.

Spain and Cuban rebels relied on the land to provide for their armies. This included crops to sustain the men, and also cash crops to finance the fighting. A common tactic for both sides was to destroy land that their enemy valued. Cuban rebels targeted Spanish business properties. Occasionally, the fighting and rioting spread to land and businesses owned by Americans. When rioting intensified in Havana, many American lives were endangered. Numerous Americans began to call on the U.S. government to join the conflict to protect U.S. property, businesses and lives in Cuba.

Cuban rebels attacking Spanish property

Source: “The World of 1898.” The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War, www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/index.html. Little History Monster

3. Yellow Journalism

During the 1890’s, newspapers entered frenzied competitions for readers. In an attempt to outsell rivals, many newspapers began using large, attention grabbing headlines with exaggerated stories. This style of reporting became known as yellow journalism.

Newspaper owners such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer saw the conflict in Cuba as an opportunity to increase sales. Their papers began running sensationalized stories designed to target the emotions of Americans. Appalling accounts described the situation in Cuba – executions, courageous rebel fighting, starving women and children. Americans were enthralled with the developments in Cuba, but it was the sinking of the battleship USS Maine that gave yellow journalist their biggest story. Many newspapers blamed Spain for the sinking of the Maine, although they had no evidence to support their claims. U.S. public opinion demanded intervention.

The influence of yellow journalism fueled public passion for war. Most historians agree the Spanish-American War was the first war driven by the press. The dramatic portrayal of events in Cuba propelled the United States into war with Spain.


4. Explosion of the USS Maine

At 9:40 pm on February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing over 260 men. Of those that perished, only 200 bodies were recovered and 76 identified. America was stunned.

The USS Maine was an America battleship sent to Cuba’s capital on January 25, 1898. As pre-war tensions increased between the United States and Spain, American officials decided to send the battleship to protect American interests on the island. Fueled by yellow journalism, many Americans blamed Spain for the explosion. Spain adamantly denied any involvement.

President William McKinley ordered on investigation to determine the cause of the explosion. On March 28, a Naval Court of Inquiry reported that the explosion had been caused by an external submerged mine, implying Spanish responsibility. American public opinion demanded action against Spain. The U.S. Navy neglected to include in its report that between 1895 and 1898, thirteen other American ships had fires associated with internal spontaneous combustion in coal bunkers. In 1977, a U.S. naval commission reopened the investigation and reversed the 1898 judgment, declaring that the explosion was, “without a doubt,” internal. Regardless, the damage was done. While it will never be known what exactly happened to the Maine, the incident was a significant force that propelled the United States into the Spanish-American War.

Wreckage of the USS Maine

Artist’s rendering of the explosion


5. Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders

When the Spanish American War began in 1898, Theodore Roosevelt was serving a highly regarded role as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Most Americans were shocked when Roosevelt announced he was resigning his respected post to volunteer to fight in the War. Roosevelt joined the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. The cavalry included hunters, gamblers, cowboys, athletes, young college men, Buffalo soldiers and Native Americans. The group would become known as Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. Shortly after arriving in Cuba, Roosevelt was promoted to Colonel. He and his men endured temperatures above 100 degrees as they advances towards the Spanish lines. As the troops neared the enemy fortifications, shrapnel from a Spanish shell injured Roosevelt’s wrist, and wounded several others. Roosevelt and his men were ordered to attack a Spanish entrenchment on Kettle Hill. Riding his horse, Texas, Roosevelt led his men up the hill against a well-entrenched enemy. Observers thought the charge was doomed to fail, but Roosevelt and his men took control of the entrenchments, forcing a Spanish retreat. Roosevelt and the Rough Riders then charged the Spaniards on adjacent San Juan Hill. Roosevelt ordered a charge, leading his men up the hill. As he rushed up the hill he suddenly realized only five men followed. In the chaos of battle his men did not hear his order or see him charging up the hill almost single-handedly. Furious with his men, Roosevelt returned to the line and confronted his troops. He gave a second order to charge, this time rallying the men. The second charge was a success. 89 of 490 Rough Riders were killed or wounded in the battle. Most historians agree that Roosevelt’s leadership and personal bravery were the strongest elements leading to that day’s crucial victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill. Theodore Roosevelt recorded his recollections of the battle in his book, The Rough Riders. In the following passage Roosevelt describes his role in the charge:

I called to charge the next line of trenches, on the hills in our front. Thinking that the men would all come, I jumped in front and started at the double; but, as a matter of fact, the troopers were so excited, what with shooting and being shot, and shouting and cheering, that they did not hear, or did not heed me; and after running about a hundred yards I found I had only five men along with me. Bullets were ripping the grass all around us, and one of the men was mortally wounded; another, was shot first in the leg and then through the body. He made not the slightest murmur, only asking me to put his water canteen where he could get at it, which I did. There was no use going on with the remaining three men. They sat down in the grass, firing back at the line of trenches from which the Spaniards were shooting at them. Meanwhile, I ran back, filled with anger against the troopers, and especially those of my own regiment, for not having accompanied me. They, of course, were quite innocent of wrong-doing; and even while I taunted them bitterly for not having followed me, it was all I could do not to smile at the look of injury and surprise that came over their faces, while they cried out, "We didn't hear you, we didn't see you go." I leaped and we started across the wide valley which lay between us and the Spanish entrenchments. Before we got near them the Spaniards ran, save a few here and there, who either surrendered or were shot down. When we reached the trenches we found them filled with dead bodies in the light blue and white uniform of the Spanish regular army. There were very few wounded. Most of the fallen had little holes in their heads for they were covered from the neck down by the trenches.

The Rough Riders charge San Juan Hill

Source: "The Soldier." Theodore Roosevelt Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017. Little History Monster

6. Results of the Spanish-American War

In less than four months Spanish forces were defeated and the Treaty of Paris ended the war. The war had cost America $250 million and 3,000 lives, of whom 90% had perished from diseases. The U.S. Secretary of State referred to it as “a splendid little war.”

As a result of the war, America gained control of Spain’s former colonies – Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The Philippines rebelled against U.S. control for years, fighting for their own independence. The Philippines remained a U.S. possession until eventually gaining independence in 1946. In addition, Cuba gained independence as a result of the Spanish-American War. Triumph in the Spanish-American war helped America emerge as a new world power. The addition of several territories, and the quick defeat of an established power such as Spain, earned America newfound respect and prestige.

Boston Globe, May 28. 1898. McKinley’s menu includes Cuba steak, Porto Rico pig, and the Philippine and Sandwich islands.


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